[vc_row gap=”10″][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”16072″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=”Textiles and Weaving” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C500%2C500italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic” el_class=”widget-title”][vc_empty_space][vc_raw_js]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[/vc_raw_js][vc_column_text]
Saturday, I toured the town of San Juan during a cultural tour. I visited the textile and weaving demonstrations, as well as the medicinal and herbal gardens, coffee plantations and art galleries. I had a lot I wanted to do but in all honesty, that particular location was so relaxing that it made it hard to do more! In fact, I can’t remember the last time I was that relaxed. Just napping out on the hallway outside my room made for a perfect activity that weekend.
Textile Demonstrations
Through the hotel’s instructions, I met up with a guide in town who was also giving another couple a tour. The couple was from Montreal and the woman spoke French and her husband spoke French and a little English, both spoke Spanish. So during our conversations, I understood French better through my studies than I did Spanish, so at some points four languages were being exchanged. Mayan to Spanish, Spanish to French and then occasionally French to English/Spanish to English. It was an interesting use of French and Spanish and glad I had that experience. We were sitting at the restaurant for lunch and our guide was teaching us a few Mayan words, and it got particularly interesting.
Our first stop was a textile and weaving demonstration. Here, they taught us the dying methods used since ancient times to dye the material and fabric. They also taught us how to spin the yarn, and showed us the loom. This was particularly interesting to me because I had done a similar project at work that used all-natural dyes and to see this process being done since ancient history was pretty cool. Here I bought a vibrant purple scarf in bamboo material.
After this, we stopped by a medicinal and herbal garden and learned more about the local plants used in every day life. As an artist with a focus in organic material, it was particularly interesting to see how familiar plants were used in a different culture. Some plants I recognized from Italy like rosemary and oregano and some that were relatively new. For example, they grew Euphorbia which I learned about in Italy but never learned much about it’s medicinal properties! After this, we went to a coffee tour and plantation. We learned more about the different types of Guatemalan coffee and saw it growing on site, as well as sampled it.
After this, we stopped by a church, and another weaving coop that worked with cotton and then from there we stopped for lunch and then the art coop. After the art gallery, it was time to go back to the hotel. We parted ways and I took the ‘took took’ back to the hotel.
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I got into Guatemala City around 9 pm. Got to the currency exchange, got my luggage and found my taxi and was checked into the hotel by 10:30 pm. It also helped that this location was about 10 minutes from the airport. I ate, showered and was in bed by 11:30 pm. Considering I had to get up at 4 am, which wasn’t too different from my usual 5:30 wake-up time, to make the 6 am taxi to Lake Atitlan.
