This trip was 5 years in the making. Back in 2018, I was booked and practically packed for my artisan trip to Guatemala with Noonday when a volcanic eruption necessitated the trip’s cancellation.
The following year, I opted to head to Ecuador, because I wasn’t sure how many times that destination would be offered - and Guatemala is a Noonday constant.
We all know what the next few years looked like as far as worldwide travel, so 2023 was evidently the time the stars aligned and I finally made it to this beautiful land.
Honestly, the beauty is what took me most by surprise. Yes, there is poverty and crime. Show me a nation without those things. But there is so much incredible scenery, and geography - and of course the people.
Between my fellow Noonday Ambassadors and the artisan partners we met with - along with all of the other natives we encountered throughout our stay, I was constantly surrounded by warmth and joy.
On our first full day, we convened as a group after breakfast to get centered on what was ahead of us, as well as get to know each other better. We then boated from our hotel in Panajachel across Lake Atitlan to Santiago, where we were warmly greeted by Rosario and Alvaro, the brother and sister duo whose company produces so much of our beaded and huipil pieces. Our group divided into two, and we visited two artisan homes where much of the beading work is done. It was a treasure to see them in their home environments, and to see so many kids around, too (they were off school for an election-related holiday). It was also humbling to see how simply they live, and how grateful they are for what they have. We also got a look at new fall pieces being made!
After we returned to Panajachel, I lounged by the pool with a couple other ambassadors who I enjoyed getting to know, and then we were off to dinner.
The next day started very similarly to the previous, with a group debrief session and then another glorious boat ride across the lake, this time to San Juan La Lago, which was absolutely charming. We had a line of tuk-tuks waiting to ferry us to Ana’s workshop, which Noonday helped her to complete just a couple of years ago. It features a lovely retail space as well as rooms for weaving, sewing, etc. While Ana’s story was not new to me, it never gets old to hear from her. She also demonstrated some of the techniques they use for deriving natural dyes from surrounding plants, and spoke about their processes as well as her hopes for the future.
After shopping, we meandered our way to lunch. I discovered a fellow Catholic among our group, and she and I enjoyed checking out the church that we passed by on our way to the workshop - and just generally chatting. Lunch was in a renowned coffee shop famous among Noonday ambassadors, and after we had time to explore San Juan a bit more. From there we took our final boat ride across the lake. It was a bit choppy, which many of us found quite fun, and an impromptu sing-a-long broke out among us, featuring many 80s hits. We obviously sounded terrific.
We did some shopping, or in my case hanging at a darling cafe with afternoon cocktails! We then finished our final evening in Panajachel with dinner on the rooftop of an Indian restaurant, followed by a viewing of the new fall line back at our hotel.
The next morning we hit the road for Antigua. I was sorry to bid farewell to our gorgeous lake views, but Antigua was so charming! Our hotel was darling, with a gorgeous courtyard in the center of our rooms, and a rooftop that made for some stunning views of the surrounding volcanoes.
Our time in Antigua was marked by shopping and connection. Sarah Z (fellow Catholic friend) and I explored the ruins of a nearby cathedral that were fascinating, and then she took me to the hotel where she stayed prior to the Noonday trip’s start. It’s set among the ruins of another church, and was so special.
On our last full day, we were given our choice of three different excursions, and I opted for zip lining. It was spectacular! It was way more relaxing than I expected (with the exception of one terrifyingly steep and narrow ladder). The final stretch some of us opted to go “super man style,” and that was definitely the right choice. I’ve always said that flying is the super power I would choose, and this is probably as close as I’ll ever get!
We had a fun photo shoot near the famed yellow arch, and a gorgeous final dinner at a nearby estate. A few of us opted for one more glass of wine after at a cute, tiny wine bar across from our hotel. I think we were all reluctant to end our time together - it certainly flew by!
While I went into the week with relatively high expectations, I would say it completely surpassed them. The country, the time spent with our artisan partners, and the ambassadors I met were all even better than I hoped. A trip of a lifetime, truly.
