Hey, hey the gangs all here! Antigua!

Steve, ready for action...
see all photos »

We thought that it was 4:45AM, but really it was 5:45AM and the hotel's driver Victor roused us from bed and let us know we had better go to the airport.  (How wonderfully considerate of him to be punctual and on top of things for us; absolutely wonderful staff at the Dos Lunas in Guatemala City.)

We hustled down to the airport arrived there to spend 10 minutes waiting and worrying ... but with customs and checked luggage, Terry and Roland did not even know we were late.  It was good to see them back to the hotel.  They had been awake for 18 hours.

Funny to have the warmest shower in the least expensive hotel.

Kitty has an eye for details
see all photos »

As they could not sleep, meeting Mike's folks and chatting ensued along with breakfast.   Then we piled into a little bus that we had arranged through the Hotel to take us the 45 minute trip to Antigua.

After an uneventful drive to Antigua.  We unloaded our luggage into the laundry room of the Posada Juma Ocag and made or way to have lunch at Dona Luisas.  Nice to have a little walk to orient ourselves and get a feel for the lovely, crowded city of Antigua.  (One of Steve's favorite places, but Mike and I thought the food was too plain.  The bakery on the other hand was quite nice and we enjoyed our banana bread.)

Terry, strutting....
see all photos »

Mike and I split from the group, so Terry and Roland could relax and we took a tuk-tuk upto the overlook over the city.  Nice little outing.  Too bad was overcast.

We went out to Dinner together to one of the Hotels in Angtigua named,    , the food was good and was fun to order pupusas and Horchata.  Mike had the best Orchata ever, a rice and cinammon drink.

Our next day in Antigua...

The streets were cobbled and crowded with people and cars and chicken buses and tuk tuks.  Our hotel, the Posada Juma Ocag was a lovely place.  We had 3 rooms on the top (2nd Floor).  We had very firm beds and lovely artisan bedspreads and we loved the tiled bathroom.  There was good room for luggage as well.  Funny to have the warmest shower in the least expensive hotel.

View from atop Antigua, near the Cross...
see all photos »

We woke up early this day to all go and have breakfast at the Rainbow Cafe - which was quite good.  We split up and went to the artisan market practically across the street from Juma Ocag.

We went on a 3 hour walking tour.  The one given by Elizabeth Bells company.  Our guide was good, but missed a lot of what he said as I was on Video assignment for Steve who did not want to come on the tour.  Mike really liked the former Jesuit monastery that has been restored and is now a ritzy hotel, the Hotel Santo Domingo.  Expensive but Opulent.  If one wanted to stay in the nicest big hotel in Antigua paying more than 10 times what we paid at Juma Ocag, then this is the place we saw that would fit the bill.  Huge, has it's own very large outdoor church and own very large musuem of religious iconography, statues etc.  (Honeymooners, perhaps would like to stay at the Hotel Santo Domingo.)