Lake Atitlan, Guatemala: The Oatmeal and Honey Moment

Oatmeal and honey, Santa Cruz, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. April 2016.

I can close my eyes and picture the oatmeal and honey moments of that breakfast at the Arca de Noé Hotel and Restaurant that is on the other side of the dock from La Iguana Perdida. The simplicity of the oatmeal in the large, plain bowl, the amber honey, looking out onto the lake. Flowers. Wooden plank table. Makes me inhale deeply and smile a little.

Oatmeal and honey, Santa Cruz, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. April 2016.

Did I have the café con leche before or after the oatmeal and honey? I don't remember.

Café con leche, Santa Cruz, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. April 2016.

Doesn't matter. It was milky, rich. I rarely take milk in my coffee, so the luxury of the added velvety weight to my coffee always gives me a little shock of pleasure when I do.

Oatmeal and honey, Santa Cruz, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. April 2016.

Oatmeal and honey, Santa Cruz, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. April 2016.

Oatmeal and honey, Santa Cruz, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. April 2016.

To spoon this oatmeal and honey, to drink the café con leche, outside, while looking onto Lake Atitlan, amidst bright flowers, so nice.

Antigua, Guatemala: Breakfast at the Corner Place

Breakfast at Rincón Típico Restaurant, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

On my first full day in Antigua, I ventured out for a walk and breakfast. Turned into the Rincón Típico Restaurant, where my eyes and belly feasted. 

Many years ago, I was proficient in Spanish, but I allowed that competency to wither to a very low level. So when I asked for a menu in the restaurant, was told there wasn't one, and then given two options for breakfast, which I barely understood, I selected one, pretty much leaving things to chance.

It was good. 

The before: 

Breakfast at Rincón Típico Restaurant, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

Scrambled eggs, cheese, tortillas, refried beans.

The after: 

Breakfast at Rincón Típico Restaurant, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

The wee chirpie wren was disappointed that I left him not a crumb. 

The Guatemalan tortillas have a different flavor and texture, it seems to me, from Mexican tortillas. Thicker, more textural, a little grittier? Women stand at the entrance to the restaurant, making the tortillas. By God, the tortillas are good. 

There was a lot going on at the restaurant. 

Cutting avocados for guacamole:

Breakfast at Rincón Típico Restaurant, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

 

Putting whole, flattened chickens into fiery oven for roasting: 

Breakfast at Rincón Típico Restaurant, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

Breakfast at Rincón Típico Restaurant, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

Breakfast at Rincón Típico Restaurant, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

The sound of the fountain in the center of the outdoor-albeit-sheltered dining courtyard. 

Breakfast at Rincón Típico Restaurant, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

Customers chatting.

A satisfying start on my first full day in Antigua.