January Wrap-Up

Greetings! This post kicks off my first monthly wrap-up in 2019. I plan to write a wrap-up for each month so I can look back and see how well the year has turned out.

January was a wonderful month for me, with a mix of fun activities and events at home and in Guatemala. We had a beautiful New Year's Day. The weather was mostly mild and sunny for the first two weeks of the year. My adventure in Guatemala took me to Antigua, Chichicastenango market, Lake Atitlán, Santiago village, and Guatemala City. The trip went very well from beginning to end. When I returned home, we had two major snow storms in a week but Mother Nature has since returned normal temperatures to us. Without further ado, here's my January with the topics in alpha order :)

JANUARY 2019

ARTS

In January I saw a lot of beautiful and interesting art work at the Nordic Glass exhibit in Toronto, an art gallery in my hotel in Antigua, and another art gallery in Santiago village in Guatemala. Antigua Guatemala is a UNESCO World Heritage site so the whole city is living art, mostly in colonial and baroque styles, as I posted here.

Nordic Glass exhibit in Toronto

Ironwork in Antigua Guatemala

Painting seen in Antigua Guatemala

BLOGS

I blogged about my goals for 2019 here,  a progress update on my Winter Fun List here, what made me smile here, a fit and fun post for the first Wellness link up of 2019 here, and my sightseeing in Antigua Guatemala here. The next Wellness link up is on Wednesday, February 13, with Healthy Heart as the optional prompt. Please feel free to join in on the fun.

A fit and fun walk in Allan Gardens

BOOKS

I enjoyed reading the following three books in January:

• On Writing: Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, 288 pages
• The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland, 400 pages
• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, 316 pages - This story was made into a movie with the same title, starring Emily Blunt. Have you seen the movie yet?

CONCERTS

I listened to three unique concerts and watched a dance under the Discover Dance program. Each of the performers listed below has very impressive biography. If you look up their names on the Internet, you'll see what I mean. I'm so grateful that I can experience these amazing cultural events for free.

• Aiyun Huang, percussion and Mark Fewer, violin
• Payadora Tango Ensemble: Rebekah Wolkstein, violin/ voice, Drew Jurecka, bandoneón, Robert Horvath, piano, and Joseph Phillips, double bass
• Judy Loman, harp and Nora Shulman, flute
• Louis Laberge-Côté, dancer, choreographer, and professor of dance

FAMILY

My family had our first long weekend getaway at the end of January. It was quite relaxing as we stayed in a hotel and ate out. No housework to do, just family time! There was an overnight snow storm during our getaway and it was winter wonderland when we woke up in the morning. We enjoyed walking on the fresh snow and checked the foot (or boot) prints we left behind :)

Winter wonderland

FRIENDS

I had three fun meet-ups with my friends in January. Two of them were coffee chats to catch up, and the third meet-up included a gym workout with my friend. A fourth meet-up was cancelled due to a snow storm and to be rescheduled. I also wrote a letter to my longtime pen friend in the UK.

HEALTH

I was consistent with my fitness activities in January. When I was in Guatemala, I stayed at three different hotels and one of them had a usable gym. My rooms were all very spacious and comfortable so when I didn't have access to a gym, I did strength workouts or yoga in my room. In total, I did:

• Meditation: daily, fifteen minutes each time.
• Walking outdoors: 6x per week, forty-five minutes each time. Plus walking around to get from A to B or to do sightseeing.
• Strength workouts: 13 sessions done, one hour each.
• Yoga: 10 sessions done, one hour each (seven yoga classes and three do-it-myself sessions when the classes were cancelled).
• Swimming weekly: 4 sessions done, forty-five minutes each.

A hotel gym in Guatemala

LANGUAGES

I continued learning French and Spanish on Duolingo, 15 minutes per day for each language. While I was in Guatemala, I took advantage of my time in a Spanish-speaking country to read all the billboards, street signs, and store signs in Spanish and also to speak basic Spanish to local staff.

I discovered that Antigua has many Spanish schools that offer Spanish lessons, cultural activities, and lodging with a Guatemalan family for a complete immersion experience at reasonable prices. I visited one of the schools and picked up a brochure just in case I decide to pursue this option in the future.

MOVIES

I watched five movies in January, four of them with my neighbours, and one in-flight when I flew home from Guatemala. I enjoyed all of them, except the first one.

• The House with a Clock in its Walls, starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett
• What They Had, starring Hilary Swank and Blythe Danner
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, starring Lily James
• First Man, starring Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy
• The Wife, starring Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce

TRAVEL

I took a trip to visit Guatemala and had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect with sunny days and cool nights. The scenery and local people were nice. The food was tasty, with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit. Guatemala produces good coffee and rum. The Mayan culture and their vivid colours are captivating. You might like to see my post on Antigua here, and do virtual shopping at the open air market in Chichicastenango here. More posts on Guatemala to come.

