Antigua
As you enter Antigua from the north, your first landmark of note is the plaza of the Iglesia y Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Merced. Of the dozen or so iglesias in town it is perhaps the most beautiful, even more so than the Catedral de Santiago on the town's Parque Central. The only unfortunate thing about the timing of our visit is that it came on the week of New Year, one of the two busiest times of the year. The beautiful posada where we stayed for part of our stay last time doubled in price for this weekend to more than a hundred dollars US, and it had a minimum three day stay. We had called ahead from Pana to insure we had something, although it was not as elegant as we might have liked. There is no overnight parking on the street, and the narrow passageway into the hotel actually housed a small tavel agency. We literally had to pick up the desk and carry it off to one side of the interior courtyard, and then remove the saddlebags from one side of the bikes to get them in.

This archway, a block over from our hotel was the scene of New Year's Eve's largest fireworks display. In truth though, there were large displays being shot off from no fewer than five different locations in the town. This early morning shot is quite a contrast to the throng that flooded the intersection here the night before. You can watch the clock turn over from 2012 to 2013 HERE!

Adjacent to the arch another former cloister is now an upscale boutique hotel.

New Year's day revealed people showing the results of too much partying. It ranged from sleepy vendors like the one above, to the apparently bellicose like this indigenous man below. He had a lump the size of a pigeon egg above his eye and blood was splattered around him on the sidewalk. His companion--concealed behind the policeman--was only slightly less drunk.


Antigua also sits in the shadow of several volcanoes and you can often see steam venting from one or the other. The largest in the area, Pacaya, was actually flowing hot lava on our 2009 visit. You can see it on the top photo 2nd from left on this page's masthead.

Antigua infact has such volatile siesmic activity, that over the centuries it has been the nation's capital, and been abandoned, has had cycle of boom and bust, it has been inundated by mudslides and rocked by earthquakes. The most recent major event in 1976 undid much of the restoration work, and the town is full of grand old structures such as this one that are missing portions of walls and roofs. I had photographed this building before without having noticed this small plaque on its side.

As a student of MesoAmerican history, this is a very significant site. The sign reads "Here was located the house where the celebrated soldier historian and hero of the conquest of Mexico and Guatemala lived and wrote. Bernal Diaz del Castillo the author of 'The True History of the Conquest of New Spain'". A large portion of what we know about the Aztec Indians of Mexico came from the narratives of this barely literate foot soldier who fought under Hernán Cortés. His accounts tell of the majesty of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan in what is now Mexico City. For anthro students or anyone studying Latin America it is required reading.

Horse-drawn carriages ply the town's center on weekends and holidays. While it is definitely a "tourist" activity, it is a nice way to see the historical center.

There is seldom a shortage of festivities at holiday time; whether it is marimba bands like the one above, or period musicians and jesters like those below.


We had walked past the building on the left side a half dozen times but always on the next street behind it. Other than a large red building with three -foot thick walls, there was little other than a small sign announcing that it was the Spanish Embassy to Guatemala. We were pleased to find this courtyard on the opposite side with pleasant gardens and a good Spanish restaurant. Below Karen enjoys the flowers.


Everywhere you looked there were hidden treasures--like this small lot that had these Semana Santa "floats", and this shop with walls full of masks (below).


The town was also full of small chocolate shops, some of which displayed the entire process from the raw cacao fruits above to finished sweets.

This one even had a replica of an ancient mayan statue holding a cacao fruit. Among the Maya, the drinking of cacoa was something reserved for royalty and priests.

Before heading out we took the risk of dealing with parking enforcement so we could enjoy one last espresso at our favorite coffee place on the square.