Guatemala Day 3

Today is a very important day in Guatemala, because Sunday is a day for resting. Almost all businesses are closed. We did not have much time for eating because we had to go to church, so we only had eggs and sausage. I dressed up in my finest clothes to wear to their church. The family I was staying with is Catholic, but their church ceremonies are conducted in a way that fits in with the old Mayan religious beliefs and traditions. One old belief is that priests can cross over to the land of the dead and these ceremonies are still conducted today. After church was over, the family took me to their favorite weekend getaway, Lake Atitlan. Buses depart from Guatemala regularly, as many as five an hour, so we did not have to wait long. Our bus was crowded with families traveling to the lakefront to picnic. We decided to go on a boat trip along the lake, even though the lake is very polluted. For the rest of the afternoon, we relaxed, until it got dark and we left. Back at the house, the family had a celebration  so that I could leave with good spirits. We ate and danced for the rest of the night. We did the Salsa, which is the national dance of Guatemala, and for dinner we ate paches, a type of tamale made from potatoes, and Subanik, a delicious meat and vegetable stew in spicy sauce. I really enjoyed my time in Guatemala and would encourage anybody else to go there too.

Lake Atitlan

The traditional dish called Subanik