Miss Sustainable
Continued from previous page
we spent hours just walking
and exploring, soaking in the
sights, sounds and smells. Or-
nate wooden gates with small,
decorative openings stand out
amid the blue, yellow and red
walls, beckoning you to come
in and explore the lush interi-
ors.
One of the most beautiful
things I've ever seen in my life
was Casa Santo Domingo. It
was the largest monastery
in Antigua and was founded
by Dominican friars in 1542.
Three 18th century earth-
quakes wreaked their havoc on
the monastery, followed by the
pillaging of materials. It was
taken over as a private resi-
dence by an American arche-
ologist in 1970, then converted
to a 5 star hotel and museum,
which is what it currently is
today.
To say the grounds are breath-
taking, especially after dark
when lit by candlelight, is truly
an understatement. Mara and
I wandered the estate one
evening for several hours. The
way they've incorporated mod-
ern conveniences such as a
large shade structure to blend
into the surroundings aestheti-
cally was very inspiring. You
can read more about it here
(http://bit.ly/1qBtFvd) and if
you're ever in Antigua, put it on
your not to miss list.
The following morning we
traveled by car to Panajchel,
also known as Pana (http://bit.
ly/1jsDtZx) which is about a
2 hour ride and located in the
Western Highlands of Guate-
mala on Lake Atitlán (http://
bit.ly/1tKhvWh). The lake,
renowned as one of the most
beautiful in the world, is the
deepest in Central America,
measuring depths of over 1000
feet. It's surrounded by three
volcanoes (San Pedro, Atitlan,
and Toliman) and is ringed
with many indigenous Mayan
villages, Pana being the main
village for port of entry.
A boat ride from Pana de-
livered us to the dock of the
house which would be our
home (http://bit.ly/1oW1veK)
for the next five days. Nicho-
las and his family, the caretak-
ers of the property, welcomed
us and gave us a tour. We fell
in love with the warmth and
hospitality of this local family:
his wife Rosa, who prepared
delicious local food and freshly
Stairs to San Marcos - Photo by Stacey Champion
Casa Santa Domingo - Photo by Stacey Champion
Healthy Indoors 49
