We moved into a wonderful house for 5 days over Xmas. The beautiful, 2 bedroom casa is behind a mysterious green door in a very ordinary street, leading down to the lake and cemetery.It is hard to imagine that such a lush, tropical garden lies behind the green door.

 

The house is amazingly comfortable and a fully functioning home, with a full kitchen and two fireplaces plus wonderful outside space and three dogs to keep us company.

We walked into town each day to buy everything we needed for Xmas dinner and drink beer or smoothies.

The views across the lake towards the volcanoes are exceptional.

The tourist market is full of the textiles that Guatemala is famous for.

We decided not to do presents this year but I did get a poncho and Dave bought a purse from a gorgeous, wrinkly, old lady in full traditional dress. Actually all of the women wear traditional woven fabrics, with each village having its own distinctive designs.

 

We really enjoyed our Xmas dinner of stuffed peppers, stuffing, roast potatoes, cauliflower puree, carrots and cabbage. We followed it up with a banana and mango crumble.

We were lucky to find a shop selling vegan chocolate truffles and cookies so we did not go without treats. We watched a lot of cheesy movies on the computer and had roaring log fires going in both the lounge and bedroom on different nights.

It has been a really wonderful Xmas and we feel very lucky to be here. We are also thankful for Facebook and Skype giving us the chance to keep in touch with family and friends over the holiday.

Tomorrow we move on to Antigua, Guatemala. This is another stunning colonial town. We will be there until the New Year and then cross into El Salvador.