The plan is to stay in Antigua for a while as it has a reputation as a great place to hang out and also provides a soft landing into Guatemala. Our first few days were spent exploring this pretty and convivial city. Built by the Spanish in 18th century on ruins of a collapsed capital (those earthquakes again…), it is on a grid system, houses are painted yellow, blue, red or white, with many ruined churches and monasteries spread around. Neither of us are good at paying homage to piles of old bricks and so whilst they were pretty we didn’t explore too closely. Did a few churches, lit a candle for Kev, saw Saint Hermano Pedro’s tomb, wandered around the central park, admired the volcanoes, jumped at the almost 24 hour firecrackers, practised our Spanish on any willing victim, went to a wedding, window shopped, enjoyed the cobbled streets, loved the ‘tiny’ locals in traditional dress, spent ages in the local market, and at all times didn’t carry anything of any value at all.
The town is made even more easy by the huge variety of really well done bars, restaurants and coffee shops. This made wending a joy, especially when we reminisced over the lack of such facilities in India a year ago. Breakfast and great coffees next door to the hotel in Fernando’s Kaffe, lunches at Sabe Rico – here lies a story. When I dropped Dylan off with his minder, he asked where I was going. When I said Guat he was delighted as his wife has family here in Antigua. So a few texts later we are lined up to meet the family at a delightful little deli / garden restaurant. This has become a favourite place to spend the afternoons – sitting in the warm sunshine, eating fantastic salads and consuming wine in excess. Our evening tradition involves Margarita Classico Rocas ( on the rocks ) but without ice for Gill – enjoyed at Frida’s Bar. And a hundred little rest stops in between.
Just above and right on the edge of town is a small hill with a cross on it called Cerreo de la Cruz – which would make a great place to see the town and the volcanoes from. It would have taken us 15 minutes to walk up, but it is the haunt of thieves and muggers and so the only way to visit is to ask the police to escort you. This is how we came to be driving through Antigua in a police pick up truck complete with armed guards. At least Gill had a seat, albeit in rather close proximity to the guns left casually on the seat (see pic). Ant had to ride gunshot in the back (try to get used to these bad puns…..). Reckon people thought we’d been arrested. The views were worth it.
The massive volcanoes visible all around are truly spectacular and huge, with Agua in particular dwarfing the town. The most impressive is Fuego as every ten minutes or so it belches thick smoke from its crater, and it also had a bit of a lava and ash eruption when we were here (see pic).
One morning we went out of town to a coffee farm, for an explore and an education. It was fine but sadly we became a captive audience to an hour long tour in Spanish on pre and post Columbian Mayan musical instruments – so if you ever want to know your Mayan drum from your Mayan flute, we are your guys. But the tour around the coffee finca was surprisingly interesting (and Ant is now looking into how he can add coffee to his London allotment). One thing it did teach us was to only buy Fairtrade coffee when we get home – the amount the growers get for their crops is shockingly low.
The town is made even more easy by the huge variety of really well done bars, restaurants and coffee shops. This made wending a joy, especially when we reminisced over the lack of such facilities in India a year ago. Breakfast and great coffees next door to the hotel in Fernando’s Kaffe, lunches at Sabe Rico – here lies a story. When I dropped Dylan off with his minder, he asked where I was going. When I said Guat he was delighted as his wife has family here in Antigua. So a few texts later we are lined up to meet the family at a delightful little deli / garden restaurant. This has become a favourite place to spend the afternoons – sitting in the warm sunshine, eating fantastic salads and consuming wine in excess. Our evening tradition involves Margarita Classico Rocas ( on the rocks ) but without ice for Gill – enjoyed at Frida’s Bar. And a hundred little rest stops in between.
Just above and right on the edge of town is a small hill with a cross on it called Cerreo de la Cruz – which would make a great place to see the town and the volcanoes from. It would have taken us 15 minutes to walk up, but it is the haunt of thieves and muggers and so the only way to visit is to ask the police to escort you. This is how we came to be driving through Antigua in a police pick up truck complete with armed guards. At least Gill had a seat, albeit in rather close proximity to the guns left casually on the seat (see pic). Ant had to ride gunshot in the back (try to get used to these bad puns…..). Reckon people thought we’d been arrested. The views were worth it.
The massive volcanoes visible all around are truly spectacular and huge, with Agua in particular dwarfing the town. The most impressive is Fuego as every ten minutes or so it belches thick smoke from its crater, and it also had a bit of a lava and ash eruption when we were here (see pic).
One morning we went out of town to a coffee farm, for an explore and an education. It was fine but sadly we became a captive audience to an hour long tour in Spanish on pre and post Columbian Mayan musical instruments – so if you ever want to know your Mayan drum from your Mayan flute, we are your guys. But the tour around the coffee finca was surprisingly interesting (and Ant is now looking into how he can add coffee to his London allotment). One thing it did teach us was to only buy Fairtrade coffee when we get home – the amount the growers get for their crops is shockingly low.
