Its almost dawn. There is a soft grey blue like a watercolor painting dripping across a canvas  and as I look across the lake it changes with every glance.

I’m sitting in the outdoor dining room. Its ablaze with color. The tables are set with bright orange and turquoise hand woven runners, and there is a different color cloth over the top of that set on angle. The plates are all genuine fiesta ware in every color they manufactured, so eating in an adventure too.

I know the days are going to move very fast from now on. We’ll fit so much work  until the end of the shoot. I’m trying  to capture each moment. Yesterday, our first day of filming was great.

Our cast members are enthusiastic and it’s lovely to see them experience the excitement of being in Guatemala just as Jim and I did when we first came here.

We boated across the lake, it was a clear, warm day  and the excitement mounted. Of course having a full film crew in a small village adds a buzz to the environment. Having a cast of ‘ordinary’ crafters is also unique and we were welcomed with lots of smiles and good humor from the local people.

I think its probably the first time the cast have traveled in a Tuk Tuk.

A tuk-tuk is a small passenger vehicle that resembles a three-wheeled motorcycle with a metal or canvas frame. A bench seat in back holds passengers—sometimes more than you’d ever believe!  Tuk-tuks originated in India, and are most prevalent in Bangkok, Thailand and surrounding areas. They are now a popular mode of transportation in Guatemala.

Pronunciation: In Guatemala, it is pronounced “Took-Took”, rhyming with “Spook” rather than “Book”.

I love the Tuk Tuks here, they are mostly red, each is lovingly named and decorated with  interesting designs, flashing lights, and at other times a sound system.

We lined up in formation, the red Tuk Tuks winding up the hill with their  engines straining to conquer the steep Grade.

We filmed the most humble and talented Master crafts persons amid the sounds of chickens, dogs, birds and the occasional Tuk Tuk, and the general day to day life of a small village.

You will have to wait for the show to see the results, but trust me it will be worth it.

Filming finished for the day we decided to walk down the hill to our waiting boat. We stopped and visited with a number of the locals. One group shared their story with us.

I bought a beautiful piece of hand woven silk from them as did some of the other ladies. Then we stopped for most wonderful latte’s made from local coffee served with home made cookies… It was a lovely end to our time in the village.

The boat ride back to our hotel was interesting, it took us a while to get there, however, there was a lot of hilarity captured on film and we shared the camaraderie of newly formed friendships through our experiences.