These few days were spent walking around Antigua looking at the churches (could not go inside) damaged in earthquakes. I did find one old church with a store of floats/biers that had been used during the Easter celebrations, and walking up the hill behind the hotel I was staying at. I noticed on one web page that a police escort was necessary to go up the hill because of thieves but there was no problem and other tourists were walking there as well. During my stay in Antigua I never felt any threat with people being polite and helpful when I wanted to go somewhere or ask something.
Because of the old Spanish colonial buildings and churches, convents and cathedrals with the city laid out in squares and having cobbled streets the whole city is an UNESCO Heritage Site so nothing can be changed within the old city boundary. So as to have influence in the city Coca Cola paid for all above ground electric cables to be laid underground.
Below are photos of street scenes where traditional dress on the women was normal, and old churches of which there were many.
On the afternoon of 20 April I moved to the Hotel Posada Los Bucaros to join up with a group of eleven others for an Intrepid Adventures trip through Guatemala, Belize and Mexico. The group consisted of two retired Australian couples, two retired Kiwi couples, seven younger British males and females together with myself and a local guide.
The following day the guide offered to take us on a local tour if we wanted, one not included in the Intrepid trip. We all wanted to go so the first stop was a women's co-operative in the old town hall in the village of San Antonio where we were kind of made to dress up in local costumes. The guide mentioned that once outside of the cities of Guatemala and Antigua the main language spoken was Mayan as 25% of the populating of Guatemala was pure Mayan with the remain being part Mayan.
It was then off to a jade factory, vineyard for fruit wines and a macadamia plantation.
Lunch was at the home of the guide where his wife and daughter had cooked us a meal of local foods, which was very tasty.
After lunch we went to the town of San Juan del Obispo to see one of the first Franciscan convent, church and Bishops residence (all one building built in 1668) built in Guatemala. When the convent and church closed the whole huge building became the bishop’s residence. It is all closed up now but we were told that the rooms and inside parts were very special architecturally.
We also ate street food for an afternoon snack, saw the village launderette and local transport.
Because of the old Spanish colonial buildings and churches, convents and cathedrals with the city laid out in squares and having cobbled streets the whole city is an UNESCO Heritage Site so nothing can be changed within the old city boundary. So as to have influence in the city Coca Cola paid for all above ground electric cables to be laid underground.
Below are photos of street scenes where traditional dress on the women was normal, and old churches of which there were many.
On the afternoon of 20 April I moved to the Hotel Posada Los Bucaros to join up with a group of eleven others for an Intrepid Adventures trip through Guatemala, Belize and Mexico. The group consisted of two retired Australian couples, two retired Kiwi couples, seven younger British males and females together with myself and a local guide.
The following day the guide offered to take us on a local tour if we wanted, one not included in the Intrepid trip. We all wanted to go so the first stop was a women's co-operative in the old town hall in the village of San Antonio where we were kind of made to dress up in local costumes. The guide mentioned that once outside of the cities of Guatemala and Antigua the main language spoken was Mayan as 25% of the populating of Guatemala was pure Mayan with the remain being part Mayan.
It was then off to a jade factory, vineyard for fruit wines and a macadamia plantation.
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| Macadamia plantation toilet |
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| Lumps of jade |
Lunch was at the home of the guide where his wife and daughter had cooked us a meal of local foods, which was very tasty.
After lunch we went to the town of San Juan del Obispo to see one of the first Franciscan convent, church and Bishops residence (all one building built in 1668) built in Guatemala. When the convent and church closed the whole huge building became the bishop’s residence. It is all closed up now but we were told that the rooms and inside parts were very special architecturally.
We also ate street food for an afternoon snack, saw the village launderette and local transport.
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| Street food |
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| Village launderette |
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