Our fantastic Tour Manager Helen Hyde ventured to Guatemala this autumn, uncovering the rich textile heritage, ancient techniques and vibrant colours of this fascinating country. Led by expert Karin Hellaby and joined by a small group of like-minded crafters, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, beautifully chronicled below by Helen herself...
Day 1
"A lot of travel! Some great views coming into land, and tomorrow the adventures start.
Day 2
This morning, we had a quick tour of zones 10 and 1 of the city. Zone 10 is the modern part with impressive buildings for banks, head offices and embassies.The zone is dissected by the Avenue Reforma, inspired by the Champs-Élysées.
Halfway down the Avenida La Reforma is the Torre del Reformador, a steel tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower. Built in 1935 to honour President Justo Rufino Barrios, the tower is often called the "Eiffel Tower of the West" and stands at 71.85 meters tall. It is a landmark on one of the city's most famous and wide boulevards, which now has a “garden” running through the middle but was once completely open for carriages when built in the 1880s. There are also some lovely statues and fountains in the roundabout.
We then saw zone 1, the historic area. Very badly destroyed by a 7.5 earthquake in 1976, many buildings were rebuilt but it’s only been protected as an area since 1998.
The central Cathedral de Santiago, built in 1815, was also badly damaged. It has since been restored and now houses all the paintings and statues from other cathedrals in Antigua and Quetzaltenango, as they in turn suffered from earthquakes. It’s huge and a real mix of styles but still possesses a majestic simplicity.
Day 3
A highlight was the jade hoard found on the skeleton of King Jasaw Chan K’Awiil – the equivalent of Guatemala’s Tutankhamen – which was completely undisturbed and only discovered in 1962.
I hadn’t realised the scale of Tikal, the Mayan city, with its more than 3,000 structures including palaces and temples. Lots of the artefacts came from there. Astonishing masks, jewellery and carved stones showing kings in elaborate headdresses with slaves with tied hands. A brilliant insight into the history of this already fascinating country.
Day 4
The Day of the Dead, known as Día de los Muertos, is a holiday which celebrates deceased loved ones. It blends Mayan and Catholic tradition of All Saints and All Souls and, across the country, families gather in cemeteries to decorate graves with flowers, candles and wreaths.
Next up was the Santiago Sacatepequez kite festival. Now when I say kites, I mean the most extraordinary pieces of art, measuring 45 feet in diameter! Family groups start making them from paper in June. They are constructed in sections and then, the night before, they are put together on local football pitches, folded up and blessed together with the enormous bamboo poles that hold them together. This morning, they are raised up by a large team of young men working together. It’s honestly one of the most astonishing things I’ve seen!
After lunch, we travelled to Antigua, a beautiful town with coloured houses and shops. The yellow building is the former public laundry.
Then, this afternoon, we had a workshop using back looms. We each had a loom set up and a wonderful local expert to teach two of us.
I can’t say it was easy, but I was starting to get the technique by the end. We were then gifted the looms to take home with us. All I need now is a pillar and a couple of free days to master it!
Day 5
This morning, we started with a walking tour of Antigua. My guidebook describes it as “a place of rare beauty, major historical significance and vibrant culture". This must-visit destination was the former capital of Guatemala, and is surrounded by three volcanoes. Two are active, and we saw several puffs of smoke from one this morning.
A particularly memorable place is the ruined Cathedral de Santiago. It’s quite haunting with chunks of pillars strewn around its roofless majesty. There were some pictures showing how it would have looked in its heyday.
It was an extraordinary thing to witness and to see how important it was to this community. Once again, I feel completely privileged to be able to see and experience something as special as this.
This morning and afternoon the ladies had an inspirational workshop from Priscilla Bianchi. She is Guatemalan and has taught and exhibited all over the world.
Our hotel for three nights was originally the home of a former president of Guatemala, and includes a chapel built for his wife. It has 27 beautiful rooms and an outside dining room and bar area where you can see a volcano.
Day 6
The Church of La Merced and the Santa Catalina Arch
This morning, we visited this lovely church built between 1750 and 1767. It looks as though the front has icing on it, and the yellow and white are the original colours.
Outside you can see the coffee bean (Mayan) or grapes for wine (Spanish Catholic) on the columns.
The Santa Catalina Arch is one of the distinguishable landmarks in Antigua. Built in the 17th century, it originally connected the Santa Catalina convent to a school, allowing the cloistered nuns to pass from one building to the other without going out on the street.
