My 24th complete revolution around the Sun was marked by a celebration with my sweet friend, Sophia Helaina, whose birthday falls a day before mine!
With an invitation to accompany her, Sophia and I stayed at Earth Lodge Guatemala for one night when we were both free. Our intentions going in were to disconnect, especially by staying off our phones, and to enjoy the nature, peace, and quiet there. So I brought my CampSnap Screen Free Digital Camera with me to capture some moments analogically.
In the late morning, we walked over to the Candelaria Basketball Courts, near Cerro de la Cruz, where Earth Lodge offers free shuttle pickups and drop offs (around 8am and 12pm), since their location is about a 20 minute drive up the mountain.
We arrived before check-in, so we spent time in the cafe/restaurant/bar area which is open to the public even if you’re not staying there! Drinking chai and oat lattes, Sophia and I both made a few calls to plan for our future selves before officially putting our phones away.
I called my mom, and that’s when she sent me a photo of my undergraduate diploma which arrived then since I had left for my solo-travel adventures a week immediately after graduation.
Once we were done with our calls, Sophia and I were guided to the treehouse we were staying in. We wanted to rest and take a nap,,, but a few minutes in, everything started shaking and rumbling, glass was clinking, and objects on the shelves were wobbling. A 5.7 magnitude earthquake— which we didn’t know at the time. Then another, again and again, not as strong as the first, but still strong. In our little treehouse, which was upheld by wooden stilts, we were swaying above the trees and forest below us. We decided to check in back at the reception/cafe area to see what was happening.
The manager was on the phone pacing, many people were crying, terrified. I could only imagine all the bottles of liquor in the bar crashing to the ground. To this day, I still wonder if there are any safety measures for these things now. Apparently, it was the greatest earthquake they’d felt near Antigua for many, many decades, and in many people’s lives for the first time there.
Sophia and I rested in that general area while waiting to hear what would happen next. We saw that guests and visitors were being relocated and moved around. We asked if we could be moved to flat ground for the night and they accommodated that without question, as if, of course, that was the only thing that made sense to do. After moving, we chilled and checked in on our friends back in Antigua. And because I heard of Earth Lodge from travel magazines around Antigua, I knew they offered temazcal so I inquired about the availability, despite the ongoing active earthquakes.
After sweating out so many toxins in the temazcal that I occupied by myself, I felt so relieved from stress I didn't even know I had. The Dome accommodation and shower awaited me with the aftermath of trembles. Sophia greeted me near reception, sat by a campfire, in which there were snacks, chips and guac, since there wasn't electricity and we couldn't order food from the restaurant.
Sleep was so good, even though we could still feel the after shock trembles. There is something about being so in tune with the natural rhythms of light and dark, in general in Guatemala, but especially this night with lack of electricity and being tucked away in the mountains after a temazcal session.
The next morning, Sophia and I woke and sipped on some coffee before getting the key to the yoga shala which was occupied before with their daily class. My offering to Sophia for bringing me along on this birthday excursion was giving her a private yoga class. The yoga studio was well-equipped with Manduka mats, yoga blocks, sound bowls, and tea.
After our practice, Earth Lodge's kitchen was back up and running so we could finally try dishes from their menu! And wow, the breakfast tacos did not disappoint. Eventually, I’d love to go back for lunch and dinner, but our short Earth(quake) Lodge adventure was great! We caught the free afternoon shuttle back down and home to Antigua! What a great full day! Thank you for reading and reliving this day with me! <3
