Beautiful, mesmerizing Lake Atitlan
 I’ve been feeling really bad about leaving my Heifer blog behind and abandoning all my new followers –love you guys!! — who haven’t been getting any new posts from me.
I met these organic foodies in Quilinco, a little mountain town north of Huehuetenango.
So I’ve decided to go back and do a little remix of photos & stories from each of the countries I visited last year…. starting with lovely Guatemala.
It’s hard work picking cabbages and takes the whole family to do it.
Juan, a cauliflower farmer and father of four, worries that he won’t get more than 10 cents/pound for his crop.
Even driving by, Guatemalans greet you like you’re somebody special.
Planting corn in tandem, with post hole-diggers and bags of seed. (Nobody’s retired here.)
Mountains, clouds & sky – fundamentals of a Guatemala road trip.
Sweet farm boy taking a break from planting & weeding.
When was the last time you had this kind of relationship with a goat?
Juanito was shy and only peeked out this window when he thought I wasn’t looking.
All dressed up & ready for the Feast of Maria Candelaria. (Post-celebration aspirin close by.)
These piglets saw me from across the courtyard and stalked right towards me like a little rock band… such attitude!!
And always, the Guatemalan children will melt your heart.
Here are the links to my other posts from Guatemala from 2012. (Why did I write so many?? Boy, that overachieving thing sure faded quickly….)
Enjoy!
Head in the Clouds — Freshly Pressed!!
Animal Magnetism in Happy Valley
And I’m leaving for Guatemala again tomorrow (on a non-Heifer trip) … stay tuned for more!
Good Idea! I could look at your lovely photos all day long! So….is that YOU all dressed up and ready for the Feast of Maria Candelaria??
Oh yeah, how could you tell?? tee hee …
Thanks for the follow up. Your pictures are so amazing, and I have left a chunk of my heart in Guatemala!!!
Is your daughter still there,Deb?? I know you’ve written about Guatemala and don’t you think it’s amazing how many people who have been there totally fall in love with the country & never forget it??
Thanks, Betty. I missed you, too, and my lovely reminders of the wonderful, terrible, awful and awesome things just a few flight hours away.
What a remarkable way to put it … and yes, it’s so important to remember our country’s history of oppression there, as well as the tremendous social and economic inequality that still exists. Thanks for that comment!!
Betty, Welcome back. We’d love to see more!
Thanks, Cheryl — it’s so fun to be doing Heifer 12 x 12 again!!
By Betty! Even the shy little boy smiles at you, he knows what you do.
That little fellow was unbelievably sweet! I’ll never forget him sitting there, looking like a Vermeer painting!
Thanks, Betty. Great photos as always. You inspire me as I sit here in Monterey Ca looking for grant money for a local elementary schools orchestra! More photos please. Such wonderful memories of our time living on our catamaran Tango, anchored in the Rio Dulce, traveling by bus around Guatemala, especially the highlands and Chichicastananga weekly market!
Hugs,
Louise Berry
Louise, Keep the faith and good luck with your elementary schools getting their orchestra!! You are such an activist! I’ll be posting more photos that I loved and never got to share all year round .. and then hopefully going back to revisit in person!! (I loved Chichicastenango Market, too!!)
Dear Betty:
Congratulations for your blog. Welcome to Guatemala whenever I hope you will enjoy your trip.
Best Regards,
Pedro Díaz
Muchos Gracias, Pedro — and you’ll be happy to know I’m taking Spanish lessons down there!!
I absolutely love Guatemala, and this is making me miss it so much! I’m hoping to go back to Lake Atitlan soon.
Hope you get there soon — I’m SO excited to be going there tomorrow! I’ll kiss the ground for you!
Thanks for the repeat, Betty. It is wonderful to revisit Guatemala – and your other Heifer countries. Have a great trip and share when you return.
It’s so beautiful here — and guess what? I think I’m going to Burma this year — we have to talk!!
Oh Betty! I miss your posts so much and like you I fell in love with Guatemala . Thanks for sharing this post and I will be sure to check out the others I haven’t read. Lucky you to be going back!!! Can’t wait to hear more.
Don’t you think everybody loves Guatemala?? I’m so happy that you got the links to my other posts … it was fun to go back and read them again! And now I’m writing you from the steps of my little hotel in Antigua … more on that soon!!
Oh!!!! So incredibly lucky! I took 600 photo there in two days flat! I LOVE Antigua. Have fun!
Such great photos of a beautiful people and country. Thanks.
Thanks, Rose!! I just am so happy when people like you feel I’ve done this country photographic justice!!!
So happy to see this! Amazing pictures. Those piglets made my morning.
Aren’t they bad-ass?? When I started focusing on them through my camera Numero Uno in the front just picked up his ears and started trotting right towards me… about 100 yards straight across the barnyard. They were totally adorable … much like your PI Days, which I loved beyond belief and cannot believe I missed participating in!!!
Oh gosh your pictures are wonderful Betty. Love the last picture of the little kid.
Look forward to seeing the posts on your latest trip.
He was such a beautiful little boy and that floppy hat just killed me. The children in Guatemala really are SO gorgeous, but you really aren’t allowed to take photos of them except in a situation where the parents really trust you. Apparently, so many children were taken or illegally adopted, it’s a big fear … so I never take photos except when I’ve got explicit permission.
I have MISSED you! Thank you, thank you for getting back in touch. I am in Guatemala now, too, for a week. I am visiting a women´s microloan program. I am hoping to meet with some Heifer staff while I am here. Don´t stop blogging!