We went out of Antigua to a small village for an indigo workshop with Olga, our Guatemalan textile expert. We were shown how to make up the indigo dye mix and then the ladies all had a go at dying with clay to create a barrier. It was fascinating to be in a working studio and see all the natural dyes used.
This morning, as a break from the workshop, we also went and had coffee or Guatemalan hot chocolate, which was locally made with hot water and chocolate and is absolutely delicious. And yes of course I’m bringing some home!
Lunch was at a stunning venue in the middle of nowhere. A higgledy piggledy collection of buildings under a corrugated metal roof by a lake, it was a lovely and relaxed lunch.
Then off to some more shopping! Olga’s indigo shop, a jade factory, museum and shop, another chocolate shop and a coffee shop.
Finally, we ended our wonderful stay in this beautiful town in a restaurant with simply fabulous food. I had snook fish the first time we came here, and tonight I had shrimp and pineapple with a semifreddo with macadamia nuts. Awesome!
Day 7
This morning, we left Antigua to make our way towards Lake Atitlan. On the way, we visited the Mayan remains of the Kaqchikel's 25th-century capital. The remnants of the palaces and temples aren’t huge, but the setting is very peaceful and serene. There were about 30 black headed vultures soaring overhead on the thermals, making it even more atmospheric.
Rituals are still performed here on the circular altar stones, and we witnessed one taking place. It was led by a Mayan spiritual leader who gave us permission to take photos.
We then travelled by coach from Antigua to Panajachel, with much of it down the pan American highway. On our way, we saw coffee plantations and lots of agriculture. There are no machines here – the work is done by hand as the plots of land are very small.
We passed through a number of small villages, with our driver having to make turns at crossroads on very narrow streets which got many locals directing, offering advice and ogling!
Panajachel has quite a lively nightlife and people regularly wear national dress.
We are onto our next hotel, a stunning one on the shores of Lake Atitlan.
Day 8
I was out at six in the morning taking photos.I even caught a hummingbird!
We then hopped on board a boat and headed across the lake (at speed!) to San Juan La Laguna.
We then headed up the town in tuktuks to see the preparation of Ikat fabric. Threads are bound tightly together and dyed, so that the dye doesn’t reach the thread under the binding, then it is woven.
We then headed to Panajachel. I had some delicious burritos for lunch and had time to buy a bag to bring back in hand luggage.
Last stop of the day was an amazing cooperative called Multicolores, which works with 48 women who make stunning rugs and embroideries. It was so good to hear what great work is happening because of this project. And three lovely embroideries and a little bird are coming home with me.
Day 9
There is a huge craft and food market here on Thursdays and Sundays.
Oh my! The size and colours of this market were astounding. As well as a big food market, there were artisan stalls selling everything you could want. The shopping opportunities were endless. I was quite restrained, buying some weaving patterns that I can use as cross stitch designs and skeins of coloured cotton for £1 each. Colour and noise everywhere!
This dual way of living is seen most clearly in the Church of Santo Tomás. It dates from 1540 and, although it’s a Catholic church, Mayan rituals take place on the steps outside and inside the church.
After returning to the hotel mid-afternoon, we set out by boat to San Antonio Palopó.
We visited a ceramicist and heard how clay is made, how moulds are used and pots thrown.
Day 10
We then left our slice of paradise and set off for the second-largest city in Guatemala, called Quetzaltenango. On the way, we stopped at San Andrés Xecul, a tiny, slightly run-down town with the most stunning and bizarre church front you can imagine.
On the way out, our Mayan driver once again performed a small miracle turning the monster coach around. Traffic came to a standstill for about five minutes whilst he did a manoeuvre that I honestly didn’t think possible!
Coffee, cocoa and corn: three very important crops for Guatemala.
Coffee plantations used to be huge here, but in 2001, there was a terrible fungus that reduced the price from £350 for 50kgs in 2000 to just £50 a year later.
Lots of big coffee farms had to sell off parcels of land, and now there are many small farms. 8 different regions are for coffee production.
Robusta and Arabica are the two types of bushes, the first needing more sun and the second shade. Flavour is influenced by altitude, other plants growing around, soil, and moisture in the soil and the air. Beans are picked from November to April, and each bush can be picked 6-7 times as beans ripen over several weeks. This year, the rain came late so picking will start later. Workers are paid 7 dollars per 23kg and it is very heavy work.
