463 - Lavanda Guatemala
Today it all came crashing down on me. It finally hit me that my messed up foot wasn’t a simple injury that was going to just disappear. I was in it for the long haul.
It all started at Lavanda Guatemala, the day after our paradise streak at the Lake Atitlan Airbnb. It was a good run, and I rested my foot well. I was ready to get back into action.
Our destination, Lavanda Guatemala, was a lavender field owned by a Frenchman who found the climate and culture a fitting combination for a lavender-filled retirement. Upon immediate entry, he greeted us and gave us a full blown tour of the farm. Since it was positioned on a hillside, we scaled down the whole thing to the farmhouse as he enchanted us with lavender facts.
It wasn’t good for my foot at all. Even though I’d rested the past 2-3 days, it’d substantially gotten worse now that I was on it again. Although the place was charming, a dark gloom lingered over me.
He offered us some chairs to relax and offered us homemade lavender tea, croissants, and honey. It might have been the best hospitality I’d received in all of this trip. The owners were genuinely caring, and didn’t mind us hanging out at the farm all day waiting for sunset. I get the feeling they just enjoyed the company.
Once the sun began to get closer to it’s home, we lumbered back up the steps to the parking lot and gathered our photography gear. I barely made it to the top. There was a solid couple minutes where I sat in the front seat and contemplated my life. Should I go out and shoot? Or just rest my foot?
But I couldn’t help it. There was a fucking beautiful lavender field right in front of me, with a backdrop to one of the most beautiful volcanic lakes in the world. I’d like to see you sit that out as the sun sets.
By the time I got to the start of the pathway with the view, I was struggling… hard. Tears were about to come out of my eyes. I sat down on the steps for a couple seconds and embraced all the pain. Something was truly wrong with my foot.
I snagged up-close shot of the lavender plant right in front of me:
“Purples Bulbs”
Taken on Sony a7rIII + Zeiss 24-70mm f/4
[ISO 400 ~ 43mm ~ f/4 ~ 1/320s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
After that shot, I rested for about 5 minutes just staring at the ground. I looked up and saw Haley about 50 feet away from getting an overview shot of everything. I was so close to the spot…
I hopped on foot to get over, tripping over roots and plants the whole way. I barely made it.
I setup with my tripod, but had no luck. I simply couldn’t focus- mentally that is. Pain was seeping out of my foot, and I had no idea what was happening. The reality of living in van in foreign country with a broken foot was too much for me to ignore. All I got was this zoomed in layer shot of the range in the distance:
“Plateau of the Clouds”
Taken on Sony a7rIII + Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM
[ISO 800 ~ 124mm ~ f/2.8 ~ 1/3200s]
Edited in (Want a Print? Get one here.)
A nice, subtle shot, nonetheless. But not an overview banger. As the sun set with little regard for my feelings, I took in the notion that nature doesn’t wait. All it gave me was a dark, winding pathway back to the van.
As I sit here writing this a few days later, I haven’t shot anything since. I’m actively working on the situation, and I’ll update you was it unfolds. But know this- I’ll make it through this and be back to shooting as soon as I’m able. I’ll do it with goddamn crutches if I have to.
I’m on a mission to explore as much as humanely possible.
Want to see my progress? Check out the Adventure Map.
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