Crafts in Guatemala

UNEXPECTED VIEWS

While in Antigua, Guatemala, I saw Fuego volcano spewing ash every ten minutes or so. I've seen volcanoes in various countries during my travels but this was the first time I saw a volcano that is very active. Can you see the ash coming out of the Fuego volcano on the left in my photo below?

Active Fuego volcano, Guatemala

Next, on my return flight, I got a perfect aerial view of another active volcano near Mexico City. It's Popocatépetl (or Popo) volcano, which is the second highest peak and the most famous in Mexico. I could see the smoke coming out of the volcano. According to Wikipedia, Popo volcano erupted two days later on January 22, 2019 and spewed ash up 4km high.

Active Popocatépetl volcano, Mexico

On the same flight from Mexico City, I got to see the January 20-21, 2019 Super Blood Wolf Moon for several hours, and the total lunar eclipse by the time I arrived home. This is the last total lunar eclipse until May 2021 so I was thrilled to see both the super moon while I was at 40,000 feet altitude and the total lunar eclipse. Amazing and unforgettable sights!

OVERALL

January was a wonderful month with a mix of fun activities and events at home and abroad. I gave it an A+ for sensory experiences. I'm on track with my goals for 2019 at the moment. I look forward to enjoying February.

How was your January? What good things happened? Let me know in the comments!
 

Inlinkz Link Party

Day Trip to Chichicastenango

Greetings! In January, I visited Guatemala in Central America. My itinerary took me to Antigua, Chichicastenango market, Lake Atitlan, Santiago village, and Guatemala City.

I had a wonderful stay in Antigua, one of Guatemala's former capitals and a UNESCO World Heritage site. You might like to see my post on Antigua here. From Antigua, I booked a shuttle van service to visit the most fascinating and colourful open-air market in the country, located in Chichicastenango. 

The driving distance from Antigua to Chichicastenango is 93 km (58 miles). The drive took about two hours along winding mountain roads, with lush green scenery showing coffee plantations and farmland. The coffee harvest time runs from November to January. I saw fields of melons, carrots, and fruit stands selling a wide variety of fruit along the way.

The market in Chichicastenango is on Thursdays and Sundays, with hundreds of vendors from the surrounding countryside gather here to sell handicrafts, textiles, candles, food, livestock, flowers, and pottery. Visitors come here for the vibrant colours and unique items.

HANDICRAFTS:

Popular items include hand-made baskets and Guatemala's worry dolls. The story of the worry doll is a local Mayan legend. The origin of the Muñeca quitapena refers to a Mayan princess named Ixmucane. The princess received a special gift from the sun god that allowed her to solve any problem a human could worry about. The worry doll represents the princess and her wisdom.

According to legend, Guatemalan children tell their worries to the Worry Dolls, placing them under their pillow when they go to bed at night. By morning the dolls have gifted them with the wisdom and knowledge to eliminate their worries.

Hand-woven baskets, Chichicastenango

Hand-made worry dolls and soft toys

TEXTILES:

Colourful table runners, napkins, clothing, and hammocks are common at the market. Each of the embroidered designs for women's tops identifies the village origin.

Mayan textiles

Table runners

Napkins

Hammocks

FOOD: 

Thanks to the rich volcano soil, Guatemala produces a wide variety of vegetables and fruit for their own consumption and for exports to other countries such as Canada. The carrots and avocados are huge and inexpensive. You can get six or seven big avocados for US$1 at the market.

Fruit vendor and buyers

Vegetable and fruit section at the market

Making corn tortillas

POTTERY:

Nativity scenes made of clay as well as clay pots and plates are popular.

Clay pottery, Guatemala

Clay pottery, Guatemala

WOODEN MASKS & FIGURES:

Wooden masks of human and animal faces are sold everywhere. Jaguar is an important animal element in Guatemala's culture. In Mayan mythology, the jaguar was seen as the ruler of the Underworld, and as such, a symbol of the night sun and darkness.

Wooden jaguars

Wood animal masks

Wood face masks

Due to the size of the market, it can be overwhelming at first. Take time to browse and be prepared to haggle. If you find it overwhelming, take a break at one of the coffee shops that has upper floors or walk up the steps of Church of St. Thomas to get a good view of the market and to observe the interactions. By early afternoon, the market quiets down quite a bit, making it easier to shop and get a bargain as vendors want to carry less stuff home.

