On Sunday, Clara, Gayle and I all traveled to the Earth Lodge following the half marathon and breakfast in 'Tig (Antigua). The shuttle picked us up around 12 in front of Cafe No Sé and from there, we drove up into the hills of Guatemala. The road would wind and curve sharply, several times the rim of the hubcap would scrape against the ground. Riding with us in the car was our new friend from Canada, Chad, and between the four of us, we managed to decipher the driver's Spanish. We pulled into the town of El Hato where a festival had begun, the driver announced he could drive us no further, and we began to hike down the dirt road just as the rain started to pour down. The timing, despite the pouring rain, the muddying road, the boom of thunder against the boom of fireworks, the broken umbrella and the lack of a waterproof backpack or camera, could not have been better. All along the road, in preparation for the festival, were mulch designs. During Semana Santa (Easter), these designs are everywhere in Guate, but made of sawdust. I had seen
pictures of the famed sawdust designs on the internet before, but to watch the process take place here in the town of El Hato was truly unforgettable.
Sadly, being the rainy season, the water washed away all of the designs and there was little evidence of the art, the hard work, and the festival following the storm. The rain though, did not stop the people of El Hato from celebrating. Fireworks and the sound of canon shots could be heard throughout the night. The event made my experience at Earth Lodge a greater experience overall. More on Earth Lodge to come in a post later today or tomorrow :)