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Hazel and I walked Antigua, boy did we walk! I don't think there was a place we left unvisited or a stone left unturned!! The narrow streets of ancient cobblestone with their skinny footpaths encroached upon by window sills and grates and constricted by high walls felt very enclosing at first. And, to top it off, I had great trouble getting my bearings in this city with no street signs. But I soon discovered beautiful courtyards and splendid gardens were hidden behind these walls. These houses are built in the old Catalan and Moorish tradition of all rooms facing inwards to a central courtyard, usually with a water feature. This gives a cool air of quietude to them.
Hazel showed me what I think is the most beautiful MacDonald's in the world! Yes this franchise has even made its way to Guatemala. It was in one of these courtyard places and there were cool areas to sit on the verandah around this central courtyard that had a magnificent view of Agua Volcano not 7 Km away.
The Central Park is a wonderful place to sit under the many shady trees and relax. On the weekend I think the whole populace of Antigua and Guatemala city (about 30km away to the east) do this. Aveneda 5, the main street is blocked off and pretty carts filled with flowering shrubs are placed along this thoroughfare so everyone can stroll unimpeded by traffic. But while you don't have to avoid traffic you are never left alone by street sellers imploring you to buy something. These are usually Mayan women or children and sometimes men - I learnt 'no gracias' very fast. It is a sad circumstance that children are not sent to school because they are cute and so sell more things that bring money to the family to put food on the table.
There are also beggars in the street who have some disability, I learnt to have ready change to give because there is no social security here and some of them even have no family to help.
The imposing fountain in Parque Central is only turned on for weekends and special occasions, or thats how it seems. The Cathedral boarders one side and is an imposing building, even though 3/4 of it was destroyed in the 1773 earthquake. We paid our 40 Quetzals to look around the ruins behind the Cathedral. This earthquake must have been terrifying. It caused the Spanish authorities to order the city be abandoned and the new capital built 30km away. Obviously not everyone heeded this edict and so now we are lucky to have a provincial town that is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Antigua Guatemala (meaning Ancient Guatemala) or as everyone calls it "Antigua" was the Capital of Guatemala until the 1773 earthquake and was called the grand name of "Santiago de Los Caballeros de Guatemala" Translated as Saint James of the knights of Guatemala - there is an imposing statue of one of them on top of the hill overlooking Antigua.
The Jade Museum contained a workshop where you could view the jade being made into ornaments and jewellery, some interesting information on Mayan cosmology, and jade to buy! You could find out your Mayan sign and buy a pendent with it on. Mine was a bat, ugh, so needless to say no pendant was purchased.
Our favourite little cafe fronted the Parque Central, we bought many mango smoothies made with yoghurt, magic on a hot day. Every time we went there we were charged a different price, even though it was listed on the board. We discovered if you had it there it cost more, and if you went to the upstairs balcony, more again, plus tip!
There are many celebrations to do with the Catholic church. We witnessed one just as we were leaving. Pretty flower designs called alfombras are laid out on the street and swept away after the procession has passed over them. One thing that delighted me was the sight of a man wheeling a wheelbarrow with a car battery in it, a man next to him holding a pole on which were attached two megaphones and a third one with the microphone calling out loudly! How's that for an ingenious way to have mobile power when you need it.
Along with visits to the local Supermercado, a wonderful evening with Hazel's homestay family and other student at a Japanese restaurant (I know Japanese in Latin America!) Oh well, I got to taste Sushi for the first time. And the necessary? clothes shopping, I packed a lot into the seven days here, and I know that there is so much more to see and do in this interesting place, but that will have to wait until next time, maybe....
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