Happy New Year to everyone! Experiencing New Year's in Antigua was different but fun! They shut down the streets in the center of town and there were tons of people milling around waiting for the countdown. They had a fabulous light show on the famous arch and had an awesome fireworks display at midnight.
We are at the half way point of our language school. Two more months and we will be leaving for Honduras. When we start to get discouraged about how well we can speak Spanish, we just remind ourselves that if we can speak twice as well as we do now after two more months, then we will be good to go! The Spanish is coming along well and we get more fluent every week.
With the new year upon us we decided to try a new adventure! On Saturday, we rented a moped for a few hours and took off to explore the outskirts of Antigua without having to take a formal tour. Anyone who has driven in Central America knows that it was indeed an adventure. We laughed a lot as we navigated the streets of Antigua and went up and down large hills. Any of you who know us know, we are used to motorcycles with a bit more power and we couldn't stop laughing as we puttered along on the moped.
Just twenty minutes and 6000 feet into the mountains above Antigua, in a small village called Aldea El Hato, we discovered the Earth Lodge, a unique and wonderful natural retreat. With the road leading in (and out) being a one lane, dirt road, we were very happy to have the moped and not be navigating a regular sized car. The lodge was situated at the foot of a steep 300m hill which you had to walk down to get to (and then walk back up to leave) but it was well worth the effort. We enjoyed spectacular views and a delicious lunch. It was a time to relax and drink in the beauty of God's creation away from the hustle and bustle of normal life. It was indeed a hidden gem.
We truly appreciate every email, Whatsapp message, Skype call and Facebook message that we receive down here. We miss everyone back home but know we are where we are supposed to be. We appreciate your continued prayers!
