Guatemala Day 8: Exploring Antigua

At 9 AM we set off on foot. Just walking the streets of Antigua is an aesthetic experience. The dormant Agua Volcano due south of the city is a good point of orientation.

Fuego Volcano, the only active one is the area, could be seen spewing smoke at various times throughout the day.

Some of my fellow travelers have begun reading this blog. They sometimes pointed out interesting things to photograph like these window ornaments.

We started in the central plaza.

There Guillermo introduced us to some of his friends and together they showed us how to tell the difference between fabrics woven traditionally and those made using a treadle loom.

The Cathedral faces the square.

We thought at first that the cathedral was closed, but Carlos found a side door open. The reason the front doors were closed was this restoration project.

Only a small part at the front of the cathedral has been restored.

Most of the nave looks like this.

Antigua is a UNESCO site. Much has been restored, but much is still in ruins. UNESCO says that adds to the charm of the city.

Although most of La Merced church was destroyed in the 1976 earthquake, the eclectic facade survived.

We also visited the Convent of the Capuchinas, but THAT merits its own post.

Like our hotel, most of the shops and building in the center city were private homes of wealthy Spaniards in the 16th to 18th centuries, built in the Sevillian syle around courtyards. You can wander into any with an open door. Lunch was at Restaurant Las Antorchas, another of these beautiful courtyard homes.

In the afternoon Steve and I did some wandering, including hot chocolate in the courtyard of the Chocolate Museum. Steve got boring old "classic" brought in an ordinary ceramic mug with hot milk in a plain glass pitcher. (Ok, so he had to mix his chocolate and milk.) I tried the Mayan chocolate. Much more interesting--melted chocolate, hot milk, ground chili peppers and honey for me to mix to taste in a cool pottery mug. OK, so I probably put in a bit more chili than I should have, but WOW! Definitely worth the experience.