Open air market in Chichicastenango

Open air market in Chichicastenango

CHURCH OF ST. THOMAS:

After browsing at the market, I headed to the Church of Saint Thomas (Iglesia de Santo Tomas). This historic church built in 1540 often plays host to Mayan rituals. Right on the steps of the church, captivating religious ceremonies take place with flowers and burning incense.

Church of St Thomas, Chichicastenango

CEMETERY:

From the steps of the Church of Saint Thomas, to the left, walk downhill to the town cemetery. It's the most colourful cemetery that I've seen in my travels.

Cemetery in Chichicastenango

OVERNIGHT IN PANAJACHEL:

Leaving Chichicastenango, I continued my shuttle van service to Panajachel, a small hamlet on the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlan. This cozy town is known as a central hub for travelers as they make their way to the picturesque villages that dot the lake shore. If you click to enlarge the photo below, you can see a few boats crossing Lake Atitlan, and the white pier.

View of Panajachel

My hotel room in Panajachel has a wonderful view of Lake Atitlan and the three surrounding volcanoes (San Pedro, Atitlan and Toliman volcanoes). The natural beauty of the area is simply breathtaking.

Lake Atitlan at sunset

My adventure in Guatemala has been fabulous so far. I look forward to viewing Lake Atitlan at sunrise and exploring one of the villages the next day.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments. 

Postcard from Antigua, Guatemala

Greetings! Earlier this month I visited Guatemala in Central America. My itinerary took me to four of Guatemala's prime destinations and included Antigua, Chichicastenango market, Lake Atitlán, and Guatemala City. It was a fantastic adventure from beginning to end.

Today I'm sharing my sightseeing experience in Antigua Guatemala (commonly referred to as just Antigua). Founded in 1543 by the Spaniards, Antigua was Guatemala's former capital until a major earthquake in 1773 damaged most of the city. Antigua was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. It is the perfect starting point to my Guatemala adventure. Feel free to click on the pictures to enlarge them.

GETTING THERE

Presently there are no direct flights from Canada to Guatemala so for this trip I took:

• A non-stop flight from Toronto to Mexico City, about five hours.
• A non-stop flight from Mexico City to Guatemala City, about two hours. 
• A shuttle van service from Guatemala City to Antigua, about one hour.

QUICK FACTS

• Guatemala is the most populated country in Central America, with an estimated population of 17 million.
• Guatemala's official language is Spanish. However, more than twenty Mayan languages are spoken, especially in rural areas.
• Guatemala's currency is the Quetzal.
• Guatemala's capital is Guatemala City.
• Antigua is located 40 kilometres (25 miles) south west of Guatemala City.

SIGHTSEEING IN ANTIGUA GUATEMALA

The Central Park and main square in Antigua is a good starting point to explore the city. Three main buildings that occupy three sides of the main square include Antigua's City Hall, the Captain General Palace, and the Cathedral.

Antigua Guatemala's City Hall

The Captain General Palace, Antigua Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala Cathedral

The Cathedral has suffered many earthquakes over the centuries. Much of the building was seriously damaged by the 1773 earthquake. Behind the front facade are the ruins.

Antigua Guatemala Cathedral ruins

A walk up to the second floor of Antigua's City Hall provides a good view of the main square. A fountain is located in the centre of the square. It's common to see local women selling crafts at the park.

Antigua's central park and main square

Guatemalan women selling crafts

El Tanque de La Unión is a public laundry washbasin, located three blocks from Antigua's main square. In colonial times, public laundry washbasins served as the places for people to do laundry, and as a community gathering place. These washbasins still work and are in use today in dry season when water is less abundant in local homes.

Public laundry washbasins in Antigua Guatemala

Within ten blocks from the main square, visiting Antigua is like stepping into a time-machine that takes you back over three hundred years. There are many religious buildings, churches and convents, between short distances from one another. Each has a different design. Many of the buildings had been damaged by earthquakes or seismic activity since Antigua is located between three volcanoes Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango.

The Santa Catalina Arch is one of the iconic landmarks in Antigua Guatemala. Built in the 17th century, it connected the Santa Catalina convent to a school allowing the nuns to pass from one building to the other without going out on the street. A clock on top was added in the 1830s.

The Santa Catalina Arch, Antigua Guatemala

St. Joseph (San José El Viejo) church ruins: The church was built between 1740 and 1761. It suffered serious damages by the 1773 earthquake. The front entrance shows beautiful architecture. Most of the interior is in ruins and is not open to the public.

San José El Viejo church, Antigua Guatemala

La Merced church is Antigua’s most impressive colonial church. Construction began in 1548, and even though it was affected by earthquakes, it stands in great shape.

