New Years Eve in Antigua

Crowds near El Arco
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My second new years abroad, and one I doubt I will ever forget.

Limped back to Janet’s after climbing Acatenango (my calf muscles have never been so big, I could have cracked nuts!) where we had an absolutely fantastic New Years meal with her family and the other language students staying there.

If a Guatemaltico can blow it up.. they will

In fact that meal was probably one of the highlights of my trip so far. I also think it’s the best my Spanish will ever be, perhaps I should drink vast amounts of rum before all my Spanish classes. The conversation was just amazing – fast, incredibly wide ranging and nearly all in Spanish. I swear I haven’t laughed that much in ages. It sounds strange but the only bit of the conversation I can remember in any detail was an argument with Martin over which was the best Rocky film.

Things that go bang in the night
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Left about 11 to catch the tailend of the activities in the central park. The big 2007 was already illuminated, but that was hardly surprising given that nothing ever seems to be on time in Guatemala. Celebrated New Years just near El Arco and afterwards was treated to more fireworks than I have ever seen in my life. I swear the reason that there have been so many violent conflicts in Central America is just that Latino’s have a crazy fascination with anything that goes BANG. Quite how they didn’t blow Antigua out of orbit I don’t know.

But the craziest thing I saw all night was Antigua’s own running of the bulls. A couple of people had made rather crude representations of bulls out of scaffolding poles with a small enclosed steel box as a cockpit. Every square inch of the bull was then covered in as many fireworks as they could possibly lay their hands on. A very brave/stupid (take your pick) Guatemaltico would then climb into the bull and run carrying it through the crowd firing fireworks off in every direction imaginable. Quite possibly one of the craziest and most dangerous things I have ever seen.

Took Hazel to the airport at 430. Really sad to say goodbye again, but I know I will see her again soon.