Guatemala - Antigua and Lake Atitlan - March 2012

Antigua - Part I



My most remarkable trip of the year was my one to Guatemala for a writers workshop. I'd never traveled solo to a foreign country before, and I was a bit leery. I shouldn't have been. My two weeks in the country left me with a confidence I didn't know I possessed and about one thousand pictures.

The workshop liaison warned me: once you land, exit the airport, hail a taxi, and go directly to Antigua. Don't stop anywhere in Guatemala City. I did as I was told. During the forty-five minute drive, I saw nothing that alarmed me, (not even a ton of poverty) but once we reached Antigua's city limits, I released a  nervous breath.

My first impression of this UNESCO city was the lone dog guarding the door and the horses being led down the cobblestone street. I was smitten. 

entrance to Hotel La Casa de Don Ismael

Hotel La Casa de Don Ismael is
at the end of this dead-end street

The taxi driver took me to Hotel La Casa de Don Ismael (a little difficult to find) down a dead end street.  This is definitely not the kind of place where I generally stay. I prefer Marriott hotels, resorts, something a little more luxurious.                   But I reminded myself, this is Guatemala. This is a new adventure. This is about $25/night including breakfast.

Mr. and Mrs.

walkway to my room

courtyard where I had breakfast

room

daily breakfast

My first impression of the room: sparse. The walls looked like someone had put dirty feet/shoes on them. The bedcovers were faded. The artwork hung quite high on the wall. It looked like a place I might have stayed in when I was newly married and had no money or as a traveling college student. No, Hotel La Casa de Don Ismael was not the type of place I would generally stay, but the owners lived on site, they spoke broken English, and were willing to help me find the post office, tourist sites, and recommended restaurants. The room (mine had a private bathroom--some rooms share a bath) was cleaned daily. The only inconvenience while there: a big hairy spider that I had to kill all by myself. But it was good training. I would have to get use to spiders as there are a ton in Guatemala. Non-poisonous. I stayed three nights here before moving to Hotel Los Pasos--which was included in the writing workshop fee at five times the price of La Casa de Don Ismael. The workshop was held on Lake Atitlan. I spent seven nights in a little lake village, then returned to Antigua for two nights. I could have stayed at the nicer, Hotel Los Pasos, but why should I? I had everything I really needed at Don Ismael's.

Fountain in the city's main park

Guatemala exhibits a ton of character. Lots of historical buildings, amazing ruins, and many tasty restaurants. One of my favorites: Hector's. The day I was there, they made fresh pasta and it was hung out to dry. A colander of limes sat on the counter. Hector's is small--only a few tables inside and two (maybe three) bar tables in the entry. The chicken pasta dish I ordered: excellent.

My first day of exploring the city, I found the city's main park where everyone congregates. That includes vendors: ladies selling colorful jewelry and table runners and blankets; young lovers sharing red heart-shaped suckers; family musicians--the youngest tired from shaking his four maracas and yawned during the performance. A large fountain sits in the center of the park. When I looked closer I saw that the water squirts from the women's nipples. No one else seemed as enamored with this piece of art but I took picture after picture, not sure if I saw clearly. But yes. Yes, I did.

high schoolers eating heart-shaped
suckers

family musicians

tired little boy

city wash

One afternoon, I happened upon this outdoor wash. Townspeople brought bags of laundry to the women, who washed the clothing in this outdoor facility. I don't know why this place fascinated me, but during my time in Antigua, I visited and revisited it many times. Once I found a mother had placed her little girl in a pile of clothes while she scrubbed away.

the woman do launder for money here

the washer women's children sit in laundry

The local signage fasciated me too.







And the fresh fruit stands. This man had a cart. But most vendors sell from a basket that sits on top of a plastic crate. The luscious fruit is so vibrant, it is hard to resist. I tried juicy watermelon  slices that were the sweetest, freshest of any I can remember.

Fresh tortillas are made outdoors, throughout the city. I loved the way they smelled...I never tried one from a street vendor--one of my biggest Guatemalan regrets.