The Mayans were the first people believed to use cacao, which they called 'Kakau'. It was historically used as a bitter drink and served as an important form of currency, with the Mayans considering it a "food of the gods". Having tried it in its raw form and a bar with pecans, I love it. It has a very full, rich, strong flavour, definitely for dark chocolate fans – Cadbury’s dairy milk it is not! Traditional Guatemalan chocolate, or "pocha”, is often consumed as a drink with ingredients like cinnamon and sugar. I had some simply dissolved in water and it was delicious.
Corn is very sacred in Mayan culture, as humans were said to have been formed from corn. Still today, many Guatemalans’ diets are made up of over 50% of corn. On our travels, we have passed many dead corn stalks in fields. They are often flattened, with beans and squash being planted over them. After six months when completely dead and dried, they are burned and the ash sprinkled back on the land, as corn strips the land of its nutrients. They even sweeten it – I’ve had delicious corn soup and less delicious corn milk pudding!
There are five types of corn, all different colours.
White Corn is the foundation for many dishes like fluffy tamales and tortillas. It is a staple in Guatemalan cuisine and holds deep cultural and mythical significance, representing purity in the creation of humans.
Yellow corn is often used in traditional stews and tostadas, with a nutty and sweet flavour. Its golden colour can symbolise the sun and abundance.
Blue corn is prized for its high antioxidant content and earthy flavour. It's commonly used for thick tortillas and drinks like atol.
Red corn is known for its vibrant colour, slightly sweeter flavour and nutty notes. It is often associated with ceremonial foods and represents life and energy.
The rarest variety, Black corn features a deep, smoky flavour. It's used in ancestral recipes and is believed to have protective properties.
Day 11
This morning, we went off the tourist trail to see the crop growing and to visit the market of Almolonga. This little place isn’t mentioned in Lonely Planet, but it was absolutely fascinating to see how the crops are grown on tiny parcels of land – almost like the medieval strip farming in England. There is no machinery or animals, but thanks to the volcanic soil, the crops are of an enormous size. The radishes were like tennis balls!
We then visited Almolonga’s tiny church, again with a beautiful façade and simple interior, featuring a beautiful silver St Peter at the altar.
Outside, the fruit and vegetable market had finished, but we wandered around this vibrant place completely bowled over by the beautiful outfits and head-dresses of the ladies. They have flat pieces with amazing pompoms or ribbons tied around with a fancy pom pom at the bottom. I bought a machine-made belt that holds up their skirts and a second-hand handwoven head ribbon.
It was a fascinating morning, and I feel we saw the real rural Guatemala today.
Then a group of us set off for a short walk to the Chocolate Museum. It was a single room in the home of a sixth-generation chocolate maker. We all bought some lovely chocolate in the shop served by the sixth-generation young man whose family owns it. Five generations of women ran this business, but there are now two sets of two boy cousins who run it.
Then our lovely guide Nancy took us on a tour of the central square with Baroque buildings on one side, a former gaol at one end, houses on the other side which are now shops, and a bank at the top. The square itself has Roman pillars, an obelisk in the middle and had lots of people strolling around. There was also a cathedral with a lovely frontage which, despite several earthquakes, still stands with a modern church behind it. There is also an arcade called Pasaje Enriquez, built after a structure in Florence.
Day 12
Today we had a long drive with an early start. Unfortunately, a bridge had collapsed due to a mudslide, so this meant a detour. Passing a market which was spread out over the road, we were treated to ever-changing scenery with volcanoes giving way to more undulating softer mountains.
By lunch we were in proper low land heat which subsided as we climbed again into forests with monkey tail ferns and dense varied vegetation. Black vultures kept us company! We also had a stop to see the obsidian which was by the side of the road.
A bit of stitching, book reading, emails and snoozing along the way, with regular stops at excellent facilities. I had an interesting local breakfast of pancake with cheese, plantains, the wonderful avocado and fried eggs with a black bean sauce. Lunch was in our San Martin favourite. Looking forward to tomorrow.
This morning I awoke early to torrential rain. Thankfully we have had dry patches, but lots of sudden heavy showers through the day.
