Guatemala

Mark and his parents in front of some old church ruins that made up some of the walls in our hotel

Mark and his parents in front of some old church ruins that made up some of the walls in our hotel

Antigua is a seriously beautiful city with the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation to prove it. The longtime capital of the Spanish colony of Guatemala – which consisted of all of Central America and part of southern Mexico – was largely abandoned in the 18th century after massive earthquakes all but destroyed the city. Finally, after the Santa Marta earthquake of 1773, Spanish authorities began building a new capital in a safer location, today’s Guatemala City.

More of the old church ruins at our hotel with a tiny swimming pool. Sitting on the grounds with my Kindle was a favorite afternoon activity.

More of the old church ruins at our hotel with a tiny swimming pool. Sitting on the grounds with my Kindle was a favorite afternoon activity.

Colonial architecture

Colonial architecture

Today there are about 35,000 residents in Antigua living under the shadow of huge mountains and amid the ruins of grand old churches that add immeasurably to the city’s beauty. Everywhere you turn there are more 17th and 18th century ruins. Our hotel, for instance, was built on the ruins of some old church with some of the old walls still standing. Over the last few decades the city has become a mecca for tourists drawn to the pleasant temperatures, great hiking and biking opportunities, and general beauty. As a result, the town is also awash in great bars and restaurants. We spent three days there and didn’t begin to eat in all the places that looked good.

Amusingly, Antigua is also an important place in our history, as in Mark & Jim’s history. We came here on a vacation at the end of 2011 and Mark kept wondering what it would be like to come to Antigua for several weeks, instead of a few days, to study Spanish. On the flight home, then, he decided it was time to quit working so he could do things like that.

For us, then, this was a quick return to a beautiful town that has great memories. It was also the first stop of a two-week road trip we’re doing with Mark’s parents. Mark & I walked around a lot, climbed a big hill for great views of the city, and enjoyed drinking in the ambience. Mark’s parents learned to love the city’s central square where they could sit for hours and watch Guatemalan life move by.

In retrospect, starting a Guatemalan adventure in Antigua might not have been such a great move: everything else here is going to seem pale in comparison!

A view of Volcán de Agua, lying south of the city, from a hill on the north of the city. And that's only one of the volcanoes looming over Antigua!

A view of Volcán de Agua, lying south of the city, from a hill on the north of the city. And that’s only one of the volcanoes looming over Antigua!

Remains of the Church of the Society of Jesus, mostly destroyed in one of those 18th century eruptions

Remains of the Church of the Society of Jesus, mostly destroyed in one of those 18th century eruptions

The main church in the neighboring town of Jocotenango

The main church in the neighboring town of Jocotenango

Mark in front of some dead white guy on a horse

Mark in front of some dead white guy on a horse

The amusing thing about the dead white guy on a horse is that there was a swarm of bees around his saddle bag, as though he was carrying honey into battle

The amusing thing about the dead white guy on a horse is that there was a swarm of bees around his saddle bag, as though he was carrying honey into battle

And finally, Mark's mother enjoying a very classy Brandy Alexander

And finally, Mark’s mother enjoying a very classy Brandy Alexander

The green space parkway that lies between the north- and south-bound lanes of the Avenue of the Americas made for great walking and running (though, to be honest, most of it wasn't this pretty)

The green space parkway that lies between the north- and south-bound lanes of the Avenue of the Americas made for great walking and running (though, to be honest, most of it wasn’t this pretty)

We survived four days and nights in Guatemala City! It may be one of the more dangerous cities we’ve been in as we start to approach three years on the road, so surviving without getting robbed or mugged or anything feels like an accomplishment. As Lonely Planet describes the city, depending on who you talk to it’s “either big, dirty, dangerous, and utterly forgettable or big, dirty, dangerous, and fascinating.” Either way, dangerous is a key part of the description. And while my impression was closer to forgettable than fascinating, there were pieces of it we really liked.

First, the basics. The capital of Guatemala, it has an official population of just over a million people, but the metropolitan area as a whole is home to about 4.5 million people; either way, it is the largest city in Central America. And pretty much anything you read about the city says to be careful, that street crime is present and seems to be increasing. So we were careful. We’d leave our iPads in the hotel along with extra cash and credit cards, sometimes even Mark’s AppleWatch. When we were out and about he’d have me stand guard as he’d study a map on his iPhone. And of course the most basic: we stayed in heavily trafficked areas and were careful to pretty much never find ourselves on a street alone. It did occur to me at one point, though, as I was scanning the street in front to make sure someone else was around, that the person I saw could be the person who would mug us.

On Sunday, Avenue of the Americas was closed to vehicles which made for a great, festive outing for thousands of Guatemalans. Note the purple jacaranda tree in the foreground; they're my favorite tree in the world and apparently in bloom in Guatemala this time of year. YEA!

