This has been our last week here in Guatemala and it has surely been an eventful one! To kick start this week we endured a rugged 25 mile hike through the thick of the the Guatemalan jungle. We would hike a portion of the distance every day while staying at local villages along the way each night. We faced many daring exploits through the entire expedition such as psuedo-vertical climbs, rivers, and many other physically demanding obstacles. On the final day of the trek we awoke at roughly 4:30 in the morning and hiked up the mountain “Nariz de Indo” to watch the sun rise over the beautiful landscape that lay in front of us.
After seeing that beautiful sight we trekked back down the mountain. We ventured along the ridges of the many mountains, forests, and cornfields that lay so majestically around the lake that we would call home for the coming days. All morning we trekked down mountain sides and through small villages until we arrived at the town of San Pedro, a quaint little city that sits upon the shore of the massive volcanic lake, Lago de Atitlan. We spent about an hour and a half in this small town simply to gain our bearings after the difficult days we had just faced before hopping onto the first of our two boat rides that day.
We set sail in the early after noon to another town on the opposite shore of the lake called Santiago. From there we met our contact from our yoga farm, Kara. She joined us on our second boat ride to our new home for the week – “The Mystical Yoga Farm” – and it truly was mystical.
As we stepped off the boat onto the small dock, there was a rush of calm and a strong feeling of serenity. The farm radiated joy and peace, and it was clear that this week was going to be a fantastic and very relaxing end to our Guatemalan adventures. Soon after our arrival we met Rio, who would be our wonderful guide in the art of Meditation, whom we would join every morning at 7am for a peaceful practice in calming our minds. Each day after meditation we would engage in a riveting session of yoga which was led each day by a different instructor. We learned Yoga from Kara (The farm’s manager), Michelle (A guest teacher at the farm), Charme (A photographer staying at the farm who happened to be a yoga instructor!), and Mette (Another yoga teacher at the farm).
The first couple days after we would wake up and follow our morning routine of meditation, yoga, then breakfast. After breakfast we would take a class from Michelle and her partner Jared on fermentation! We were all able to not only learn about the art of fermentation but dabble in its practice as well. We all made loaves of Sour Dough bread, Ginger Beer, and Sourkraut over the first few days!
After our days of fermentation class ended we then began engaging in what was called “Sacred Service” which entailed gardening on the farm, picking up garbage from the surrounding pathways, and creating a beautiful mosaic piece in the outdoor showers on the farm. Each of us participated in at least 2 of these tasks that really gave back to this community that took us in.
The following day definitely included an exhilarating experience to say the least. We all joined together in our meditation and yoga building “Jaguar Hall” accompanied by Keith Sherman (a shaman) to lead us in a “Cacao Ceremony”. We all sat in the hall, indulged in a cup of truly fantastic hot chocolate, and watched as the shaman explained the wonders of cacao. For 5 hours we sat and experienced a spiritual journey that appeared to transcend realms as we all got in touch with our inner selves.
The next day was our last day in this place and many of us ventured forth to the town of Santiago to explore the rich and lively culture that was exploding with color and emotion. After returning from the town the rest of the day was spent on the farm doing exactly what we were there to do. Relax and reflect.
This morning we said our farewells to The Mystical Yoga Farm and journeyed onward towards our next location. As I write this from the fantastic city of Antigua I say farewell to our amazing experience here in Guatemala and look forward to the next adventure that lies ahead of us. Peace and love.
Photos from sourdough bread making:
Jumping for joy at the sight of late Atitlan:
Ashley and Kevin:
Looking out over the lake at sunrise:
