While our weekend in Guatemala was short, it was certainly a memorable one. Coming at the end of a long period of transition and travelling for Stéphane and me, we were looking forward to relaxing in the beautiful old capital of Guatemala, known as Antigua Guatemala. We came to celebrate the wedding of our friends, and both those festivities and our adventures in the city were stunning!
Antigua is partially a city still in ruins from many earthquakes over the centuries; those in the late 18th century led them to move the capital city once again. The ruins of cathedrals and other buildings are scattered around the city. The centerpiece is Convento la Recoleccion, a massive demolished Catholic church and monastery. When we went, it was supposed to be open but was closed early. Our brave friends opened the gate and waltzed right in — and I’m glad! There were some other young tourists milling about, and we had a few minutes to explore and take some pictures before the attendant came and shoo’d us all away.
Immediately after it started to POUR intensely, and the five of us dodged chicken buses and taxis, running down the street. We ducked for cover in a recess of a wall (also ruins) until we finally made it to a small restaurant where we got mojitos and guacamole. Craziness.
The other architectural pattern of Antigua aside from the ruins of past earthquakes are the newer homes and facilities with their red-tiled roofs and bright painted walls. Yellows and red walls were everywhere, and from our Airbnb and wedding venues, we marveled at the sprawling town and magnificent natural beauty.
Our Airbnb itself was a maze of walls and rooms, columns and colors. It’s a very special place!
