Beautiful Historical City

Women outside hotel room
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Well trying to keep this journal using a treo and wireless keyboard.  Will be interesting to see how it works.  

Took the red eye from SF and landed in Guatamela at 1 pm. Unfortunately the shuttle we had scheduled to pick us up never showed.  After waiting for 45 minutes decided to take a cab which cost us more than it should have but we were glad to get to Antigua.  The ride itself was quite the experience - the car was a wreck and the driver had his entire family in the front seat with him - two little girls and his wife. Crazy fast driving just the same. 

Endless Photo Opportunities

Daph at town square market
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We checked into our hotel - Convento - and setled into our room.  Limited availability and pricer than normal but turns out christmas is a great time to be in Antigua.  Our hotel was a 500 year old convent right in the middle of town.  The roads are all coblestone and you can imagine how people hundreds of years ago lived.  What a beautiful city.  Truly a world heritage site.   We spent a day and a half walking around the city taking pictures.  Had my camera in my hand the whole time since there were never ending photo opps.  Children in traditional clothing selling goods.  Colored buidings.  Old churches.  Coblestone roads. Colorful buses and many markets.

clock tower and volcano
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The town is based around  a beautiful central scquare with a fountain in the middle and church on one side - a large government building on the other that used to be the government building for all of Central America.  People crowd into the square with their familes.  The first night we walked around and just checked out restaurants till we saw one we liked. 

We ended up at La Fonda de la Calle Real.   Very good food in a romantic candlelit courtyard.  Excellent. 

One thing I now know is that nuns must have worn warm clothes and ear plugs at night.  Church  bells went off evry half hour all night long - pehaps due to Christmas.  

Town church at night
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The next morning we got up and were  hoping to do a walking tour with Elizabeth Bell tours but it was cancelled because the guide was stuck in Guatemala City.  Went for a beer and nachos followed by another beer in a cool cafe right on the square and then for desert (so-so) in another place - then for diner in another place (ok food but terrible service - one of the few times I have not tipped) 

Tomorrow we are off to Atitilan  We were originally going to go to Flores but all the flights on all the airlines were booked.  So we booked to go at the end of the week 30-2.  Need to check when we fly out to make sure we are cool.  Atitlan should be interesting.  Supposed to be a beautiful lake surrounded by volcanoes.