Antigua!

Today was a great day! We went to Antigua with Victor, the guide we used the last time to go around Guatemala City. He is wonderful and we had a really good time. We went to a coffee plantation where they harvest the Guatemalan blend for Starbucks (that's Bev and I in front of the beans drying in the sun) that was completely cool. I was fascinated with the entire thing!

We also went to a macadamia nut farm run by a completely crazy American who came in 1976 and never left. Can't recommend that excursion to anyone with small children - we were with another adoptive family and they had 2 small kids - they finally had to excuse themselves because his language was so bad! And to top it all off, he gave us the chance to try the most amazing macadamia nuts I have ever had (plus macadamias with white chocolate and dark chocolate) but NEVER GAVE US THE CHANCE TO BUY ANY!!! We ended up having facials and massages with macadamia nut oil, which is now all in my hair. All in all, a very strange experience.

We went to the jade factory, which was really neat. Isabelle's background is Mayan, and it was cool getting to connect to stuff that is a part of her heritage. I bought her a jade heart pendant (don't tell!) that I'll give her at some point when she's older and tell her I bought for her on her first Valentine's Day! I also made a few other purchases...

We also went to a convent-turned-5 star hotel that was INCREDIBLE! So incredibly peaceful. I could have walked around the grounds all day! And beautiful, to top it all off!

And of course, we shopped! I got this hilarious little tiny toddler's backpack for Isabelle that has an elephant's head - I'll try to post a picture some time. Beverly and I also both bought table runners from the woman in the picture above. She weaves everything by hand and spends weeks on each piece. Mine is cream and has butterflies all over it - it's beautiful! Guatemalans don't usually like to have their pictures taken, but she offered to let us take pictures after we bought the weavings :)

Gotta go pack!