Guatemala 2026 Sketchbook Workshop - Part 2

ATITLÁN

The Place Where the Rainbow Gets It's Colors

In February, my friend Joyanne and I met before our sketching workshop and travelled to Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.  In my first post, Part 1, I described our first days at the lake.  In this post, we travelled to two new towns, San Marcos La Laguna and San Antonio Palopó.

On our second full day at the lake we walked down to the dock.  But this time, we boarded a public boat (you can read about the private boat experience in Part 1).  There wasn't a cloud in the sky as we sped off towards our adventures, and we had a gorgeous view of Volcán San Pedro. 

On our way to San Marcos La Laguna our boat stopped to let people on and off at the villages along the way.  I particularly liked this photo of us pulling out of the reeds near one of the docks.

San Marcos La Laguna

 Below is the view from the docks of San Marcos La Laguna.  We almost missed getting off at our stop because we didn't hear anyone say the name of the town.  Luckily Joyanne asked someone, or we would have been off to the next town!

The town of San Marcos La Laguna is known for being popular among spiritual seekers.  We had heard you could get all kinds of readings (Mayan calendar, astrological, etc), or do cacao ceremonies, or yoga.  And, of course, that is why we wanted to go.  Joyanne and I met in a Mystery School so we both have an interest in such things.

Below is a mural of my Mayan sign, Ajpu.  It represents the sun, light, the blowgun hunter, spiritual warriors, and the ultimate victory of light over darkness (and I am pretty good with a blowgun if I do say so myself!).

When we got off the boat, this town had a different look and feel than San Juan La Laguna from the day before.  Immediately the path narrowed down to a sidewalk-width street.  We happened upon a young woman carrying her yoga mat walking in the opposite direction.  We asked her where we could eat breakfast and she told us we should go to "Maltox."  She said it was a little bit of an uphill walk, but it was worth it. So we made our way through the narrow path and emerged onto a sunlit street.  

The flowers were GORGEOUS!!!

We arrived at Matox after a 10 minute walk uphill, and it was worth it!  I would say this meal was the best I had on my whole trip!  I had an avocado and egg waffle.

And Joyanne had blueberry pancakes.  We both had amazing chai.

After breakfast we walked back down to the narrow pathway that was lined with shops.  Overall, it just wasn't my cup of tea.  I think Joyanne enjoyed it more than me.  It seemed to me like a lot of the stores were populated or owned by non-locals.  Weirdly, I didn't even take any photos.  We eventually made it back to the dock and boarded the public boat home.  We had such clear views of the volcanoes on the way home.  I really enjoyed riding the boats along the lake.

Santa Catarina Palopó

After we arrived in Panajachel we took a tuk tuk to San Antonio Palopó.  The views from the ride were stunning.

The tuk tuk driver dropped us off at the church in the middle of town and this was the view!  

I tried to take a panoramic photo but I couldn't get it to work.  When I got home I was able to piece it together and made this drawing. 

Standing in front of the church looking out, I could feel the sacredness of this place.  Lake Atitlan seemed to cast a spell on me...to enchant me with its beauty.  It reflected something ancient that was hard to put words to, yet I could feel in my bones. 

When I returned home and looked up the meaning of "Atitlan," I learned that it can be poetically translated as "The place where the rainbow gets its colors" (Source).   I knew that that had to go in the sketchbook!

After enjoying the view we went into the church, San Antonio de Padua.

The interior was decorated for the Lenten season and they had a wooden float of Jesus carrying the cross on display for La Processión.  Before Easter they carry the heavy floats around the town on the weekend.  It is quite an amazing site to see. The little cherub holding up the ceiling also caught my eye.  

I didn't think the view could get any better, but I was wrong.  Standing in the church looking out across the lake, framed by the arch of the church with the cross in center view, I was awestruck.  It was like time stood still and silence grew louder.  This was my favorite place we visited on the entire trip...pure magic. 

