I first visited Antigua, Lago Atitlan and Quetzaltenango in the first two weeks. Each place is very different from one another, not only because of the settings, but the culture and people.
Antigua is a very well maintained colonial town. There are centuries old cathedrals, churches, government buildings, homes and stone streets almost everywhere in this relatively tiny city. Looming over the city, Pacaya Volcano is an impresive 2,552 mts (8,373 ft) giant, and still active. From Cerro la Cruz there is an amazing panoramic view of the city and the volcano. I liked walking around and visiting the municipal laundry pool, the central park, the market near the bus station, the ruins, and the coffee shops. It is cold here, but very nice indeed.
Different from Costa Rica, Guatemala has an always strong indigenous presence, the Maya. At first, I thought they all where the same in terms of language and culture. I was so wrong. Mayans in each town are different starting with the way they dress and continuing with the language. Women, for the most part, wear traditional clothing from the colonial times, whereas for men this is not so common.
When the Spanish were in control, it was helpful for them to have the indigenous dress a bit different, so to recognize them easily. In practical terms, they all wear they same kind of Traje: "corte" is the skirt, "wipil" is the shirt, and "la manta" is the long piece of cloth they use to carry the babies on their backs. Depending on the town, each group wears a Traje with different designs and other accesories.
Guatemala is also known for its Telas, weaving. This is a unique and beautiful art that the Mayans keep alive with pride. Women do this work, and they can spend months working on single piece depending on complexity. I tried to learn it in Todos Santos, a town really far away from Antigua. Althought I didn't finish one piece, I did get the idea of how this is done. Some of them start as early as 8 years of age, and continue all their lives weaving for their families and also to sell their work in the market.
Antigua is a very good place to find one of the largest selection of Telas in the country, and the prices are not so bad. When going to the market, sellers call you by saying "hola amigo, tengo buen precio, te doy descuento, cuanto quieres pagar" - hello friend, I have good prices, can give you a discount, how much do you want to pay. I was tempted to say $10 for anything, but that is crossing the line. Some people prefer to have set prices and move on, but to me bargaining is a form of art, althougth I am not so good at it.
Semana Santa in Antigua is considered the biggest in all Central America. I am not religious, and not a good catholic by some standards, but that is not necesary to really enjoy this very nice celebration. Lots of buildings are marked with purple flags, and the churches get ready the images for the processions.
The images of the Christ coming from different churches around the city are big and impressive. The facial expresions of Jesus are dramatic, with blood dripping from its forehead and a gesture of constant and unbearable pain. Large groups of young men in purple carry the large images through almost every street from early in the morning to late at night, followed by a band playing music just as dramatic. Virgin Mary comes just behind the Christ, carried on women's shoulders, all dressed in black to mourn the death of Jesus. Picture this with hundreds and hundreds of people on the street, food stands, toy and tela sellers, and lots of volunteers representing the Romans.
Along with the images, the carpets are by far one of the most important features in this catholic celebration. They are beautiful and so nice to look at.
Carpets are made of seeds, crushed grains, flowers, grass, fruits, vegetables and other offerings. They are prepared only on the streets where the processions will pass through. Business and home owners come out from very ealy to design these carpets and before people beggin to gather on the streets. It takes hours to make one of these, depening on the level of detail. The images pass over the carpets, and right behind them comes the cleaning crew. They take off those carpets so easily, in less than two minutes. It is sad to see how fast the carpets are gone, but depending on the street, new carpets are prepared for the next processions.
Night life in Antigua can be very good also. I went to Cafe No Se for beer in a very interesting bar. The place is dark, has pictures of a naked girl holding onto a cross, there is a huge wax tower in the second room with the largest bar, and a small tiny-tiny door leading to a third room with an even smaller bar. The times I went there was live music and lots of drunk people, but in a responsible way, if there is such a thing. For dancing La Esquina and Mono Loco are good.
The Salsa scene here is also of the best I've ever seen. Amazing! The turn patterns and style was really good. I think what made it so impressive was the passion on the dance floor. Anyone can learn steps and do a good performance in Salsa or any dance for that matter, but passion is something that one must feel. The only little detail is that bars and clubs close at 12:30, except for Cafeteria, which is a bit far from downtown. It closes at 5 and is very popular among the locals.
Antigua has a very nice local life, and it can also be touristy but not too much. There are lots of Spanish students, volunteers and visitors in the city, and for the same reason the prices here are not as low as in other parts of the country.
For places to stay, there are two I can recommend. One is the Black Cat, very close to the central park. The cost for a dorm is 60 Quetzales, including breakfast and a very lively ambient. I actually stayed at Place to Stay. Raul and Oliver are great, and they make sure you have all you need here, and that everyone gets a fair deal. I paid 40 Quetzales, also with breakfast. There is a cat and a rabbit in case you love animals. Fernando, Raul's brother, or "El Mistiko", can organize a really nice BBQ and drinks.
Photo album
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