I was able to catch a ride one day to Antigua with a friend of mine. The drive takes about 30 minutes depending on traffic, but I wanted it to last longer because I could stare at those mountains for hours...
Getting through town is no easy task - If it looks like the angle of my picture is offset, you might be right, but the roads are curved and look more like ditches to me... Look closely and you can see that the road is handmade with cobblestones (and the roads stretch for probably 10 miles around the city). This makes for a pleasent scene on foot, but also an awefully bumpy car ride:
The center of the city contains a beautiful park
that acts as a rest area for visitors as well
as a gather place for live music and art vendors.
(above: Markets are common in every town,
but the one in Antigua is exceptionally
big - Volcan de Agua adds to its grandur.)
Antigua was the second location of the nations capitol city. The first was destroyed by a gaint mudslide that started on the side of a Valcano. Antigua was partially demolished by a great earthquake. Luckily, some of the beautiful architecture (built by Mayan slaves for Spanish conquitadors), still stands today.
Late night in this city is magical. Tourists (mostly gringos[Americans]) and chapinas[Guatemalans] congregate in mass number around tasteful dance clubs, cantinas, or the central park to enjoy good converstaion and good company.
My favorite pub (pictured below), contains lots of space to relax(two floors), hammocks, cheap rooms for rent, and even a shrine that preserves the Mayan cultural experience.
Here my friends have gathered for a couple of pints at another well known cantina... full of gringos. My host-brothers are the one with the white shirt and the one with the red vest. The other two guys are part of my pueblo: Andres (Andrew) and Juan (John)... team San Bartolomé!
Home again home again, jiggity jig...
So- as much as I miss Bojangles cajun chicken biscut combo with french fries and sweet tea, topped with an outer swirl of ketchup and an inner swirl of texas pete hot-sauce - I'm still really excited to be here to experience this adventure.
It has been a month and a half since I left the country, and I feel like I've learned soo much from these people. Their open kindess has no match in the fast paced technologically developed society I came from. I still have a lifetimes worth of Spanish to learn and I haven't even chipped off the top of the iceburg (I don't even have any idea how to say iceburg - something I probably won't need anyway).
So I'll keep everyone posted as much as possible... and thanks to everyone who's stopped by to check this out: hope you get something from it. Till next time, Adios!
p.s. My dog had puppies (pictures on the next post!).
