traveling south to the town of Amatitlán. Right away, I began to feel the incredibly calm and charming spirit of this country embodied in the people, who were always generous with their smiles. As we drove out of this city, I had the impression that fast food restaurants and shopping malls were now popular here. Within two hours we were in the city of Amatitlán, where our true immersion of Guatemala began. We were able to visit the Lake of Amatitlán and its street vendors. I noticed the lake was green with algae and learned that this was due to eutrophication, a process similar to poisoning. Now the people cannot drink the water or eat the fish from here anymore. The hotel accommodations were amazing, offering a four course meal and a beautiful view of the mountains and the active Pacaya volcano in the distance. A traditional Guatemalan breakfast consisted of black beans, fried plantains, eggs, several pieces of a variety of meats, fruit, fruit smoothies, bread, and delicious coffee with cookies. The next stop on our visit was the picturesque city of Antigua, with its cobbled streets lined with colorful houses that gave a feel of the colonial era. Here is where we spent most of our time during the trip. As we entered the city, my first impression was the ancient, Baroque architecture, the buzzling sound of church mission groups, and the smell of powder from the fireworks announcing a church procession. We noticed an abundance of boutiques and restaurants all around the area. We used Air B&B for the majority of the trip and found it accommodating and private for a family with children. We would frequent “el Parque Central “(Central Park) on a daily basis. Here you find children playing while their mothers in their traditional, colorful clothing are selling goods, and many dogs wandering aimlessly. El mercado de artesanías, is where my child practiced bartering with merchants for their treasures and souvenirs. We toured a local coffee plantation where we learned about cultivating and processing premium coffee. We enjoyed zip- lining for the first time, and I also conquered my fear of heights. We went to the Choco-Museo and learned about the significance of the cacao plant in Meso-America while making chocolate bars from fresh roasted cacao beans. The time in Antigua taught us to forget about our comfort zones and instead discover the true meaning of adventure and embrace the experiences. We learned to find our bravery in trusting the local people and interacting with them more, which made our time in Guatemala a success. From Antigua we took a two-hour shuttle ride northwest to the area of Lago Atitlán. On our destination we had the opportunity s s s GDS Magazine | 31