Guatemala 6/29/2019 - 7/13/2019 |
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Friday, 7/5/2019 - Solola, ConcepcionToday was once again a work holiday for me, so we were able to sleep late.We had plantains, black beans, scrambled eggs with vegetables, coffee, and orange juice for breakfast. Ian needed shoes and a white shirt for his baptism, so we went with Humberto, Paulina, Eddy, and Ian to Solola to go shopping. Aracely didn't care to go; we don't know if she had other plans or whether she is just at that awkward age where it's uncool to be seen with us. We went to the new indoor municipal market in Solola. We went from stall to stall, with Ian trying things on until they found the right style and fit. Eddy also got several pairs of pants. We wanted to get Ian a rosary for his baptism. Humberto suggested that we stop in to the church office here in Solola to buy one. When we got there, it had just closed for lunch. We walked through the plaza, and they bought us each a Gatorade. We appreciated it, as it was quite hot outside. Ian insisted on climbing up on the cement benches, hopping from one to another as he walked. All of a sudden, he lost balance and rolled off into a patch of flowers. It caught everyone's attention in the park, and everyone held their breath to see whether he injured himself. He got up and burst into laughter, which gave everyone else permission to laugh as well. I wish I had gotten it on film as it was quite hilarious. From Solola we took a side trip to Concepcion. This village is located in the mountains above Panajachel. We had never been there before, and Humberto wanted to show us the church there. There were gorgeous views down at the lake as we drove past cornfields and into the village. The church in Concepcion dates back to 1621. Paola's boyfriend Cristian and his father are currently employed doing restoration work there (though they had left for the day by the time we arrived). The facade was such a bright white that it glows in the sun, really standing out against the blue sky. Two bas relief lions painted gold were the only other color on the otherwise blindingly white facade. The interior had amazing carved wooden beams and a beautiful altar. Carved wooden cherubs appeared to support the ceiling beams. Carved wooden crucifixes were hung in a grouping on one wall. One wood carving of what appeared to be the Holy spirit was painted green to resemble a resplendent quetzal, the national bird. Effigies which are paraded for festivals were dressed in indigenous clothing. A poster of the martyred Blessed Stanley Francisco Rother hung on one of the walls. We walked around the grounds and explored the four small chapels situated outside of the church which were used by missionaries for meeting with men, women, boys, and girls, respectively, to teach them about the church. We got back to the van, and Humberto announced that he was hungry. "Let's go to Pollo Campero." This was always a treat; to go to the local fast food fried chicken franchise. Although there is a Pollo Campero in Panajachel, Humberto chose the closer option; we returned to Solola. The Pollo Campero was pleasantly air conditioned. The boys got superhero masks and coloring supplies. They ordered a kids meal which came with a wind up walking Mr. Potato Head (or Señor Papa, in Spanish). I got chicken tenders with honey mustard, fries, cole slaw, and a roll. Craig got a 3 piece fried chicken meal with fries, cole slaw, and a roll. We had Mirinda to drink and flan for dessert. We had all worked up quite an appetite and ate ravenously. When we were done eating, we decided to go back to the church in town here to try to buy that rosary. Even though the sign claimed that the church office was open until 5 p.m., it was closed when we arrived at 4:15. Foiled again! We walked through the park and Paulina bought some blouses. Eddy and Ian watched a squirrel (there are squirrel shelters on the trees in the park). There are wooden foot-powered tuk-tuks for kids in the park, and each boy sat in one and scooted around. We drove back to Pana, stopping at Familia Dispensar to buy some groceries. Aracely met the van when we returned, and she immediately honed in on the Mr. Potato Head toys. "You went to Pollo Campero!" She was clearly disappointed not to have been able to go; though it had been her own choice to stay home. Ah, teenagers. Josue's mom had brought over two large cardboard boxes for the kids to play with. Ian immediately took up residence inside a Tupperware box. He absolutely loved it. We had Clos wine and cheese curls (wine and cheese again!) but everyone was too full from the Pollo Campero to want a real dinner. If any of the girls were hungry, they could prepare their own food on their own schedule. Eddy went to his boxing class, and the girls worked on making decorations for Cristian's birthday tomorrow. Concepcion |
 Solola  Lake Atitlan  Concepcion Church  Ian and Eddy playing in Solola See all photos from this day |
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