A Visit to Guatemala

Aug 28, 2024

My family had the wonderful opportunity to visit Guatemala this summer, and it was the first out-of-country experience for our children. What a beautiful country and culture to share with them; it is an experience that I hope stays with them for their whole lives! Here is a little bit about our trip:

Antigua

Since it was a short stay, we headed straight for Antigua after landing in Guatemala City. Antigua spares no opportunity for artfulness, and it filled my artisan cup to be surrounded by so much handcrafted beauty. The snake plants, monsteras, and bougainvillea grow prolifically and accent the Spanish colonial buildings and cobblestone streets. I love that you can easily walk around the whole town!

Convento La Recoleccion

Convento de las Capuchinas

Convento Santa Clara Interior

Convento Santa Clara Exterior

Restaurants/Cafes: Las Antorchas, Del Arco Restaurant, Fernando's Kaffee, Café Sky, Doña Maria Dulcería, Choco Museo

Hotels: Hotel Real Plaza and Ojalá

Sites: Convento Santa Clara, Convento de las Capuchinas, Convento la Recoleccion, Cerro de La Cruz (an easy hike with a great view), Santa Catalina Arch, Iglesia de La Merced

Boutiques: Wakami

Antigua to Lake Atitlán

Panajachel to San Juan La Laguna

"17 Flights" switchbacks

To save on transportation costs, we rented a crossover from Avis with all wheel drive at the airport using Booking mobile app. We chose our routes carefully, took the Pan American highway as much as possible, and did not have any trouble even in the wet season. The switchbacks called the 17 Flights on the way to San Juan La Laguna were a little hairy. It helped that we are from Oregon and used to mountain roads. At least there is no snow in Guatemala!

Lake Atitlán

Lake Atitlán is the deepest lake in Central America. It is surrounded by volcanoes and unique towns with their own personalities. Once at the lake, you can visit the different towns in a boat taxi called a "lancha". The streets are walkable and tuk tuks, three wheeled taxis, are also readily available. You can also visit the Mayan ruins of Iximche in Tecpán on your way to the lake from Antigua. It is less crowded than the northern ruins of Tikal, and well worth the stop.

Iximche Ruins in Tecpán

San Juan La Laguna

Calle de las Sombrillas

El Rostro Maya

Reserva Natural Cerro Tzankujil

Licor Marrón Chocolate Workshop

natural dye wall at Casa Flor Ixcaco in San Juan La Laguna

Casa Flor Ixcaco Demonstration

Uxlabil

The women's weaving cooperative that make all of the beaded jewelry and many of the woven textiles for Fair + Simple is nested in the highlands around Lake Atitlán in a rural town called Tablón. I was very excited to introduce the women to my own children and it was the main event of the trip for me. Julia, the leader of the group, is an absolute force and so inspiring to be around. Her son, Danilo, is bursting with talent, insight, ideas, and an immense love for his culture; it was an honor for my kids to meet them and spend some time in their workshop. Nothing replaces being together in person, and this time was rich and meaningful. We have lots of things in store for the future! Even though we have been working together for seven years, in some ways I believe our work together has just begun. The fruit of the labor has major impact on the lives of women and their children, and it's really special to be a part of their work. I am filled with gratitude for every customer who has purchased and invested in our women-made goods. Invest in a woman; change the world. It's happening, friends.

Before we left, I drew an icon of a woman on a back strap loom that I took from my last visit, and digitized the drawing along with the name of their co-op. A huge shoutout to Talent Maker City for allowing me to use the makerspace to screenprint this design and laser engrave name tags before our trip. This branded material was a symbolic gift to represent how F+S exists to support the work they are doing.

I hope you get a chance to visit this beautiful country that is so rich in culture and craft. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Restaurants/Cafes: Café San Juan, Dolce Gelato San Juan,Crossroads Café in Pana

Hotels: Uxlabil

Sites: Reserva Natural Cerro Tzankujil, Licor Marrón Chocolate Workshop, Casa Flor Ixcaco, Iximche Archaeological Site