As we stood looking out the doorway, tuk tuks drove by and women with their children walked along the stone street.  It made me wonder about what their lives might be like...and how it would be to live in this town on a hill near this big blue lake.

I could easily have stayed there for a while, but Joyanne and I had plans.  We wanted to find the blue and white ceramics that this town was known for.

We didn't really know where the ceramics stores were except that they were closer to the lake.  We started walking without knowing where we were going, when a woman appeared out of nowhere.  

She asked us if we would like her to take us to the blue and white ceramics and we said yes.  We had quite an adventure following her.  So I wrote a poem to describe the experience.

I AM NOT A THIEF!

Out of a crevice in the wall...
She appeared

“I can help you find what you are seeking”

We obediently bobbed our heads

We followed the woman who carried

rainbows on her back

Her head wrapped in braids twined with

hand-made ribbon and joy

We entered a maze of alleys
        that slowly swallowed the sun

The passages narrowed

as our guide assured us,

“¡Yo no soy ladron!” (I am not a thief!)

The path ended at a doorway

She slipped through the fissure...

murmuring low voices

The door opened...”¡Entra!, ¡Entra!”

We stepped through the portal into darkness

The clank of keys opening...
yet one more ancient door

We entered into indigo depths,

As our eyes learned the language of blue

We heard the silent call of clay

...birds, flowers, moon and stars.

Quetzals flew from our pockets

Our steps reversed through the dark canals

Delivering us to the dazzling light 

We emerged triumphant

Clasping the azure bird of wisdom

In the land where the rainbow gets its colors

Where time stops and lava flows

And women weave their magic

In case you didn't know, the quetzal is the official currency of Guatemala.  It is named after the resplendent quetzal, Guatemala's national bird.

Below you can see the full sketchbook spread with the umbrella scene and sidewalk design from San Juan La Laguna.

The woman had indeed taken us to a room full of ceramics, where I purchased a small blue and white owl.  It just wasn't the public stores that we had seen on Google maps.  So after the woman led us back to the main street, we started walking down towards the lake.  

As we were walking I saw these lovely painted wooden boats pulled onto the sand.

I learned these boats are called cayucos.  Cayucos are traditional slender, avocado-wood dugout canoes used by the indigenous Tzutujil fisherman on Lake Atitlán.

We also walked by this incredible sidewalk made purely of seashells that led to the fisherman's dock.    

We did finally find two ceramic stores by the lake.  I didn't get a photo of the first one where I bought a spoon rest.  But below you can see the second store that was the actual ceramics studio where they have the kiln.

It was fun to see the artists inside painting their ceramics and to see the entire studio.

When we were in the first store the woman told us about the man who brought this blue and white technique to the area.  This is what I learned from Google when I got home.

"The blue and white pottery from Lake Atitlán is primarily produced in the village of San Antonio Palopó. The modern tradition began in the 1990s when American potter Ken Edwards introduced high-temperature firing techniques to the village. This allowed for the creation of lead-free, durable ceramics using local volcanic clays." 

The Ken Edwards story is quite inspiring.  It shows how one person can make a huge difference in the world.  You can read more about it here and here.

I also really liked that much of the pottery had bird themes and loved this description from Google,

"Birds are a common subject and are considered liminal beings capable of traversing the sky, land, and water, symbolizing the ability to communicate across different cosmic layers. "  

After leaving the ceramics shop we made our way back to Panajachel via tuk tuk.  For our last night in Panajachel we treated ourselves to a nice dinner at 7 Caldos.  I absolutely loved the giant corn on the wall and it inspired the corn on the first page of my sketchbook this year.  For those of you who don't know, I love corn art.

After dinner we wandered the shops along Calle Santander, lit up by pendant lights and live music.

The next morning we walked down to the lake to say goodbye before our taxi arrived.  Near the lake the overhead banners were colored purple for the Lenten season (above, right).  When we got down to the lake we took one last photo of ourselves to commemorate the moment.

And then we said hasta luego (literally, "until then" or "until we meet again") to the lake.  I certainly do hope there is a "next time."  

