Los Gringos Viejos in Guatemala

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Greetings to all Old Gringo fans, from Antigua, Guatemala.

We snowbirds are nesting a little farther South than usual this year, in the uplands of south-central Guatemala. Years ago, in Chiapas, I said that you could see the landscape change when you cross the Rio Grijalva just before Chiapa de Corzo (in the narrowest part of Mexico, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec). There are tall wild fig trees on the banks of the Grijalva, full of monkeys eating the figs, and crocodiles waiting below for a monkey to make a mistake. No more cactus, no more of the dreary arid landscape that fills all of northern Mexico. You are quite suddenly in the Central American jungle, with plentiful water, gorgeous flowers, and vegetation so dense you can only see a few yards. This is doubly true in Guatemala. We flew in to the only international airport,Guatemala City, and then got out of there as fast as possible the next morning, headed for the old colonial capital, Antigua, Guatemala.

Only the National Rifle Association could love Guatemala City. On the road out we passed dozens of army groups lounging around with truly huge guns at the ready, outside every bank or upscale shopping plaza. Well, they are just recovering from an atrocious civil war, of which I will soon learn more. But everything changes outside Guatemala City. The highlands are lush with tropical vegetation and we have seen little evidence of the Army since arriving in Antigua.

The guide books say that Antigua has lots of colonial architecture. This is a huge understatement. In fact Antigua has no modern architecture at all; every building is in the colonial style, and the streets are paved with stone, some of it pretty rough cobblestone. It is a city that really takes you back in time, like Quedlinburg in Germany. Lots of museums, restaurants and friendly bars. The Guatemalans are very cordial and helpful, and we return their courtesy by showering them with dollars, which they seem to prefer to the Quetzal, the national currency.

Anyway, we think we are going to love it. I attach photos to get you into the spirit of Old Antigua. The weather, btw, is fantastic; cool and sunny.

Love to all of you- Martin and Carol, Los Gringos Viejos

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Photos

In the market
The market completely swallowed us up. This is one tiny fruit stand right at the entrance.

Our room in back patio
The patio is filled with beautiful flowers and greenery. That is th door to our room in the back

Posada La Merced, Antigua
Our hotel from the street. The best coffee house in Guatemala is just next door to the left.

Textile museum
Fabulous weaving in the textile museum. We bought a bright red embroidered table cloth and napkins.

Comments

[Lynn Susan Beebe]

So glad you're there....
We really loved our 6 weeks there....such a beautiful place.... We just got back from a short trip to Mt Baker with our grandson....we went snowshoeing and stayed in a bed and breakfast...all firsts for him! Beautiful sun all day Friday, but we've come home to rain... Keep the blogs coming.... (Which hotel are you in?

[Rosalie Amos]

Posada La Merced, judging from your photos, seems a delightful place to spend a month. I\'m very glad you have arrived safely, are enjoying Guatamalan coffee, and are looking forward to your stay. Will eagerly await furthur accounts from \"Los Gringos Viejos\". Abrazos, Rosalie

[Rachel]

Guatemalan adventure
It's great to hear from you! Antigua sounds lovely! We are on our way back to Chicago today. Love, Rachel

[Ellen Shillman]

So far everything sounds delightful. Enjoy the lovely weather.xo Ellen