Thank you, Amie, for this touch of Mayan in my life. I will think of you fondly every time I wear it!
Our good friends, Amie and Shawn, recently came to visit us here in Panajachel. They were scouting this area for their own future early retirement and loved so many interesting and unique things that Guatemala had to offer. One of Amie's main hobbies is creating crafts of all kinds and she kept admiring the plethora of colorfully patterned fabrics found everywhere around town. Knowing this, I thought she would really enjoy the twice weekly textile market at the local fire station. Indigenous ladies from the towns around the lake bring their secondhand huipils ("wee-pills") or traditional Mayan boxy-type heavily embroidered blouses and sell them to other locals or to curious tourists looking for a unique souvenir to take home. Amie and I searched through pile upon pile of old blouses. Many were tattered, faded, or had structural issues. She seemed to know exactly what she was looking for, so I just served as her willing assistant during the hunt and together we used our Spanish skills to find just what she wanted. Once she found the exact patterned fabrics she was seeking, the bartering process began. Shawn, her husband, served as our master negotiator and he got some really good deals for Amie's future craft projects. Arriving back at the apartment, Amie's crafty eye was keenly searching for something to do immediately with her new treasures from the market. She and I decided that my plain ol' jean jacket would be a perfect "guinea pig" for one of her first Mayan makeover projects. Once I handed it over to her, she got right down to work. She carefully cut apart the best areas of the huipil and planned which panels were most appropriate to embellish my jacket. Once she had a visual idea of the design, she happily got right to work hand stitching the Mayan fabric scraps onto my jacket. She worked quickly and seemed so content while sewing and chatting with us at the same time. She is a consummate problem-solver, so when she encountered small obstacles such as cheap thread that kept tangling or difficult pockets to sew around, she always came up with the perfect solution. A crafting Amie is a happy Amie! Once she finished sewing in the Mayan panels, she thought that the jacket needed a splash of sparkle to finish it off. So, out we went to the bead stores in town to find the perfect necklaces to enhance the project. Once we found them, back home we went. Amie was on a mission! Amie and I cut apart the necklace and sorted the different sized beads. This is basically the only help I could give because crafting is not my gift (haha!). I did enjoy watching Amie so engrossed in her work, though. I was most amazed with how quickly the jacket was transformed. The entire project only took a few days and not even full days, because we were on the go so much. Amie used every spare moment of down time at the apartment to complete her vision. Here I am modeling my new and much improved jean jacket. The total cost of this transformation, including huipil, beads, scissors, thread and needles, was only $10. Amie is a miracle worker! Here is the back of my jacket. Notice the intricate embroidery from the huipil. So much symbolism is depicted in each and every pattern. This one is from the nearby village of Santiago, represented by flowers and the Quetzal bird. This is a closeup of the front panels of my new jacket. Amie's beading was such a beautiful accent. She knew that I didn't want it to be overly sparkly and end up looking like the very flamboyant pianist, Liberace, so her beading was perfectly subtle.
Thank you, Amie, for this touch of Mayan in my life. I will think of you fondly every time I wear it!
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Our motto as we have traveled around the world is to say a resounding, "Yes!" to new experiences as they are presented to us. You never know what fun or exciting things are just around the corner from your usual comfort zone. (All photos in this article are provided by our good friend Suzanne Cosmo). After our weekly Saturday BBQ lunch with our friends Greg and Suzanne, they told us they were going to San Antonio with their friends, John and Jolie. We told them to have a great afternoon and we would talk to them later. A few minutes later John and Jolie pulled up in their truck and asked us if we wanted to come along. Since we haven't been there yet, we put our errands on hold and jumped into the back of the pick-up just like the locals do. Off we went, over the hills and around a plethora of curves, eating dust during the half hour bumpy ride. Every village around Lake Atitlan has indigenous tribes. They speak a different dialect of the local Kakchiquel language and their clothing has very specific and intricate color schemes or patterns that signify their village. These particular people in San Antonio have a very dark blue pattern that they wear. In San Antonio you can find gorgeous hand painted pottery and handwoven textiles at a fraction of the cost that you can get in Panajachel. We started off by going to where they manufacture the pottery sold in many of the markets around Lake Atitlan. The process of making, shaping, and firing the pottery comes from a tradition that has been handed down through countless generations. The first shop we came to had the best and most expensive items for sale. However, if you don't mind a few chips or minor imperfections, ask them to take you to the room near the factory. We called this the "discount room." Lori didn't buy any pottery, but she did end up getting a large handwoven scarf at another village wholesale shop for only $12.
This was a great experience that we never would have had if we didn't take a chance and say, "Yes!" Thank you to John, Jolie, Greg, and Suzanne for a wonderful and memorable day. Click on pictures below for larger images and captions. The great thing about living on Lake Atitlan is all the different villages that you can visit. There are 5 or 6 villages that surround the lake and they all have their own distinct character. Today we visited San Pedro. We headed to the dock on the Panajachel side of the lake, hopped in a lancha (water taxi) and after it filled with passengers all heading to the same area, we were off. The price for each of us was 25Q for one way ($3.25) and the trip took approximately 30 minutes to get across the lake. Luckily, the morning we went, the lake was as smooth as glass. In our time overseas we tend to compare new areas to places we have already been. We have found that this area of Guatemala, to us, is very similar to Thailand. Panajachel has similar characteristics to Chaing Mai although on a much smaller scale. With that being said, we found San Pedro to be very much like the little town of Pai, in Thailand. http://freetirement.weebly.com/blog/a-little-slice-of-pai This little village is a throwback to when Lake Atitlan was first discovered by the hippies in the 1960s. It is very laid back where young people stroll the streets with a carefree attitude that has been passed on from one generation to the next. You will find a plethora of massage centers and Spanish language schools here in San Pedro. There are tranquil gardens and pathways around every corner. If you want to try holistic medicine or herbal remedies, San Pedro has the right dose for you. If you are looking to "center your chi", then you have found your Nirvana.
There are plenty of vegan restaurants, international cuisine, and delicious local delicacies to choose from. The locals here seem to move at a very deliberate, yet relaxed, pace. I guess that is why we instantly fell in love with this little slice of solitude. See you again soon, San Pedro! Click on a picture below for a larger image. |
The GrantsWe are early retired teachers and empty nesters in search of adventure during the next phase of our lives. The world awaits and we are ready to get out there and take it all in! Categories
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