Below is a video of the whole adventure set to fun music.  So turn your volume on!

CONCLUSION

I was thinking about all the various reasons why I felt drawn to go on this trip.  There are the obvious ones, like the sketching and my having had a great time on Amy's past trips.  But there is another that I haven't mentioned yet.  I have always been interested in the Mayan culture because of my heritage.  My ancestry is a little unclear, but we think that my great great grandfather, who was a Danish missionary, married a Mayan woman from Mérida, Mexico.  My Dad has vague memories of his grandma who he describes as "a little old Indian lady with long dark hair."

So when I was reading the meaning of my Mayan calendar sign I found it interesting when it said, "Ajpu signifies holiness within the physical world, representing a deep connection to ancestors and the underlying meaning of life."

I was blown away when I read that because if you know me, you know that I am always looking to find "the miraculous in the mundane" or the "extraordinary in the ordinary".  It has been my mantra and a theme running through my artwork for many years. 

And the second part, about a connection to the ancestors, is perfectly in line with my heritage and my lifetime interest in the Maya.  I remember as a teen, my absolute favorite book was book 5 in the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series, The Mystery of the Maya.  And when I went to Houston, I took every class they had on the Popul Vuh and Mayan Art.  
  

And finally, I find the last line, about the underlying meaning of life, particularly appropriate. I have spent the last decade of my life exploring the questions "Who am I?," "Why are we here?," and "What is the meaning of life?"
  

Left: Watercolor and acrylic sketch of blue cotton corte with hand-embroidered randa (stitching) 

How does all of this relate to Lake Atitlán, you ask? It has been suggested that when the lake is still, it can act as a mirror of your soul.  One additional meaning of the word Atitlan is "the reflection of your heart."  "In Mayan culture, the heart is the center of all intention, intuition, and life. Instead of asking 'how are you?', traditional Maya greetings translate closer to 'what is your heart telling you?'" (Source).  

In the past 10 years I have been asking myself a similar question, "What brings me joy?" This trip was the answer to that question.  If I had looked down into the deep blue water as I was blazing across the lake, wind whipping through my hair, I would have seen someone deeply alive, with a wide-open heart.  I would have witnessed the bright blue becoming of me.   

Guatemala 2026 Sketchbook Workshop - Part 1

I asked for a sign...

The wind blew my ancestors in from over the mountains

They hung over the lake like stars

My dreams brought the elders with long dark hair

Singing ancient songs woven with wisdom

Magic always comes in threes

In February of this year (2026) I travelled to Guatemala to attend Amy Bogard's Travel Journal Workshop.  My friend Joyanne and I planned to arrive early to travel before the beginning of class.

I flew into Guatemala City and took a taxi to Antigua to meet Joyanne.  

Meet in Antigua

Joyanne had flown in even earlier to go to the beach at Monterrico.  So we decided to meet at Posada San Sebastian for one night before heading out to... 

LAKE ATITLÁN

Panajachel

We took a taxi from Antigua to Panajachel.  It was about a three hour drive through the mountains.  I didn't take Dramamine, but I had it on hand in case I needed it.  I sat in the front seat and felt fine (although Joyanne felt a little car sick sitting in the back).

Our hotel, Hotel Jotam, was conveniently located within walking distance of the main street and the boat dock.  I really liked how clean and new our hotel was.  And it was a little back from the road so we didn't hear the traffic noise.  One day I accidentally left my window open and didn't realize it until we were out and about. I called the man at the front desk and he closed it for me.  Everything was in its place when I returned and it made me feel safe and well taken care of.  I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Panajachel.

After we arrived we decided to take a walk down the main street, Calle Santander, shown below.  It is a bustling street that leads down to the lake lined with shops, hotels, and restaurants.

We walked down to the lake and found ourselves at a restaurant called Atitlán Restaurante y Café.  The view was amazing, and I had my first limonada con soda, which was a burst of delicious flavor.  I can't remember the name of Joyanne's drink, but it was very pretty. 

