Posts Tagged ‘boats’

Lake Atitlán Boat Ride

Monday, August 21st, 2017

lake-atitlan-boat-ride

While staying at Panajachel, we went on a Lake Atitlán boat ride, which was beautiful! As we buzzed around the lake looking at the majestic volcanoes, we stopped at various villages along the shores of Lake Atitlán.

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Video Tour: Boat Ride on Lake Atitlán

Take a look at the boat ride and the places where we visited along the shores of the lake:

When we arrived at our fist destination of Santa Catalina, we saw a baptism taking place! The people were singing a Christian song at the service they were having down by the water. Our boat man waited for us as we got out of the boat and spent about half an hour at this location.

baptism-atitlan-lake

We watched women weaving cloth right in front of our eyes. The women have been weaving this cloth generation after generation, and each tribe has unique colors to wear. The wall hangings are beautiful and often have “Guatemala” woven into them.

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I love seeing all the bright colors of the merchandise:

typical-guatemalan-cloth

We stopped and watched women making corn tortillas from scratch, frying them on a large flat skillet the size of a table. People would come here to buy their tortillas.

tortillas-guatemala

Each town that we visited had at least one church. San Antonio had two churches side-by-side in the whitewashed Spanish style of architecture. Most of the beautiful churches are Catholic, as the Evangelical churches tend to be simpler buildings.

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As you can see in the video, at San Antonio we climbed up a hill and down a narrow alleyway where roosters crowed. You can see the destitute poverty of the area as houses are crowded up against each other.

At the third stop, the rain fell heavily (since it was rainy season), and we ended up eating lunch. A couple of hours later when the lightning and thunder stopped, the boatman was allowed to take us back to Panajachel.

Stay tuned for out next installment of our Guatemala Adventure series, and like our MK page to not miss any posts!

Río Dulce Boat Ride

Monday, July 10th, 2017

rio-dulce-boat-ride

To break up our 10-hour road trip from Guatemala City to Petén, we decided to go on a Río Dulce boat ride, which is near the castle of San Felipe. We buzzed around in a motor boat, looking at exotic birds and wildlife on the edges of the river.

The San Felipe Castle was built on the edge of Río Dulce, so we were able to buzz by it, seeing it sparkle in the sunshine. It was built in the 1500’s by the Spaniards, who had come to colonize the area.

rio-dulce-castle

The palm trees and tropical foliage came right down into the water, and the boat man slowed the boat down so that we could look more closely at the wildlife. Take a look at the video footage from the trip:

Some of the plants are parasitic and grow on the palm trees. Along with the moss and tall grasses, the area looks pretty much like a tropical jungle.

rio-dulce-plants

My husband took each of these spectacular bird pictures. I especially like the white one with the long neck. I captured that one flying in the video, too!

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We saw a flock of the strange-looking black-colored birds, too. They sat on stumps sticking out of the water, or they congregated on old wooden docks. We saw a turtle sunning himself under one of these docks:

rio-dulce-turtle

We enjoyed this boat ride very much, since it was the first big event since landing in Guatemala. If you missed our first couple of rainy days, check out this post. The Río Dulce boat ride happened on day 3, along with the Castle of San Felipe, which is coming up next!

Don’t miss any posts in this Guatemala Adventure series! Follow my Missionary Kid page for extra photo albums and videos of random Guatemala activities we fit in around the edges of our trip.

Boat Birthday Party

Monday, June 29th, 2015

boat-birthday

A boat birthday is perfect for the summer! What better excuse to spend some time on a nearby lake? Last weekend we celebrated my son’s birthday by giving him a boat birthday party. If you have friends who own a boat, it doesn’t have to cost you any money. If you don’t have friends who own a boat, you will need to save up to rent a motor boat. But it’s an experience that your family will never forget!

boat-party-invitation

How to Make a Boat Party Invitation

I made the boat invitations by using some origami paper and folding it into a boat. Then  I stabbed a wooden skewer in through the bottom of the boat, and I taped it in place. Then I printed out the information for the party, and I cut it out in a sail shape and stabbed the skewer through the sail. Finally, I added a tiny flag at the top, taping it in place.

lake-cupcakes

How to Make Lake Cupcakes

Bake some cupcakes and frost them with blue frosting. You will need to stir blue food coloring into white frosting. With a knife, make little waves on top of the blue frosting “water.” Super easy!

You will want to make cupcakes rather than cake if you are planning to eat it on the boat. Make sure to place the cupcakes into a container and put them on ice in a cooler so that they do not melt on a hot summer day in the boat.

boating

Enjoy a day of boating. Often the best gifts are experiences.

My daughter had never been on a boat, so it was super exciting for her. We borrowed a large innertube from a friend and attached it to the boat. The kids loved taking turns being pulled on the innertube by the boat!

boating-party

Okay, maybe the children weren’t the only ones enjoying the boat birthday party!

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Boating

Monday, July 19th, 2010

boating

One fun summer activity that is refreshing is boating. Boat rentals aren’t always expensive, depending on where you are. If you know someone who has a boat, you don’t even need to spend any money. Zooming around on a lake, or just floating in a canoe can take your mind off your normal routine and help you to relax with nature. If you choose a raft with oars, a paddle boat, a kayak, or a canoe, you can also get some exercise, which will clear your mind as well. Being out in the sunshine and fresh air is sure to invigorate you.

My sister once gave us a raft, which we inflate every year when we go to camp. Make sure you have life vests. If you buy them used at yard sales and Goodwill, test them out by seeing if they will hold you up in the water before you strap the life vest onto your kid. I’ve found good life vests for as little as $1 at yard sales.

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When you go out with a child or two, it’s a good bonding experience for your family. The children feel like they are on an adventure. Make sure your children have sunblock on. I’ve sometimes forgotten, and the kids come home with sunburns.

Last year my husband taught my oldest son how to have control over a canoe. My son was able to steer it, paddle it, and turn it around. So my son was able to learn a skill as he was out on the water. The fewer people that are around, the more tranquil it will seem. You can even go fishing over the side of the boat.