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What a lovely village! It's the only place where they won't sell land to outsiders, which makes it very authentic. It's an artsy place, which you notice as soon as you're off the boat, walking uphill on a narrow street with colourful stuff hanging above you. There are many murals, art galleries and art stores, and local handmade products such as traditional medicines, cosmetics, clothing, chocolates, etc. We visited a women's weaving co-op (Asociacion De Mujeres En Colores Botanico)where local women use old-style backstrap weaving techniques and natural colours to make traditional huipils (shirts) and other clothing, tablecloths, pillowcases (got one!), hair ribbon band (Carolyn got one!), and more. Then we had a nice (big) lunch at Alma De Colores, which is a project (including restaurant) that supports and hires people with disabilities. And finally, we couldn't miss visiting a coffee plantation, La Voz, and taking a tour to hear all about a co-op of 168 families who have been growing Arabica coffee in this area since 1979. I learned that each tree has "A" (best) and "B" etc. quality (grade) coffee beans. But more importantly, the majority (80%) of the best coffee is exported to the USA, Europe, and elsewhere.
I finally understood why I trying coffee in Guatemala was a hit or miss: sometimes we liked it but sometimes it was just average.
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