You never know what will spark a sketch...but these three women I saw from the restaurant walking along the dock, were the inspiration for my first sketch (for reasons you will learn later...most of my sketches were done at home from photos).

Below you can see the first spread from my sketchbook.  I did the map of Guatemala before the trip.  And the map of Lake Atitlán was a map I re-made from a photo I took from a tourist agency along the main street.  I wish I could give credit to the artist, but I do not know where it came from.  Also, the corn image was inspired from an image on a napkin from 7 Caldos (great restaurant!)

Sketch Inspiration

We walked down to the public docks on our first full day at the lake.  These beautiful murals of embroidery motifs were painted along the walls on our way there.  Although they haven't made it into my sketchbook yet, I might tuck them in to empty spots from previous years.

Below you can see our first destination on the lake...San Juan La Laguna.  We weren't sure if we should take a private or public boat to get there.  When we arrived at the dock there was a man who gave us a pretty good deal to take just the two of us (I think it was around $60 in total).  I wasn't sure if we should just wait for the public boats which were around $3.  We hesitated a bit and then agreed to go with him in the private boat.

When we got in the boat the man indicated that we could sit in the bow so we could see.  But the man gunned the boat, and we took off, as my Dad would say, "like a bat out of hell."  Poor Joyanne slid right down into the hull.  I was very concerned when I looked down at her lying there.  She had recently had shoulder surgery and was being careful to protect it.  She managed to get up and sat in one of the seats, indicating she was OK.

Here is a photo of a justifiably pissed-off Joyanne and our driver.  Someone got an earful when we arrived.  I tried to help translate, but she didn't really need a translator...I think he understood.  On the way back we took the public boat.  We had a wonderful time chatting with our fellow travelers and seeing all the stops.  I would recommend the public boat to anyone travelling across the lake.

Aside from the incident, the ride was stunningly beautiful.

Below is one of my favorite photos from the trip...liquid lake, hazy sun, and volcano-clouds.

I was also inspired to sketch one of the houses we saw as we made our way to San Juan La Laguna.  It looked like a castle embedded into a hill.  

Each day

the sun

water

and wind

painted the mountains

a different shade of joy

San Juan La Laguna

Joyanne had done a wonderful job researching where we might want to go.  And San Juan La Laguna did not disappoint.  

When we got off the boat we were greeted by these colorful, floating umbrellas that created a vibrant pathway to follow...La Calle de las Sombrillas.  

As we started walking we met a German man who lived in town.  We asked where we should eat breakfast, and he said he would take us to his favorite place.  It was not easy to keep up with him as the hill was substantial.  But it was totally worth it.  The food was absolutely delicious and the view was stunning.  I tried and tried to find the name of the restaurant later, but I wasn't sure.  It might have been the Restaurante Pa Muelle.  I know for sure that it was about halfway up the hill on the right (as you are looking uphill).

The view from breakfast

Below is a watercolor I did at home after the trip from a photo I took of the umbrella street.  I loved the image of the woman wearing her traditional dress balancing her basket under all the umbrellas.

Once we left the umbrella street we entered another called the Calle de los Sombreros.

The sidewalks of this street were painted in every color of the rainbow, and the street itself was painted with gorgeous murals depicting Mayan stories.

I particularly liked this bird mural on the wall.  And I loved the Mayan symbols everywhere.  One of the stores we went in showed how each color used in the textiles is created from specific plants.  I was in heaven!

After shopping for a bit we stopped to each lunch.  We shared a plate of french fries, and there was green catsup!  The view from lunch was incredible!

This was the view looking down from our restaurant onto the umbrellas.

I didn't think this street could be more festive until we walked by these marimba players.  Their music was so fun, and I felt super joyful just being there.  

To listen to a short clip, click below.

