Guatemala 2018

Monday29October

Departure from Nantes this Monday morning to arrive the same day in Guatemala City around 10 p.m., which is 18 hours of travel, via Paris and San José in Costa Rica. We have already booked our hotel in Antigua and a car will pick us up at the airport. We are a bit delayed because our luggage did not follow us on our various layovers!   So we fill out a form and cross our fingers that they will be sent directly to our hotel upon their arrival...

Tuesday30October

Wake up in Antigua at the Hotel Don Pedro where we have our first traditional breakfast, also called 'chapín': fried bananas, scrambled eggs and frijoles (pronounced fri-ho-les)! It's a more or less liquid puree of red beans. Very good to my taste, even if the impression of eating a cassoulet is not far off...  

This first day will be dedicated to visiting Antigua ('ancient' in Spanish). The city was born in the 16th century under Spanish rule. It became one of the most important cities in the country, eventually becoming the capital, but due to repeated earthquakes, it was replaced by the current capital Ciudad Guatemala.

The charm of South America is very present here, especially with its colorful houses...

The Chicken buses. School buses are reused for public transport, once well repainted and decorated!

The Santa Lucia hermitage.

Alameda de Santa Lucia Street.

The city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1979.

The north and west facades of the convent. The origin of this convent dates back to the 17th century.

The convent church, or what remains of it, after centuries of earthquakes, notably that of 1773.

The interior of the church.

In the middle of the city, a 100-meter square of greenery forms the central park. In the center, an 18th-century fountain unblushingly reveals 4 mermaids ostentatiously showing their breasts, continuously pouring water into the basin...

On the north side of the park, the town hall where you can wander under the arches of the first floor.

San Jose Cathedral. The first stones were laid in 1545, but here too, the building was rebuilt several times following various earthquakes.

The entrance to the cathedral.

The nave.

As often in churches of Hispanic culture, realistic statues are dressed and presented behind display cases.

The church dates from the 17th century. A few years after its construction, Franciscans completed the building by adding a hospital to its right. Today, this annex serves as a social center for the poorest. The church resisted multiple earthquakes, which was not the case for the hospital, which was rebuilt several times.

The interior of San Pedro church, much more sober compared to the baroque style of the exterior architecture.

Painting by a contemporary Guatemalan artist: Doña Rosamaría Pascual de Gámez.

Next to the church, the small park "Tanque La Unión" with its wash house.

This convent was founded in 1700. It has been preserved in ruins since the earthquake of 1874.

On site, keep a regular eye on the Fuego volcano, which can wake up at any moment. It is one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. At the time of this photo, it had already erupted 4 times since the beginning of the year! It was terribly deadly last June. But for now, no sign of a 'hot' awakening...  

Dating from 1542, this church is mainly visited for the tomb of Saint Peter of Betancur (1626-1667), a Spanish missionary and founder of the Bethlehemite Brothers. He was canonized in 2002 by John Paul II.

The interior of San Francisco Church.

El Carmen Church, also left in ruins since the 1773 earthquake.

All these ruins shouldn't make us forget mealtime. Fajitas will do perfectly for this first Guatemalan lunch!

Built by the architect Juan de Dios Estrada, La Merced Church was inaugurated in 1767. Its Baroque-style edifice was designed to better resist earthquakes, which was a success as it is still standing!

One of the postcard images of Antigua is undoubtedly the Santa Catalina Arch. This arch was built by the nuns of the Santa Catalina convent at the end of the 17th century. The convent was cut in half by the street used by the villagers. To be able to pass from one building to another without being seen, this suspended corridor spanning the alley was put in place. Today, the convent is no more, it has been converted into a hotel...

The clock is French (Lamy & Lacroix) and was installed at the end of the 19th century.

We gain a little altitude (Antigua itself is located at 1500 meters above sea level) with a short walk that takes us to the top of the Hill of the Cross (Cerro de la Cruz) which overlooks the city facing the imposing Agua volcano.

The various historical buildings, yellow in color, are easily distinguished among the houses with pink or red tiles. From left to right, the Santa Catalina Arch, San Pedro Apostol Church, and La Merced Church.

The Agua volcano (water volcano) hides its summit, located at 3760 meters above sea level, behind a cloud (of water, of course). It has not been active for 10,000 years, but it is no less dangerous because mudslides have already occurred on its flanks, marking Antigua's history. In September 1541, the city named Santiago de los Caballeros, then the country's capital, was buried under a landslide following torrential rains... The destroyed city was then rebuilt nearby, thus becoming the second historical capital of Guatemala until 1776. This new city still exists and faces us, as it is Antigua! But the old city has not completely disappeared because Antigua has kept its name, yes, the official name of Antigua has always been "Santiago de los Caballeros"!  

Traditional clothing coexists effortlessly with modern attire. The huipil, this brightly colored fabric with geometric figures or designs, is still widely worn, regardless of age or gender. Surprisingly, it seems to resist Western fashion trends well...

Back in the nerve center of Antigua near the Santa Catalina Arch, judiciously lit under not very threatening clouds...

At the end of the street passing under the arch, La Merced Church has also turned on its lights, a giant rosary in this case...

Once again, the simplicity of the interior contrasts with the exuberant exterior.

That's it for this first cultural day! Tomorrow, the day will be about nature with the Pacaya volcano...