After the hard traveling and non-stop socializing of our village, we had to bring it down a notch. And what better place than Casa del Mundo, a great little hotel and rest spot hanging on the cliffs above Lake Atitlán. I’ve mentioned it before; it’s quiet and friendly, with awesome rooms hanging over the volcanic lake. They even have a wood-fired hot tub, which we took advantage of on our last night there (that’s the photo on the left). I am so proud of my mom and aunties for braving (and even enjoying) the relative hardships of Gutemala, with nary a complaint. What a way to wind down the vacation.

Writing about how restful my last three days were makes for a terrible blog post, though, so I will only mention things like the spiders Aunts Donna and Ellen found in their room. “They were as big around as a baseball” they said, holding their hands up and making creepy faces. Of course, I didn’t believe a word of it. Until the next evening, that is, when they asked me to kill one that was too high on the ceiling for them to reach. Here is a picture, and let me tell you that they weren’t exagerating. And that is NOT a look of love and reconciliation in those four beady eyes, either.

While we were sitting and eating our MARVELLOUS breakfast in the beautiful dining room, I pondered the paradox of Guatemala. French toast, jam, homebrew molasses syrup, fruit smoothie, fresh pineapple/ papaya/ watermelon, hand squeezed orange juice. All with an amazing view of a volcanic lake. Yet, within 10 miles in any direction, you can find children suffering chronic malnutrition. Should I feel guilty about this? After some thought, I decided no. The mere presence of places like Casa del Mundo make a significant positive impact on the lives of so many here. They follow fair employment practices, bringing more than 40 quality jobs to the region. The owner, an American who moved to Guatemala many years ago, requires his employees to stay in school. Several of the more senior staff have even gone on to start college coursework. Their salaries get spent in the surrounding communities, enhancing the local economy without relying on patronal handouts. Without tourists, Casa del Mundo would disappear, and without Casa del Mundo, the entire region would be that much worse off. It’s interesting to me what different guises “international aid” can come in, and the analogs that their work has to ours.

Did I mention that we had a relaxing time? Here are a few more pictures to prove it.