our last day, we spent saying good bye to friends like Louis, Hugo, Illyana from the hotel, leaning about chocolate and saying good bye to Popi, Momi and Susi. It was an emotional day. So very hard to say good bye, knowing it will be another 3-4 years before we come back and this was likely Mam's last time in Guatemala.
Rocket said good bye to Hugo. Hugo has been our server for breakfast on every trip we have made to Guatemala. He helped us find Louis this trip and Louis drove us to Antigua for chocolate making fun.
The chocolate museum - about 2 blocks from the arch in Antigua.
Our teacher, Risa. She works here while going to school to be a lawyer. She has 3 more years in her program.
the crazy, wonderful Canadians in our group
All of us, ready to make chocolate.
Rocket being so neat and tidy with his work.
We had Canadians, Israelis and us crazy Americans. a very diverse group. our family was the youngest and oldest ends of the group, though one of the other ladies was pregnant. So perhaps her baby was the youngest in the group???
toasting chocolate beans after making our candy. Our candy was cooling, so at this time we got to start the process of making chocolate from the basic/start. The roasting is needed to get the husk off the chocolate bean
the husks can be used to make chocolate tea. Add the husks to boiling water with a little sugar and let steep for 10 minutes and drink the tea warm. it was not too bad, but not something I would drink all the time. After the husks are used in the tea, they can be used in compost. They no longer have the chocolate essence in them, so they are safe for animals to be around (chocolate is a poison to dogs).
Risa showing us how to grind the chocolate beans into a paste. she has us race. The guy from Israel won. He likes white chocolate (an abomination, it is just cocoa butter, no chocolate at all)
My paste.
We made another drink- much more bitter. Rocket did not like it at all
Making Maya chocolate (Spanish style)- chocolate, chili powder, hot water and honey. then pour back and forth to mix he ingredients.
grinding he remaining chocolate to make what we are more used to seeing. She made a small disk of chocolate. No need to add sugar, just grate and mix with hot milk or water. Yummy hot chocolate.
after the class, we walked around looking at some of the jade in the gift shop.
Louis- he used to work at La Vista in the hotel, but now is retired and he drives a cab. Great guy and he will be happy to take any family around.
looking tired
saying good bye on Thursday morning- waiting for the shuttle to the airport.
emptying the suitcases, these are the gifts, items packed for us to use.
The dirty laundry to be done over the weekend.
one final present, on the trip home during our layover in Atlanta, Rocket lost his last baby tooth. I think there is some symbolism there, but I am too tired to figure it all out.
Back to Wednesday night, final good bye with Popi, Momi and Susi. Some gifts for them, some gifts for Rocket.
Chewbacca figure for Rocket
Guatemalan soccer jersey.
Christmas ornament packet for Susi and the girls
the men working on the figure
chocolates for Mam and Me. Yumm!!! They survived the trip home and we like them a lot.
A great picture. I think Rocket will be taller than Momi and the girls by the time we come back.
happy little family at dinner.
being goofy.
vampire boy
getting besitos
best dressed Guatemalan nino in the world. Ready for the US vs Guatemala in March.
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