Blogs from Antigua, Capital Region, Guatemala, Central America Caribbean

Fri 16-Sat 17 November - Day 21 to 22 - Antigua We arrived around 2.00pm after negotiating the busy, large city of Guatemala, at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Antigua, one of the most delightful colonial towns in Central America. After booking in at the very friendly Hotel Posada Los Bucaros in our spacious room with 2 double beds and a single bed, Alfredo took us on the usual orientation walk around the city. The local indigenous could be seen throughout the cobbled streets and plazas of the city in their colourful costumes, selling their crafts and textiles. They are very short people, wearing colourful blouses and full skirts. Often, they were carrying their wares on their head as well as carrying a baby in a wrap. As the cultural centre of Guatemala, Antigua was an ... read more

SC writes: A few last comments from Antigua Guatemala.Because of it's history (built in 1543) and "impressive beauty" Antigua was declared a WorldHeritage site by UNESCO in 1979. It is the second most visited destination in Guatemala and has certainly enabled us to chill out after the trip - despite some minor security worries. (E.g. We went into a couple of small local grocery stores yesterday in search of nibbles. Each had a cash desk behind stout iron bars - like prison cell). Having said that we have not had any sort of problem at all, beyond haggling with taxi drivers.... read more

SC writes....So here we are in Antigua having waved off our touring companions. Surrounded by three more volcanoes, Antigua is "impossibly cute" to quote Lonely Planet. Cobbled streets, low colonial buildings that give nothing away on the out side but usually reveal beautiful interiors and gardens within. Our hotel is one such building and we will be very comfortable here. It is only 10 minutes from the centre of town but the streets are VERY quite at night and we have been advised to take a taxi when returning to base after evening meals !! Security is clearly an issue. So what does regrouping involve? A) Getting 20 lbs of laundry done at the local lavanderia. That's what you get after about 18 days travel. All good.B) Finding a place to get Cathy's back pack repaired ... read more

MARKET DAY There are men without legs women with no eyes an hombre with no arms with which to beg the shock shiver of seeing a burnt leg withered hanging from a silver crutch while they all split the sea frothing around them those yelling all in deep voices mazanas cinqo por diez mamita mamita fresas libra por viente at the edge of the darkened thickness inside of this market a threshold between the world above and below day and night dreaming and wide eyed in this maze ah maze means nothing here a weak withered word trying to wrestle a la dereche a la isquerda smoking incense hanging over blackberries fist sized I exagerated but isn't this an exageration all forever of it that would bury a city in fruit flesh chicken legs shining livers ... read more

READ THE DOGS Certainly they are dirty filthy tangled but they lounge about on black cobbles their lids half mast somnolent opium eyes they wander between legs with no fear of the kick rarely a rib showing a man with a straw sombrero and garlic strung over his shoulder cradles a jaw in one hand while the other strokes the mottled skull teats hanging low and swaying from the scratching and another asleep between shotgun slung men in blue and even the pretty one with the yip is washed white and combed and in a day from sleeping under the cars is smeared and matted and waiting under my chair Camilo they are in the sun in the shade soundless save for the shepherd next door who in basso lazily barks in the middle of night ... read more