3 Girls and a Birthday Present

As you all know last Monday was my 25th birthday...ahhh. My amazing parents offered to pay for a hotel or a nice dinner out with friends to celebrate the big day. This past weekend Jess, Erika and I decided to make a trip to the lake and what a better way to spend my birthday present....so we did!

Colorful blankets being sold in the market.

In the Guatemalan way, we were picked up by our transport an hour late and hit the road for our 2.5 hour journey to Panajachel. Panajachel is one of the largest towns surrounding Lake Atitlan. It is right on the shores of the lake and it is filled with restaurants, little shops and an amazing market of the most beautiful handmade items. Once we arrived we began "hotel shopping" since my parents had agreed to pay for the hotel for the weekend. We must of gone into over fifteen hotels and asked to see the rooms, until we found just the right one. During our hotel search the heavens opened and it began to downpour, we took a quick coffee detour and then continued on our way determined to find the right hotel. Moments later we spotted a Hotel Primevera 

( http://www.primaveratitlan.com/ ) and it looked adorable from the outside. We walked in and right away new that this hotel would be the birthday present. The hotel had an adorable patio with chairs and tables and the rooms were big with comfortable beds, CABLE TV, HOT/STRONG showers, and a window seat overlooking the main street.....we were sold!

The rest of the weekend we spent enjoying the beautiful weather, the beautiful lake, the great food and the amazing culture that Panajachel has to offer. We walked up and down the cobble stone streets admiring and buying the beautiful handmade items. There was everything you could think of from blankets and pillow covers, to suitcases and bags, to clothes, jewelry and more. At the end of the cobble stone streets is the lake with the most amazing view of the surrounding towns and volcanoes....such an amazing vista. We enjoyed some delicious food, live music, and walked along the lake.

Jess, Erika and I taking in the beautiful view of the lake.

Boat ride across the lake!

Sunday we took a boat over to San Pedro, another town across the lake, to take a shuttle back to NPH with a few other volunteers. After finding the right boat, which took us forever, we hopped on and had a very rough and choppy ride over to San Pedro. I did not mind the waves and the choppiness because it was so amazing to be out on a boat in the middle of the most beautiful lake surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. When we arrived in San Pedro we grabbed a quick lunch by the lake and headed to the shuttle to return home to Parramos. Great birthday present Mom and Dad and it was such a treat!