A beautiful city surrounded by three volcanoes, Agua, Fuego and Acatenango.
There they hover sometimes, like today a cloud sits at the top.
The city is as vibrant as it was since our last visit in February 2023.
Hotels are welcoming guests. New restaurants have popped up as well as the familiar places that people frequent.
The market was bustling today.
It's good to be back.
Our last visit was in February 2020 just before the world shut down.
Many questions arise as we get ready for this trip.
How did the residents of a small indigenous village in a pretty rural part of the country manage the pandemic?
We learned that they managed as best they could. There was no real support from the government so we were told.
Have they access to vaccinations?
Yes, however there appears to be some trust issues with being vaccinated especially in the rural indigenous villages. Some misinformation around the pandemic in general and especially with getting vaccinated.
How has their life changed since the pandemic?
As a visitor returning to Guatemala after a global pandemic - all seemed normal for the country. Guatemala city was busy, Antigua was also busy with lots of tourists, hotels open, and restaurants and stores operating. It's hard as a visitor to get a true sense of the fallout from the pandemic.
The school we go to in Santiago Atitlan was as happy a place as I remember in 2020.
The children and teachers were happy and engaged.
It was so good to be back.
Are they happy to see people not from their country come back?
I think so, tourism is their livelihood in many regions.
Were there many deaths in Santiago and surrounding towns?
There was no data recorded or so it seems!
Did they receive any support from the government?
No.
What about their livelihoods, how were the villagers impacted?
Business stopped like here, one tour guide I spoke with told me they stayed home and he did not work for a year.
