Monocolo, Antigua, 1/16/10
This is the saddest part of the journey: the end. Luckily, we got to spend it in Antigua, a city that lives up to its reputation as the most charming city in the Americas. I have to say that today was probably the most self-fulfilling day of my time spent in Guatemala. First, I got to tour the Antigua at my own pace, bought a two soveigners I’d really been wanting to get a hold of, and many other interesting events (which I shall disclose in this entry) that made my day absolutely lovely.
We left Santa Cruz around 8am and cruised across Lake Atitlan to Panajachel. I couldn’t fathom that this might truly be the last time that I cross this beautiful lake. Even though I’d packed my camera, I couldn’t resist not taking photos, so I snapped a couple of shots with my iPhone. All my heart could think of was, “goodbye Lago d’Atitlan, you will be missed!”
After a half-hour wait, our shuttle finally arrived and we boarded for an approximately two-hour ride to Antigua. The ride was very interesting, with beautiful scenery of the Lake and the volcanoes as we winded up the mountains. Apparently, Lake Atitlan is in a very low altitude, so we had to drive up the hills in what was a very zig-zaggy ride. As usual, on these long rides, I tend to really need to go to the bathroom badly, so once again, we had to stop at a gas station for me to go for a leak. After that, the trip was much more enjoyable and comfortable.
We reached Antigua around 11am. My first impression of this city was very positive. I knew I was going to enjoy touring this place. Our first stop was the Black Cat, the hostel in which we’d be sleeping over. Aparently, I’ll be sleeping in a room with six other people: should be a-once-in-a-life-time experience. Once we dropped off our bags, the tour began.
Images from the Black Cat, our hostel:
Antigua is truly a charming city with a very cosmopolitan feel to it. There are many foreigners, cafes, restaurants, hostels, and there’s the usual hustle/bustle to it of any metropolis. What really give this city flavor is its narrow Iberian-style cobblestone “calles” (streets in spanish), its grandiose Catholic churches, and combination of Mayans, Ladinos, and foreigners. This truly is a crossroads for all walks of life!
First glimpses of Antigua:
Our mission was to find a decent restaurant and fill our bellies since we’d skipped breakfast for our journey to Antigua. We found one that was so-so, but fortunately my chicken quesadillas were delicious! After that, we strolled over to Central Park, a beautifully organized park enveloped in from three sides by the Cathedral, and two palaces, Placio del Capitaines and Placio del Ayuntamento, which reminded me of some postcards I had seen of Rome.
After strolling around in the park for a while, we approached the Cathedral to witness yet another Guatemalan wedding. We’re lucky to pass by cathedrals on Saturdays since that’s when people usually get married in Guatemala. Whoever was getting married must have been very VIP since people were dressed extraordinarily well and there were bodyguards all over the place. After watching the procession for a bit, we waited until they vacated the Cathedral and then toured the Cathedral from the inside. This must have been one of the most gorgeous places of worship I have seen yet. After some photography, we left to search for the “Monoloco,” a restaurant in Guatemala which has only one other branch in the world. Guess where? You would have never guessed it, but its in Charlottesville, Virginia.
While my group was split between wanting to sit in the Monoloco and continue touring Antigua, I was surprised to find them the Egypt-Mozambique game on a wide-screen TV. I was ecstatic that Egypt was winning 1-0. Who in the world would have though that of all the places showing an Egypt game, it would be in Antigua, Guatemala. My nationalism took over and I decided to stick around until the game was over. When Egypt scored again, I burst with happiness. People around me figured that I must be from “Egipto.” I was so ecstatic that I was taking photos of the T.V. screen after Egypt scored. Fortunately Egypt won 2-0. This was an important game since it was the opening match of the African Cup on Nations, a tournament I have been following since my youth.
El Hadary (whom I take pride in having met) celebrating after Egypt's goal
After our victory, I decided to commence my tour. Since the rest of the guys wanted to stick around in the Monoloco, I would have to tour Antigua on my own, which I didn’t mind the slightest bit since I enjoy going on tours on my own pace.
I wandered aimlessly for a bit and found myself at the Culture Office of Spain (i.e. Cooperacion Espanola Compania de Jesus), which was situated next to the beautiful ruins of a church. After snapping a couple of photos, I was more than curious to see what was inside the Spanish Culture Center, which was situated in a magnificent Spanish casa. After peeking into the Culture Center, I received the consent of the guard to tour the inside of this wonderful mansion. In its middle, there was a beautiful courtyard, with a garden and a fountain in the middle. The symmetry of his Casa reminded me of the structure for Moorish gardens. Apparently, there was also a modern art gallery on display. As is always the case with modern art, I came out of the gallery as clueless as ever. I enjoyed strolling around the casa a bit more until I remembered that I have the rest of Antigua to cover.
