Park in Antigua/Santo Domingo

 This is  Antigua Park Central.  These two men play the most beautiful traditional music & with their
instruments.   They are their several days of the week.

 This is a favourite restaurant.   You go up a very  steep cobblestone road with fun sculptures
all the way up.   It is so magical and surprising,  nothing like anything else in Antigua.

 Our meal at Lake Atitlan - took boat over tovvillage and climbed steep hill full
of merchants selling their wares

 

OUr lunch at San Marco  we took a fun boat to there  and walked up a steep hill to this fun restaurant
Merchants  all the way along selling their wares.
That is  San Marco on the water.   VERY  Mayan.

Saskatchewan/Buffalo

 My mum was raised in Saskatchewan.  Two years ago the farm celebrated being in the family for 100 years.   Three of my Uncles Sons, farm there.   A year later they were approached to have a man form Chicago buy the land and raise buffalo!  After much deliberation....... they accepted.  It was so strange to be there and see these herds of buffalo on the land.  Right where they would have been 100 years ago!!  The boys showed us  indentations in the land made from the buffalo 100  years ago.  It was amazing.

 This is some of the fencing put in for the animals.  It was quite a feeling to  think that it has come full  circle from when my great grandfather started in farming  to 2012, and to see these herds of buffalo.

They have had to let the land return to  natural, native grasses,  The animals are not fed anything but
what they can eat on the land and natural supplements,  no shots, etc.  they are shipped back to the US and processed.   The man is currently looking for thousands of acres in Montana, so  obviously a big market. 
They were truly amazing to  see.

Santo Domingo on the Mountain

 Well gosh, I will learn how to do these better in sequence. But a very old Hotel / Restaurant in town has made a restaurant up a near by mountain.   We finally went with neighbours other day.  This is Corina and Jim leaving the 'chapel' with the pope on the outside.   Love the blue.

 It is a very steep drive up to the place  and it is totally magical, on the way up and once there.  NOTHING like Antiqua or anything Guatemalan that we have seen.   This is just a structure we are walking by.

 This is a sculpture of giant twist tubes????  I love this kind of sculpture.

 This is funny hanging art in the trees.

 This is a giant fork and spoon getting ready to eat some spaghetti.

 There was a candle shop and a  chocolate shop.  Corina  taking a peak in after lunch.

 There happened to be a Mayan Market this day.   a Square big enough for a big wedding, meetings,
The do have lots of events.

 Looking down on the market tent.

 The exit/entrance to the restaurant.   No walls,   giant pillars  and a cloth roof.  Very fun, different surrounding.  Lunch was delicious and more than reasonable.

 Love the giant chair.  and view is looking down on Antigua.

 This is a tiled 'lion'  

 A Guatemalan sculpture  overlooking the grounds.   Building in back was being worked on.

 All the way up the cobble stone road were pieces of 'strange' art  and also these buggies.  Thought for a minute you were at the Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston!!

 Loved these trees,  thought they might be trying to speak to you, if you waited around long enough.
Definitely  a place we will take you too.

Ian looking down the valley. 

Heading to the Pacific

 Stopped to take this picture.  Famous mountain???  but it is a face.  Very seeable when you are there.

 This is the back side of Fuego,  can see a bit how much it is rock at the top,  where the lava has burned all the growth. 

 First beach we went too.   Not to pleasant.  (clean)   and the ocean was dirty.

 The front boy didn't show up???  but they were collecting  firewood.  And not happy together!!.  But collecting firewood is a huge part of the lives of many Guatemalans.

 About an hour into the trip  starting seeing many thatched roof homes.   None around where we are.

 Stopped at a alligator farm.  Many can see them here.   Not a fancy place  but they were proud of it.
Not sure where the alligators go when they grow up though

 Another thatched roof home.

 On our return trip, Alejandro asked if we wanted to go back short cut, by boat.   This is the boat!!
I was wary, but Ian was tickled., water man that he is.   Takes two  cars. so we loaded and waited for  second car and off we went.

 Gorgeous Jungle river.   trees right down to the water.   Many cranes along the way, only wildlife we saw

 This a people boat,  going from one village to the next.

 A crane at the dock.

Ian dragging his feet in the water!  Was quite clean actually.

Antigua

 This is a family of boys wit their dad that play the 'marimbas'  They are so good.  And delightful
Can hear them from the street, so we went in.  The doors all around have all the local products for sale in them by the artist or someone from the family.

 This is at San Pedro Hermano Hospital.  The young lady came from Holland to volunteer for about two months. all by herself.  She was amazing.  She is holding Maria,  size of a three year old but is 12.  She is always smiling.

This was the first time we saw Fuego spewing flames.  Was amazing to both of us.  I never dreamed I would see a volcano in Action.   Then about two months later it was world news, as it erupted.
When it lets out little puffs, almost daily,   our  roof creaks!,  so  Ian goes out to the telescope to check on it.  

Wash day/ Macadamian Farm

 This is the community square at San Huertas  about 10 minute walk from our community gate.
It is wash day.  The Mayan ladies are at the built in tubs that each have a washboard built into it.
The have a plastic bowl - see on the side - that they scoop the water into their own tub.  You never
see kids in the water.  It is  for  washing clothes only.   Their clothes are woven.  So they wash them then carry them home to hang to dry.   Would be a very heavy load.  I am so in awe of them.!

 Can see the blue basket ,  it is clean and they will put it on their heads to take home.  Such strong
necks, I think.

 We went with Old town Tours and did a four hour bike hike.  Ended up here for lunch at the Organic Macadamian Nut Farm.  Was a fascinating tour.

 This is a try of nuts ready to be sorted.

 Here I am sorting them.    The fall down into the hole of the size they are and then are sent to the roasting oven.

Just leaving, but  wanted you to see the size of the leaves.  Such a pretty place.  Will take you there when you come.  They are using new techniques that have cut the growing time to maturity of the tree by half.  They are so excite.d

Hospital visit in San Felipe

 This is a few of the ladies from my ward arriving at the hospital in San Felipe to deliver our gifts.

 The doctors came to thank us.   Not just some staff.  They were so  appreciative. They  took us around to visit the mums and kids in the hospital.  Many in the halls!!!

 Gosh, took  pampers,  milk, cleaning supplies,  all  sorts of things.   It was a Stake Activity so about
100 women  went.

 Ruth, This is the stack of baby blankets I made with all your wonderful material you sent.  Know that many babies  went home with a blanket that might not of had one!!!

 This is how we got to the hospital from the church.   About  12 of us in the back of this truck!

This is my grass!! in my yard.   I love the little yellow flowers.  Armando mows them and they always grow back.