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

Sunshine and blue skies greeted us in Antigua. In 1543, this little town became the Spanish capital - a beautiful place, set amongst green mountains. The town thrived, with huge churches and public buildings. But three of those mountains are volcanoes and in 1773 the underground rumblings became a catastrophic earthquake. Practically everything fell down and the Spanish moved their capital once again. Two hundred years later, in 1976, another huge earthquake hit the town. It destroyed much of the restoration work that had been carried out. Today, one or two of the destroyed buildings have been restored once again. Most have just been left or only partially restored. For example, the cathedral's entrance hall has been restored to become the local church but the rest is untouched - the ruins sprouting green vegetation. Most of ... read more

We were dropped off at the bus by Carlos the owner of Casa Verde hostel in the morning with our friend from Norway. The bus arrived from San Salvador an hour late and we headed to Guatamala City sitting at the back of the bus by the toilet. On the bus we met another kiwi and the four of us caught a local chicken bus to Antigua. As we were first on the bus we ended up sitting towards the front which turned out to be a bad idea, as the locals would prefer to squeeze onto an already full seat rather than walk a couple of rows further back to an empty seat. Let's just say at times it was rather cozy. Antigua is a beautiful city with cobblestone streets and some stunning buildings. It's ... read more

April 17th (I wrote this before I found out about Opie, so figured it needed to be posted to my dear followers) Yay! Our bike riding excursion to the coffee plantation and the smaller villages was today! Yipee - exercise in the hot blistering sun at 3,500 feet elevation! woot-woot! And once again I booked this! We had breakfast, then walked up to meet OldTown Outfitters and walked a few blocks to get our bikes. Larry’s bike wheel was semi flat and asked to have it filled. The guy couldn’t fill it (kept pssstttttt slowly) and said Gee I have to get you a new bike as your tire is flat. (you think?) Renting bikes in any developing nation is always entertaining; this was not the worst or the best vehicle, however it would do. I ... read more

Today was our last (YAY!) travel day. We were all happy about that as it was getting a bit tiring being in the van all the time. We had a half hour boat ride back to Panachal, then about a 3 hour van ride to Antigua and we would be FREE from travel. FREE AT LAST! Kidding. sort of. This last van was very small with little leg room (and that’s saying a lot coming from me) with dark windows. I must admit I was feeling quite claustrophobic in it and restless. Then Justin put on a video (it actually had a small TV screen) of Mel Gibson’s movie the Apocalypto from 2006. Justine figured after all the Mayan sites we had visited (3; 2 in Honduras and one in Guatemala) we would appreciate seeing an ... read more

Our Arrival The bus from Guatemala City dropped us at the bus station near the market. The town is a few minutes walk past the market stalls. Where We Stayed Hotel Posada Refugio II - Down a small street opposite the Terrace hostel on 3a Calle Poniente between Calzada Santa Lucia and 7a Avenue Norte. Q100 for a double room with private bathroom and hot showers. Kitchen available on the roof terrace. No internet but we picked up free wifi the whole time we were there. Try and get a room upstairs. Posado Vero - Down the other small street on Calle Poniente. Q80 for a room with shared bathroom. Really strong internet and a bit of a roof terrace with laundry sink. What We Did Walked around town looking at the many churches and ruins. ... read more

YYYAAAYYYY!!! It's time for Ned to go on Vacation with a capital "V"! hastagvacation! Super excited, I feel like I haven't done a get down and dirty, hang with the locals on their mud floors, eat street meat, fresh fruit, end up with 'ahem' bathroom issues due to previously mentioned events; feel better and do it all over again! My last visit to the Central/South America continent (which is without question my fav) was in Dec 2010 when I did Chile, Argentina, and Easter Island. That was the trip that started this blog, truth be told, and I am beyond delighted to be here again, about to set foot on Spanish soil. My language skills may not be any better, but I will have a heap of fun trying!! Of course preparations for this trip were ... read more