Onward Antigua!
The ride from Guatemala City into Antigua was fast and furious, alongside my driver Mica from Cuba. I was to meet Kyle and his friends outside of a hotel at ten in the evening, so I spent the day browsing the weathered cobblestone streets.
Antigua is the old capital of Guatemala, before an earthquake caused a considerable amount of damage and the government at the time decided to relocate to what is now Guatemala City. The place is surprisingly well preserved, and the colors on the buildings and churches are stunning.
I shacked up in a little hostel called ¨Jungle Party,¨ and met a crew of traveling engineers from Minnesota who had just come back from a trip to build water supply systems for a nearby village. They knew some great shopping places in the city, so we spent the rest of the day in rug shops, cafes, and a jade museum before meeting Kyle and friends near their hotel.
Kyle is looking much thinner than I remember, but was also in great spirits. With him was Lacy and Erika, two friends from the states. We went to a bar called Frida, dedicated to the guerrilla girl, to have some drinks and catch up on the past.
Yesterday we spent the day walking through the city, stopping at a great local Guatemalan restaurant for lunch. We also took a hike up the mountain overlooking the city to glimpse a great view of the town.
This morning we took a guided tour to a volcano called Pacaya. The ride to the base camp took a little over an hour through windy roads with no guardrails. From the base camp, a seventy three year old guide took us past breathtaking landscapes and within inches of the creeping lava. Kyle had purchased some marshmallows back in town, so we roasted a few on sticks before returning to the city.
Tomorrow Lacy leaves for the airport, so Kyle, Erika, and I will head on to Copan before arriving at Cayos Cochinos.
Word of the day: convivir - ¨living together,¨ mentioned multiple times by the tour guide on the way up the volcano.
Antigua is the old capital of Guatemala, before an earthquake caused a considerable amount of damage and the government at the time decided to relocate to what is now Guatemala City. The place is surprisingly well preserved, and the colors on the buildings and churches are stunning.
I shacked up in a little hostel called ¨Jungle Party,¨ and met a crew of traveling engineers from Minnesota who had just come back from a trip to build water supply systems for a nearby village. They knew some great shopping places in the city, so we spent the rest of the day in rug shops, cafes, and a jade museum before meeting Kyle and friends near their hotel.
Kyle is looking much thinner than I remember, but was also in great spirits. With him was Lacy and Erika, two friends from the states. We went to a bar called Frida, dedicated to the guerrilla girl, to have some drinks and catch up on the past.
Yesterday we spent the day walking through the city, stopping at a great local Guatemalan restaurant for lunch. We also took a hike up the mountain overlooking the city to glimpse a great view of the town.
This morning we took a guided tour to a volcano called Pacaya. The ride to the base camp took a little over an hour through windy roads with no guardrails. From the base camp, a seventy three year old guide took us past breathtaking landscapes and within inches of the creeping lava. Kyle had purchased some marshmallows back in town, so we roasted a few on sticks before returning to the city.
Tomorrow Lacy leaves for the airport, so Kyle, Erika, and I will head on to Copan before arriving at Cayos Cochinos.
Word of the day: convivir - ¨living together,¨ mentioned multiple times by the tour guide on the way up the volcano.
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