Exploring Antigua – Ruins, Churches and Icons

Exploring Antigua – Ruins, Churches and Icons Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala My final week and I have settled in Antigua. I feel like I know every nook and cranny, after all it’s such a small grid of a town. Photos here. El Cerro – Antiguan icon, anybody visiting the town should not miss this. From the top, where the cross is, one gets a view of the whole of Antigua with the volcanoes in the background. I wasn’t so lucky when I went there as it got foggy and cloudy fairly quickly, hiding what could have been a breathtaking vista of the town with the volcanoes in the background. It only takes around 15 minutes to climb to the top, but I’m not that keen to go back again. El Tanque – this is a really cool site, I didn’t even know what it was until much later, I realised it’s a laundry washing place. Been here 3 weeks and I have yet to see the Mayans or locals wash their clothes here. Parque Central– a meeting point for locals and foreigners alike. They often play music here. It’s nice to just sit, enjoy the fountains (one at the center and four little ones in each corner of
the park), and watch people. It’s interesting to note the Mayans, their colorful wardrobe never cease to fascinate me. Good Hope – they conduct free tours every Tuesday (9AM) and Thursday (2:30PM). Went on a Thursday, met the director at the park. I was prepared for a long walk, so I was surprised when a shuttle picked us up. The NGO facilities were 15 minutes drive away. We dropped by their partner school and a family. The town we visited, San Pedro had a busy ‘tanque’. Apparently the
women take advantage of washing time to socialise with other women in the community. Churches and Holy Ruins I think you could only appreciate so much churches in one travel. It’s like when you go to Europe, especially the southern end, where there’s a duomo in every town, after a while, your palate just dulls from overexposure to the same taste. The ones
I visited include
San Francisco – I live few doors away. I do not need an alarm clock with the clanging of its bells every 6am, and the occasional fireworks celebrating whichever saint. I believe this is probably the prettiest of all the churches here in Antigua, mainly because of its dome. The volcano in the background makes the church even more picturesque.
Sta. Catalina Arch – this is an Antiguan icon. It’s beautiful both day and night. On a clear day, you see the volcano right behind it. A memorable picture! The street leading to it is lined with restaurants and shops. Next to it is a place for high-quality wine and tobacco with (I heard) a very entertaining host. Past the arch, away from the central park, is a crafts market. At the entrance is a photo gallery with exhibition of Mayan children portraits.
La Merced – on weekend nights, they have street food here. Tried one, it was good but parts of it tasted off. The church itself has interesting décor, much like a cake.
Others – on the south side of town, there’s Escuela de Cristo with a nice little park in front, El Calvario, Los Remedios, Guadalupe and Belen right next to it, a convent (whose name I forgot). It’s a good circuit, all the landmarks close to each other. Then there’s another church ruin with a crafts market, possibly it’s El Carmen. Cooperacion Espanola – nothing special, but they do have exhibits that could be quite interesting. I saw an exhibit on gypsies – but it’s mostly spanish so I barely understood really what the message was. I can only guess it’s raising awareness about the unjust prosecution of gypsies. A few blocks from Cooperacion is the town market. Mercado de Artesania – arts and crafts market right next to the bigger market. There’s a colonial courtyard with a fountain right in the middle. The crafts being sold are really beautiful and of good quality. I can’t buy anything, not yet anyway, because I need to travel light. Hotel Santo Domingo and El Tenedor del Cerro – this is a worthwhile visit. The hotel must be the most expensive in town. It has a museum inside the complex, with convent ruins and a nice colonial style fountain. There’s a pavilion with a chapel. From the hotel is a free shuttle
that goes to El Tenedor which has magnificent views of Antigua with the mountains or hills surrounding it. Food is great value for money!

Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro – spending a week here volunteering at the “Santa Maria Nina”, mainly playing with the kids with cerebral palsy, psychomotor problems and other disabilities. Application process is fairly easy, just had to bring two photo IDs and copy of passport and complete the application form, no fees — they emphasise they don’t charge for volunteer’s time. Volunteering is such an eye-opener. The rapture of delight and pure joy on the faces of the children when I touch them is priceless. It doesn’t take much to bring them joy. Dyslexia – not an icon, but worth mentioning because I love books. This is right next to Cafe No Se along 1 Avenida Sur. bought a book, “The Magic of Believing” which of course complements my “journey into the unknown.”

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