On Sunday, Avenue of the Americas was closed to vehicles which made for a great, festive outing for thousands of Guatemalans. Note the purple jacaranda tree in the foreground; they’re my favorite tree in the world and apparently in bloom in Guatemala this time of year. YEA!

But nothing bad happened. We stayed in Zone 10, the nicest part of town with pretty good and pretty obvious security (i.e., armed guards all over). We walked one day from our neighborhood into the heart of the city, but did it all on very heavily trafficked streets. And there was a very pleasant thin stretch of green parkway along Avenue of the Americas, right near our hotel that provided all the running, walking, sitting, and reading space we needed. That area was sort of like a poor man’s Commonwealth Ave. in Boston, with periodic statues of famous men (I think they were all men, too) from Spanish colonial history. Christopher Columbus, Josè Marti of Cuba, Chilean independence leader Bernardo O’Higgins, Simón Bolivár, San Martín – they were all there. (Question: what the hell was a guy named O’Higgins doing leading the Chilean independence movement?)

Cuban nationalist hearo José Martí, one of many independence leaders honored along Avenue of the Americas

Cuban nationalist hearo José Martí, one of many independence leaders honored along Avenue of the Americas

Just a couple blocks from our hotel we found a fabulous Greek restaurant, owned and run by a genuine Greek guy and with authentic Greek food. These grilled veggies were just about perfect.

Just a couple blocks from our hotel we found a fabulous Greek restaurant, owned and run by a genuine Greek guy and with authentic Greek food. These grilled veggies were just about perfect.

Why Guatemala City? Because we could. Mostly we were just hanging out waiting for Mark’s parents, who are joining us for a two-week trip around Guatemala. Mark & I were in Guatemala four years ago and we loved parts of the country, but during that trip we avoided Guatemala City. This time, with time to spare, we figured we’d give it a shot. Along with the parkway that I loved, there were some very good restaurants down in our Zone 10 neighborhood (also known as Zona Viva), and even a bar in the Intercontinental Hotel that made good martinis for less than $6.00 USD each. Not bad – until we went there on our last evening, a Sunday, and found it closed. Tragic. Weird, too, to find the bar at a major international hotel closed. We did survive, however.

I should add that we spent one night in a little city called Huehuetenango (pronounced just as it’s spelled) en route from Mexico down to Guatemala City. Nothing much to report; it was just a stop to break up the long trip, get Guatemalan SIM cards for our iPhones, and experience a little bit of comparatively normal, non-touristy Guatemala.

Next stop after we pick up Mark’s parents at the airport, Antigua, one of the most beautiful Spanish colonial cities in the world.

Guatemala City's Cathedral on the main square, the end of a long walk for us into the heart of the city

Guatemala City’s Cathedral on the main square, the end of a long walk for us into the heart of the city

And the Presidential Palace, on another side of the main square

And the Presidential Palace, on another side of the main square

And yes, the Eiffel Tower is in Guatemala City. Actually, the Torre del Reformador was built in 1935 to commemorate the 100th birthday of Guatemalan reformist President Justo Rufino Barrios.

And yes, the Eiffel Tower is in Guatemala City. Actually, the Torre del Reformador was built in 1935 to commemorate the 100th birthday of Guatemalan reformist President Justo Rufino Barrios.

A colorful scene from the inside of a random church we walked into near the heart of the old city. As many churches as we've been in (and yes, we're serious church goers) I don't ever remember seeing the use of fabrics like this. I liked it.

A colorful scene from the inside of a random church we walked into near the heart of the old city. As many churches as we’ve been in (and yes, we’re serious church goers) I don’t ever remember seeing the use of fabrics like this. I liked it.

This was where I'd sit for an hour or so a day reading my current book, an intriguing history of the origins of Islam. Have I mentioned how much I love my Kindle?

This was where I’d sit for an hour or so a day reading my current book, an intriguing history of the origins of Islam. Have I mentioned how much I love my Kindle?

And finally, one picture from our night in Huehuetenango. We saw this cute little bar and figured we'd stop for a drink before dinner. You'll notice the bottle of Absolute Ruby Red in red near the top center; I love a shot of that over ice with a little fresh lime juice. When I ordered it she explained that they only sell it by the bottle, for something like $200 a bottle. Really? People pay that? And even though you could cover your costs by selling probably four shots you won't? They wouldn't.

And finally, one picture from our night in Huehuetenango. We saw this cute little bar and figured we’d stop for a drink before dinner. You’ll notice the bottle of Absolute Ruby Red near the top center; I love a shot of that over ice with a little fresh lime juice. When I ordered it she explained that they only sell it by the bottle, for something like $200 a bottle. Really? People pay that? And even though you could cover your costs by selling probably four shots you won’t? They wouldn’t.