Guatemala, Antigua - The city that I fell in love with

The fountain in the Central Plaza

A door with a key

Hammock bliss

Street performance

oh a serenade

The streets of Antigua, a World Heritage Town. Each doorway must be wooden and they are beautifully adorned.

Young people pash in the streets as Mayan descendants sell woven goods under the Arch

Alluring tapestries and hand woven 'wipels' the traditional dress still worn by Guatemalan indigenous women. It is a fantastic, brilliant sight to behold and live one's days amongst.  

Inside the Mayan community artist's cooperative

The Arch, on my most favourite street. One can sometimes view the magnificent 'Volcan de Agua' one of the looming volcanoes that fringe the checkerboard city

Shopping is such a pleasure when the local handicrafts are so, so beautiful and artistic. Gorgeous.

1 hr bus travel from Guatemala City and I arrive in the World Heritage town of Antigua. Nestled in a low lying area surrounded by volcanoes - one with occasional smoke, ash and larva - Mt.Fuego which actually recently erupted, causing an evacuation of some 30,000 people who live in villages around the volcano. All people were unharmed according to reports I viewed.

The sound of car tyres over cobble stone streets lulls me to sleep at night in my cute hostel with brightly striped hammoks on the roof top. I walk around the town shaped like a checkerboard, with chocolate shops on corners and young people pashing in the streets. I photograph weathered walls painted in terra-cotta reds, oranges, yellow and pale blue with antique wooden doors, barred windows and fresh flowers. What is behind the doors?  I peer into one door and 3 musicians have just started a song and invite me in for a serenade! I don't have time today as I am going to meet my new friends for ice-cream.

Paula introduces me to Lesley, a British doctor and has been here for 10 years. She is a fountain of knowledge and kindly shares it with me. Over a divine dinner of gnocchi, ratatouille crepe and orange ginger soup we get on the topic of the man building his gigantic building next door to Lesley, she thinks he is over-compensating for something; to that Paula shares a Texan expression: "all hat and no cattle"! :)