A very fond farewell

Tom, Alejandro, and I are sitting together in our hotel bed. Alejandro is cracking up at something on TV, Tom is laughing at Alejandro's laughing, and I'm trying to figure out how to say adios to this whole experience. We've got some serious time to kill before our evening flight, but I'll make this short.

We're grateful. I'm grateful to my husband for having the follow through to make this sabbatical happen. We're grateful that we've had a safe and happy series of trips. We're grateful that, for the time being, at least, Alejandro has some real memories of Guatemala. And Tom and I are beyond grateful to Alejandro for bringing such a gorgeous, complex culture into our lives.

And we're now very grateful to be coming home.

We've been busy since we left Antigua. We first headed up to Lake Atitlan for a couple lovely nights in a town called Santiago de Atitlan. Santiago is a special, spirited, even feisty, little town, home of a hard drinking, hard smoking patron saint, and after enduring a devastating hurricane and recent (1990!) massacre, somehow successfully drove the military out of their town. It is the only place in Guatemala where a military presence isn't allowed. Luckily for us, it's also a warm, friendly, beyond beautiful pueblo.

From there we moved into the Guatemalan highlands and visited Chichicastenango--a big word for a small town with the largest market in the Americas. There, despite knowing much better, we spent a lot of money on stuff we don't need. (Those Mayan women may look small, but they are relentless!) Oh well, when in Chichi...

I'll sign off and leave with you with some photos. The show is over and the boys are now dancing. I should join in while I have the chance.

Our cottage at La Posada de Santiago. It was incredibly beautiful and the food was such a great treat.

None of our photos did Lake Atitlan justice. Here's a cloudy shot of one of the three volcanoes surrounding the lake.

We went on hike through a nature reserve on the lake. Alejandro loved the suspension bridges...a lot more than I did!

We all loved the spider monkeys!

Three friends

Paying our respects to Saint Maximon. Never heard of him? You'd probably like him! He accepts offerings of booze, cigarettes, and spare change. It's all very serious and very campy. Can't imagine he's high on the list of Catholic hierarchy, but who knows....

Taking a little break in Panajachel

Women washing clothes in Lake Atitlan

Chichicastenango's town square the evening before the market

Market Day. Talk about not doing a place justice in a photo. Madness, I tell you!

He got the hat and the instrument...and we were rewarded with that face!!