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Published: July 20th 2009
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Balcony View
Christina had the good view. My wife decided to schedule our trip to Guatemala the day after our arrival to El Salvador. Supposedly there was some logical reason for this, but I suspect she’s just trying to torment me. During the course of the first 36 hours of our trip, Christina and I departed Tampa, caught a connecting flight in Atlanta, flew to San Salvador, rode a bus 4 ½ hours to Guatemala City, and then rode an additional hour to Antigua. Five locations and three countries in a day and a half…
this may be the ideal time to purchase stock in Pepto-Bismol.
We boarded a double-decker shuttle bus that was plush with luxury. The bus was equipped with black leather lazy boy style seating, televisions, headphones, a retractable ottoman, a full service staff, and complimentary food and drinks. The locals riding the bus all appeared to be formally dressed; we wore shorts and t-shirts, typical American tourist attire. After arriving in Guatemala City, we were greeted by a pot-bellied local holding a sign displaying our last name. We all piled into his Toyota Corolla (which he drove like a hot European import) and headed to Antigua. The Guatemalan air was thick with
smog, and of course the Toyota had no A/C (apparently a prerequisite for all cars on the roads of Central America). The windshield of the Corolla seemed to bare a thousand small cracks; we let my wife shotgun.
Guatemala City was very industrial, very urban, and to be frank…rather unattractive. My wife had recently visited Antigua and assured us it was great, so I trusted her judgment. I soon learned that Antigua was a diamond in the ruff. The city was tucked in a valley amongst three dormant volcanoes. The cobblestone roads shook the Corolla as we pulled into the rustic town. The buildings were painted in hues of red, blue, orange and yellow. A pleasant gust fanned the narrow roadways and rustled the leaves of the adorning palm trees. The surrounding landscape was deep green against a pale blue sky. The town was serene and the locals seemed happy as they bartered with tourists attempting to sell various handmade crafts, art, and jewelry. The smog of Guatemala City had long been left behind.
After some debate, we decided to check in to a local bed and breakfast located in the center of town. Earlier that day we
read three online reviews of the bed & breakfast and all appeared to be positive. The bed & breakfast was guarded by tall looming castle-like walls and large solid wood doors. Beyond the walls were a courtyard, a garden, and a quaint Spanish villa style home. We were pleasantly surprised, especially upon discovering our rooms located at the top of old wooden stained stairs. The rooms were nicely decorated. Our room had a picture of the Virgin Mary hung above the bed; I considered assuring the proprietor of the bed & breakfast that Liz and I were married. Instead I settled for the more subtle technique of displaying my wedding band whenever the opportunity presented itself. Christina’s room had access to a balcony which overlooked one of the three volcanoes. She seemed please about the quality of our accommodations.
We spent the day touring the town, visiting a central park and an old monastery, exploring ruins and dining at local restaurants and eating Guatemalan cuisine. We intended to head back to the bed & breakfast early to get a good night’s sleep, but we got caught up jumping from restaurant to restaurant, indulging in the food, drinking local brews,
and experiencing the culture. The three of us enjoyed deep conversations (typical of our trio), and lost track of time. After we finally returned to the bed & breakfast covered in travel grime and smog remnants from Guatemala City, we were shocked to discover our shower had zero water pressure. It would take about an hour to fill a shot glass with the trickling ice cold water. One handful of water at a time I attempted to wash my body. Although dissatisfied with the quality of my shower, I made due, and went to bed half dirty. In the morning our water pressure returned and I took a proper shower. Downstairs a fantastic breakfast waited for us, including fresh scrambled eggs mixed with tomatoes, onions, and salsa. We did some last minute bargaining and headed back to Guatemala City. My wife and I purchased some authentic souvenirs from the locals. I checked, and not a single souvenir bared a label that stated “Made in China”.
We had prime seats on our bus ride back to San Salvador, with a panoramic view to boot. A woman attempted to snatch our seats that we waited well over an hour for, but
my wife quickly rectified the situation with her shrewd Latin mind and feisty attitude. We almost died on the roads of Guatemala a half dozen times due to reckless driving, but Christina was more concerned about what the gangs would do when they found her mangled body.
At home we enjoyed pizza and pilsner, and we look forward to getting to sleep in tomorrow. We all agree that Antigua is one of the best destinations we have ever visited. Liz definitely had a great recommendation.
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