On our way home we took the public boat. We only had to wait about 10 minutes before our boat filled up. And we had some really lovely conversations with our fellow travelers who had hiked one of the volcanoes and were boating to all the little towns along the lake. One other thing I would recommend is to return home decently early. We had heard the waves pick up in the afternoon making for a rough ride. We had enjoyed ourselves so much that we ended up leaving a little later than expected (maybe around 2:30-3:00?). And the choppy water really was hard on the tailbone as we approached Panajachel.

Santa Catarina Palopó

Once back in Panajachel, we decided we still had time to visit the nearby town of Santa Catarina Palopó.  

We took a tuk tuk and it was quite a ride.  The road between Pana and Santa Catarina went way up and then way down.  It was about a fifteen minute ride.  

Santa Catarina Palopó was much smaller than San Juan La Laguna.  I think we missed the main market day.  We did visit the beautiful Hotel Villa Santa Catarina.  I would love to stay there some time.  

I didn't know it until the last minute, but my friend Amy (the one leading the upcoming workshop) happened to be staying in Santa Catarina Palopó.  We visited the house she was staying in, and it was gorgeous!  I was particularly struck by these adorable bird planters which I ended up including throughout my sketchbook.

Below is a photo of the pool and view where Amy was staying.  She is probably going to add an extra bonus trip at this location next year.

The video below includes much of what I talked about above but is set to fun music.  Turn your volume on!  (Music by Tunetank from Pixabay)

Below is another spread from my sketchbook that includes the mountain house along the lake, the blue bird pot, and a drawing of an embroidery.

The blue bird held a succulent that perfectly fit the size of the planter.  I absolutely love when a planter and pot go well together.  And the look on the birds face peeking around the leaves was so charming.  Sometimes I can spend a long time searching for the perfect quote to go with an image.  But when I saw this drawing, the phrase "Don't be afraid to show your true colors" popped right into my head.  

The final sketch in this post was inspired by a photo of a huipil (traditional tunic) I took on a previous trip.

I loved the subtle repeated bird pattern.  For my drawing I decided to have a repeating cat and bird.  What I didn't know when I began this project was how much I would enjoy translating embroidery into watercolor.  I found it weirdly satisfying to draw each thread and add a little shadow beneath to indicated the poofiness of the threads.  When I finished, I felt something was missing.  Then I realized I needed to add the tiny white thread lines.  Looking back at the drawing, I was so pleased with the effect.  It is funny what can bring one happiness.

CONCLUSION

I have always loved the idea from Rumi that what we are seeking is also seeking us. It implies a universe that is receptive, attentive, and aligned with us. When I finished this drawing and saw the surprised look on the cat's face, I thought the slightly altered quote below fit perfectly.

What you hunt

is hunting you.

I also Googled the original phrase and found this quote..."Some interpretations suggest that what you are seeking (love, peace, joy) already resides within you. As author and speaker Dr. Saloumeh Bozorgzadeh notes, a literal interpretation of the Farsi phrase can be, 'What you seek is with you'."  What a thought!  That throughout our entire lives, with all its struggles and triumphs, the very "thing" we most desire has been our constant companion.  What if happiness lived with us at all times...at the core of our being, closer than close?  What if simply being is a joy? 

Part of me ever longs to be devoured...by love.
—John Butler

And to consider the reverse is even more mind-blowing. What if this joy desired us?  What if joy longed for us to know it?  "The Latin root of desire is dēsīderāre, which means 'to long for, miss, or request.'  It is often interpreted as 'to await what the stars will bring' or 'to feel the lack of stars'. It is derived from de- (from) and sidus (star or constellation), suggesting a celestial connection where one waits upon fate" (Google).  But what if the stars live inside us, hiding in the most obvious spot...secretly burning in the dark, vastness of our being?  What if that longing, that waiting and lack, is the reason we come here...to hunt for something we thought we lost.  But what if we are the very thing we are hunting?  We are hunting for ourselves!  The cat and bird are one!  A giant game of hide and seek...for the sheer thrill of it...for the love of love.

“I never wanted a quiet, sensible sort of love. I wanted to be devoured.”
—Beau Taplin