Day 67 Antigua Guatemala

Day 67 (March 18) - Antigua, Guatemala

Breakfast at the Posada de Don Rodrigo Hotel was served at 6 am. Good choices and excellent service. Weather cooler and most people had jackets on. Macadamia nut crepes excellent.

We left Antigua around 7:15 am with our guide Hugo and driver Byron. Very busy streets with people, cars, and kids in their uniforms going to school.

Hugo continued to give us lots of interesting facts and figures about the region and country.

Our first stop at a restaurant called Yakot. Busy spot, clean restrooms. Lots of smoked meat hanging from ceiling over cash register. Sausages and other meat in display case. Restaurant was heated with propane heaters and a barbeque with burning wood in center of floor. At this point we lost four of our passengers as one not feeling well and they took a taxi back to campground. Our numbers down to 29 now.

Back on the bus again with Hugo continuing to educate us about the surrounding areas and towns we went thru on our way to Chichicastenango (which every time the word was mentioned Brian broke out into his own song!! Ha! Ha!). We continued to climb and it got foggy. Fran asked Bob if we were in fog or clouds. Bob stated we were in fog. Fran asked me to mention that she was in “a cloud”.

Approximately ½ hour from Chichicastenango the bus had to stop on side of road and a few people “lost their breakfast”. Seating arrangements were reassigned and off we went again.

Very busy streets in Chichicastenango. Bus driver did an amazing job backing up bus between a gas pump and another bus.

Hugo took us on a walking tour to the Mayan Inn where we were going to have lunch. Gorgeous court yard with grass, flowers, parrots and a woman dressed in traditional outfit working on a Back Strap Loom. She had her crafts on display on the grass in the court yard.

We all followed Hugo to the church. Interesting watching a parade of burgundy jackets make their way through a sea of brightly colored stalls along both sides of the narrow street. At the church with its yellow and white candles lit all along the floor and the locals on the steps with their flowers and burning incense. Hugo told us not to walk in the front as it was sacred ground – tomb of a Mayan ruler.

After the church Hugo took some of us to the part of the market where the locals shop. Inside a building the vendors had their veggies and fruits displayed on the main floor area. We went upstairs and got an amazing photo-op of a sea of color and activity below. The local market area had everything from blue corn tortillas, meats, spices, dried seafood of all kinds, candles, incenses to all the household items they use and ordinary shoes and clothing they wear. From there we were on our own to shop and meet back at the Inn at 12:00 – 12:30 for lunch.

Lunch was a typical Mayan lunch (pork, beef, chicken, rice, beans, cabbage, radish, guacamole, and corn on the cob. Fruit Plate and Hibiscus tea!) Service and food excellent. Waiters wore traditional Mayan dress, colorful and bright.

With a short stroll back to bus through the colorful streets, we were on the road again.

Bus climbed and descended on the narrow, curvy roads. Temperature dropped to 16 degrees Centigrade at one point (coldest we have seen in months). Drove thru town of Solana on Lake Atitlan. Famous for growing potatoes and onions. Around one corner came upon a small group of people washing onions in a river in preparation for market days which happens on Tuesday and Fridays.

There are 12 Indian villages around Lake Atitlan. 8 you can get to by car and 4 by boat. There are 3 volcanoes around the lake. Atitlan Lake is the third largest lake in Guatemala. The lake is used for fishing (white and black Tilapia, black bass and crab), swimming, scuba-diving, and boat trips. On our way to Panajachel (know for its Hippies in the 60s) we see three high rise buildings. One is the Atitlan Hotel and the other three are not finished.

At the town of Panajachel we had ½ hour to wander around. Nice shopping area, clean streets, nice restaurants and bakery coffee shops.

Back on the bus for our 2 ½ hour ride home we passed beautiful hillsides of different crops; large sections of hilled rows of planted crops. Looked like a giant patchwork quilt. Very hard working people with their large wooden hoes.

Arrived back at campsite at 6:30 pm Everyone I talked to enjoyed the tour very much.

Rig # 17, Pete and Wendy