La Merced, Antigua Guatemala

Santa Teresa de Jesús church ruins: This edifice was initially built as a convent for the Carmelite order from Lima, Peru. Much of the interior was shattered by the 1773 earthquake and is not open to the public, but the facade remains standing.

Santa Teresa de Jesús church, Antigua Guatemala

St. Peter's (San Pedro) hospital and adjacent church: The hospital was founded in 1663. The adjacent church is dedicated to Peter of St. Joseph de Betancur.

St. Peter's church and hospital, Antigua

St. Francis (San Francisco El Grande) church was completed in 1702. It is one of the most visited churches by local people in Antigua because of the shrine of Peter of St. Joseph de Betancur.

St. Francis church, Antigua Guatemala

The Santo Domingo church and monastery was destroyed in the 1773 earthquake. Part of the ruins was transformed into the five-star hotel Casa Santo Domingo. It is well worth a visit to see the preserved architecture from the baroque period of ancestral America and a number of treasures from this period on display throughout the hotel.

Casa Santo Domingo, Antigua

Antigua is a compact city with a beautiful blend of ruins, restored colonial buildings, and modern colonial-style buildings. The city's main streets are rough cobblestone so sturdy and comfortable walking shoes are essential.

Antigua Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala

From Antigua, the Agua and Fuego volcanoes are clearly visible. Agua means water and Fuego means fire in Spanish. The most unexpected natural wonder that I witnessed in Antigua was Fuego volcano spewing plume of ashes every ten minutes or so. It is the volcano on the left as shown in my photo below. I later learned that its recent eruption on November 18, 2018 prompted a preventive evacuations of about 4,000 people from communities near the volcano.

Active Fuego volcano, Antigua Guatemala

CONCLUSION

I enjoyed exploring Antigua Guatemala very much. The best way to explore this city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is by walking. During my visit, the weather was beautiful with sun and clouds. The local people were laid back and friendly. I hope the city will be saved from further damages by active volcanoes and earthquakes so that visitors can come and enjoy this amazing and historic city.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments.

An InLinkz Link-up

Winter Fun List Update #1

Greetings! About a month ago I wrote my Winter fun list here for the period of 2018.12.21 to 2019.03.19. It's time to check in and provide an update on my progress.

MY WINTER FUN LIST UPDATE #1:

1. Enjoy my family holiday party (on December 26): Yes! There were twenty-five of us in attendance. We enjoyed plenty of food, board games, and fun conversations. I talked to each of my nieces and nephews and listened to their news. They grow up so fast. We're now planning a get-together in February.

2. Start the New Year 2019 at home: Yes! On New Year's Day, we woke up later than normal, had a leisure breakfast, and enjoyed a relaxing day. My first cup of coffee in 2019 was so good, I made a second pot of coffee for us. It was a mild winter day, partly cloudy, with high temperature 6C (43F) so we went out for a 45-minute walk along the waterfront trail and enjoyed a beautiful view by the lake!

Lake Ontario on New Year's Day 2019

3. Visit the Winter Flower Show: Yes! I made this visit into a 'fit and fun' outing, and wrote about it here. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed doing it. There were many beautiful and bright colours at the Winter Flower Show, except the winter 'blues' :)

Winter Flower Show

4. Explore Guatemala in January: Yes! I had a wonderful, wonderful time in Guatemala. So many fantastic experiences to share on my blog once I sort out my travel materials. Below is a sample photo that I took while watching the sunrise over Lake Atitlán which is surrounded by three volcanoes. Note the contrast in weather and scenery between this photo and my photo in #7 below.

Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

5. Attend the Icefest event in February: Pending. This is an outdoor event that showcases incredible ice sculptures and live ice carving demonstrations. I hope the weather will cooperate on the event date.

6. Check out the Ice Breakers 2019 winter exhibition: Pending. The five winners of the Ice Breakers 2019 International Design Competition are installed outdoors and on display from January 19 to February 24, with the theme “Signal Transmission”.

7. Photograph snow-covered objects: When we barely had snow in December and the first two weeks of January, I began to wonder when I would be able to photograph snow-covered objects this season. Well, last Friday night into Saturday, Toronto had a major winter storm. By Monday morning it had stopped snowing and I was able to capture a few photos during my morning walk. I love the clear blue sky and green trees laden with fresh snow.

Fresh winter snow

8. Book a trip in the Spring with my sister: Pending. We've narrowed down our destination choices and will be going on a guided tour so that most of the logistics will be taken care of.

I counted five completed and three pending items. Stay tuned for my next Winter fun list progress update on February 21.

I'd love to hear about your fun activities this season.

An InLinkz Link-up