Colorful textiles sold in one of the local stores

Cerro de la Cruz

Above the city is a shrine: Cerro de la Cruz. I wanted to walk to the top of the hill because from the top, you can see the                 entire town and Volcano de Agua. The hotel owners warned me not to walk to the shrine alone. They said that local police escort tourists there everyday at 3 p.m. So I trekked to the police station. Normally, an officer guides the group through town on foot, then to the top of the hill. However, the day I was there, only four people waited for an escort. They loaded us into the back of their police pickup truck and drove us to the top, waited while we took pictures, and returned us safely back to town. Apparently, going to Cerro de la Cruz alone is not encouraged. And the later in the day a person goes, the greater chance of an attack.

Although I was warned about walking up the hill alone, walking in town during the day was fine. I never felt anything except comfortable and safe.

Another day, as I explored the city, I happened upon an historical site: San Jeronimo. The ruins were just blocks away from my little hotel/hostel. 

entrance to San Jeronimo

Inside the walls of San Jeronimo

flowers through a window
inside San Jeronimo

Lush foilage/flowers decorated the interior of San Jeronimo. Portions of the site had been paved and the lawns were nicely manicured. I wandered through the historical site taking pictures and enjoying the peaceful quiet inside the walls. I felt this was worth the entry fee (about $4.00).

horse transported by pick-up

Arch of Santa Catalina

Every time I turned around there was something to photograph. I loved the horse in the pick-up and the famous landmark: Arch of Santa Catalina.

My pedometer showed I walked between seven and ten miles a day while exploring Antigua. Once I walked to the nearest town: San Felipe--about one and a half miles away--and never felt unsafe. I always stayed in areas where others were present.

There was one moment when I felt uncomfortable. It is common for guards to stand outside the banks and stores with armed machine guns. Until I got used to it, the sight left me feeling apprehensive. One morning, while walking down a road, I came upon a parked Coca-cola truck. I passed the truck to find an armed guard. I turned and walked back toward town. Later I learned that most transactions in this country are done in cash. While one person delivers the product and collects the money, a guard protects the truck. After that, I felt a bit more comfortable when I happened upon an machine-gun totting guard.

When it came time to attend the writer's workshop, I moved to this lovely little hotel on the other side of town.

 

Hotel Los Pasos

bathroom at Hotel Los Pasos

Hotel Los Pasos room

Yes, Hotel Los Pasos was much closer to my preferred accommodation standards. Maybe I'm a hotel snob. I admit it, I like nice.  Here everything was perfect. The breakfast (included) had more choices, the bathroom seemed luxurious, and the grounds were expansive, with all sorts of gorgeous plants. Both properties had free Wifi. Yet with all this luxury, I still returned to Hotel La Casa de Don Ismael at the end of my trip. Maybe it was because of the huge difference in price. Or maybe because Don Ismael's place had lots of character. Maybe because staying there gave me a few more stories. Anyway, it was something different for me.

outdoor dining at Hotel Los Pasos

rooftop dining at Hotel Los Pasos

Hotel Los Pasos rooftop was where I ate my breakfast and checked my internet. Many of the hotels/restaurants in town have rooftop dining. Ask at your hotel or (around). Tartine's was one of my favorite rooftops, but there were others with even better views. Tartine's overlooked the ruins of Catedral de Santiago. Later, I toured this historical site. If you would like to see more photographs of Antigua, please check out my Shutterfly photo album below. At first glance, many of the storefronts/restaurants/shops don't look like much. But look in. Go in. You'll be amazed what you will find if you take a few steps into a building. Most have corridors that expand into lush courtyards. What doesn't look like much outside, may turn into a colorful, exciting interior.

Resurrection reenactments 

Last, I was there near Easter. For several weeks before this religious holiday, the city has amazing celebrations with marches throughout the streets. Many pictures appear in the album below. Antigua is an amazing city. If your travels include Guatemala, then by all means, visit this incredible place.

Inside Catedral de Santiago

If you would like to see more amazing pictures of Antigua, click here to go to my Shutterfly album.