Without an idea of where to next, I returned to the Black Cat where I found a couple of British hippies lounging around. I asked them what was worth seeing and they suggested to going to the “Mercado,” which is the local market. This turned out to be an Egyptian “Souk Sha3by,” i.e. a market catered to the local Guatemalans with everything from vegetables to clothing. Even though it was way too chaotic for me, it was a genuine taste of Guatemala for me. Behind the market was a parking lot packed with “Chicken buses,” Guatemala’s colorful buses; I enjoyed looking at their different designs and colors. I also bought a traditional Guatemala messenger bag from the market.
Photos from the Mercado:
More chicken buses
Done with the market, I was clueless as to where to go next, so I stopped in a local surf shop to ask what else was worth seeing. Luckily, there was a really cool guy who pointed me in the right direction. He gave me a map of the whole of Antigua and recommended a few hotspots worth seeing. With the map as my guide, I proceeded to tour Antigua with confidence.
My first stop was El Arco, the famous Antigua clock arc. The arc was over one of Antigua’s main avenues, which was absolutely beautifully lined with a rainbow of townhouses. This reminded me of Georgetown. In the middle of the avenue was a clown showing off some stunts. I snapped a couple of more photo shots, but then proceeded to all the way north to Monasterio de la Merced. This monastery is a festively decorated yellow and white jewel. As always, this monastery did not fail to amaze. I was very touched to see a crowd of Western tourists surrounding a handicapped Guatemalan girl. Curious what the attraction was all about, I found that this girl was selling her drawings, which she’d drawn with her deformed feet. They were indeed colorful masterpieces for a girl in her condition. This was a very moving experience. The monastery was all the way in the north of Antigua, so I flipped the map to face the South and walked the other way.
Some photos from El Arco:
Luckily, Antigua is a grid of blocks, just like Manhattan, so it was fairly easy to navigate through this city. This time, I decided to go all the way South towards San Francisco, another church all the way south. I noticed that by heading that direction, I would be able to hit several birds with one stone since there were many other sites down South.
As I walked down through the central artery of Antigua, I felt as if I was walking in Spain or Portugal instead of Guatemala by the richness of architecture surrounding me. After walking all the way down 6 Calle Oriente, I crossed by another cathedral where there were several monks, but then I met Tanque La Union, a beautiful set of arches colored mustard yellow in front a little pool of water. As the sun was setting, I had the chance to take several beautiful shots here. On the way, I passed by Santa Clara, another beautiful church, but the gem of Antigua is San Francisco, which seemed like a replica of the famous chapel in the Vatican. I was so amazed by this church that I later bought a painting of Guatemala with this San Francisco Church in the background. Inside San Francisco was a religious procession taking place. I stayed in the church for a while since the priest’s voice was soothing even though I couldn’t understand the context of his Spanish sermon. I respect the Guatemalan’s devotion and faith in God. It reminds me of the Egyptians’ deep-rooted faith. Outside the church was a garden dedicated to San Francisco. This was more like the Garden of Eden by its beauty.
Tanque La Union photos:
San Francisco Photos:
At this point, my camera battery was dying, but I was determined to photograph the Water Volcano in the south. Apparently this volcano is one of the only active volcanoes in Guatemala. I found the right spot where the volcano seemed like a mysterious creature watching over Antigua and snapped a photo of a street with it in the background.
I wasn’t quite done with Antigua yet. I had one last mission to have covered all of the major landmarks of this city. I was racing against time at this point as the sun was setting. This time, my footsteps took me North-East, or “Norte-Oriente.” As the sun set, the sky gave a warming pinkish shade. Sadly, my camera’s battery was almost dead that I couldn’t snap any photos of the city’s charm at his hour. My final stop was the Mercado Del Carmen and El Carmen Church. The market was similar to a street flea market with Mayan artisans showing off their handicrafts. This is where I bought a oil painting to put up in my room in Charlottesville. Luckily, I snapped a couple of photos of the Church. Right around the corner was Capichinas Convent, another church. Here, there was a huge line waiting outside to enter. Luckily, I found a hole in one of the convent’s wooden walls and got to peek inside, so I skipped what would have been an hour-long wait to get in.
The Chapel by night
The delightful conclusion to my tour was the revelation that Antigua is a UNESCO Heritage Site and is a sister city with Luxor, Egypt. I noticed this fact by coincidence as I strolled through the pavilions of Palacio Ayuntamento and noticed a plaque celebrating the sistership of these two great cities. Once again, my Egyptian pride took over and I was more than satisfied to have visited Antigua, which was the most enriching leg of my Guatemalan trip so far. I am so grateful that I happened to have visited this city. The magical experience of this city made it feel as if “it was written” for me to visit this city and that is richness was meant to enrich my city. I wish I could spend more time here, but this one day was worth a year of living here, El Hamdulla!
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