Rocking that *International* Paradise

The first time I went to Semuc Champey, it was with a group of 11 co-workers.  The weather was cold and cloudy our first day, and we stayed in a hostel where rats crawled through the thatch roof above my bunk bed each night.  I mean, it was a great trip and all, and I actually really enjoyed it (check out this post if you don’t believe me!), but when Liz came for Semana Santa this year and wanted to see Semuc, I decided we’d do it right.  We researched our hotel and booked a private room for the three of us (Kenra joined in on the sister trip too) at the Utopia Eco Hotel, just a few kilometers from the Semuc Champey park.  The location, accommodations, and service did not disappoint.  No rats this time—but plenty of cacao trees, hammocks, and the view of the turquoise river flowing past our front porch.    The weather also helped on this trip, of course.  Each day was around 95F, which made the crystalline pools of Semuc Champey...

Liz only had a short time here in Guatemala City on Easter Sunday.  Her flight left around 12:30pm, which meant we only had until about 10am to do…anything.  Liz really wanted to see the Easter festivities in Guatemala, since she was well aware it would probably be her only time in Guatemala for Holy Week.  So I did a little research, and we set of for Zone 1 to try and catch a procession in the morning. Each year during Holy Week in Guatemala, elaborate alfombras (carpets) are designed on the streets, made of colored sawdust and plants and flowers.  Then a procession of people holding up floats bearing images of the Lenten story moves slowly down the street, walking over the alfombra.  The processions happen the entire 40 days of Lent, but are most impressive in Antigua and during Semana Santa.  Going to Antigua was out of the question, but we knew that Guatemala City would have its own processions.  I found that one procession would leave at...

It has been a long time since my family took a family vacation that didn’t involve visiting me in the new exotic location in which I was living or had previously lived.  In fact, I believe the last time we took a trip together was in the summer of 2009. So, when earlier this year I announced to my mom that I was postponing serious summer travel plans in favor of spending a full 6 weeks at home and she brought up the idea of a short family road trip, I agreed enthusiastically, but on one condition: I didn’t want to be in charge of planning anything.  So Mom went to work requesting for time off of work, and we decided we’d spend four days driving up to the North Shore of Minnesota (along the “north shore” of Lake Superior, for those not familiar with the term).  The only hitch in the plan was that the days Mom was able to get vacation were the exact same days that my sister would be attending a conference and unable to go.  So much for having a full family ...