We set off to visit a cooperative in a coffee plantation called Chicoj. Here we met some incredibly skilled ladies weaving on backstrap looms but with very intricate designs. One lady was weaving with 1-ply thread which she ran through a tortilla to “starch” it to make it easier to work with. When washed it’s beautifully soft. Pieces of work take 15 to 18 days with 5 to 8 hours’ work a day. The cooperative pays women as soon as they receive the work which goes into their shop, and the women are paid 80% of the shop price. Needless to say, we made the visit worthwhile with some lovely pieces heading back to our home countries.
We then had a tour of the coffee plantation and banana trees, which was shortened by heavy showers.
Next we headed to the Xkape Cobán restaurant where there was a cookery demonstration of the chicken, rice and soup we ate for lunch. Oh my, it was delicious. The dessert was Guatemalan tiramisu made with cardamom – absolutely unique and so unbelievably tasty.
Then ladies who live in different Mayan villages brought with them more examples of their weaving. Yes, even more shopping achieved with all of us counting and spending our last quetzals!
We were supposed to be spending another night at the Cobán hotel, but our brilliant guide Nancy explained that tomorrow, across Guatemala, demonstrations are planned, with much disruption and road closures expected. So the decision was made to take no risks and return to Guatemala City late afternoon to arrive late night. Huge, huge thanks to the Stitchtopia HQ team who sorted out a new hotel for us all in an incredibly quick turnaround.
So as I write, we are heading back, but I guess that gives us an additional morning for shopping for those of us whose suitcases have any empty corners left!
Day 14
Well, last night didn’t quite go to plan. We arrived at the hotel to discover that they had made an error and booked us in for the wrong day and only had 8 rooms spare. We contemplated sharing, but the ground agent found us another hotel and so we all moved across. The group was amazing – patient, supportive and good-humoured throughout, and I will be forever grateful!
So we had a slow start, but there were definitely unfilled corners in some suitcases, as this morning we went back to the two fabric shops from day 1! I just had to buy this laptop case and a few other small offcuts to use up the last quetzals. We then visited the White City for lunch.
So this adventure has created some very special memories, but this afternoon will be up there with them. Priscilla, who gave us such a wonderful workshop in Antigua, invited us to visit her beautiful, inspirational and globally captivating home. We all stood with our mouths open looking at all her treasures which she has arranged with such care and flair.
This was a real high to end our Guatemalan adventure with, and huge thanks to Karin and Priscilla for making this happen.
We then enjoyed the best farewell dinner I have ever had on a Stitchtopia trip, and I have had some fabulous ones. We had the restaurant to ourselves, and a fabulous husband-and-wife team served us a truly memorable and delicious meal with Mayan food and techniques.
What an amazing way to finish this adventure, and to be with a remarkable group of women who could not have been more supportive and fun. One very lucky Tour Manager!
Day 15
This trip has been a very special one. It is obvious that Guatemala faces enormous challenges as a country. There is no rail or underground system, so commuting into the city can take up to three hours each way. The traffic is one permanent jam. There is a lot of poverty, and the government has little money to develop infrastructure, but everywhere we have been, we have enjoyed warm welcomes, especially amongst the women whose skills and experience we have been able to admire. The variations in the weaving styles and patterns have been fascinating. The food has been truly delicious – some of the best fruit and vegetables I’ve eaten anywhere.
The hotels we stayed in have been two of the loveliest hotels I’ve been lucky to stay in – but we have also experienced, outside the tourist areas, the challenges of finding accommodation for a group this size. Our big bus got us safely across the country, with minibuses for areas where the streets are just too narrow to take anything bigger.
We have seen colour like I’ve never seen before – and it has been such a joy to see the women wearing their beautiful outfits every day and to appreciate the differences between the communities and the amount of work that goes into producing these clothes that they wear with such pride.
I have a deep respect for the tiny Mayan people we have encountered everywhere with their broad smiles and laughter. It is a country worth visiting, and I very much hope that one day I shall come back.
Finally, huge thanks to Stitchtopia and Karin Hellaby for allowing me to tour manage the first trip to a pretty challenging country. Our guide, Nancy, has been outstanding and couldn’t have done more to show off Guatemala. And finally, the 16 wonderful women I have been lucky to travel with. They have made this adventure so special and helped to create wonderful memories I shall forever treasure. Thank you, ladies!"
If you’d like to embark on your very own textile adventure, we have holidays covering amazing, far-flung destinations including India, Turkey and Peru.
And, for Stitchtopia tours led by expert Karin Hellaby, click here and prepare to be inspired.
