A day of rest

We arrived in Antigua by mid morning today and had some tine to be able to relax and enjoy the city. This was once the capital of Guatemala, and is now recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site. The streets are all cobblestones and all streets have a dramatic view of the volcano as a backdrop. It can be quite difficult to get a clear view of the volcano, and we are told that the best time to do this is about 10am in the morning. For the rest of the time, the peak is usually obscured by cloud cover.
The hotel that we are staying in is tucked away in a little lane way off one of the streets, accessible via a wisteria covered walkway. Whilst bare and faded walls face the streets, behind each one is a secluded little oasis of fine restaurants, bars, gourmet food stores, and small hotels. The rooms are small but very charming, each with their own bathrooms and hopefully no scorpions.












We parked the bikes securely in the laneway leading to the hotel, and walked the couple of blocks into the city centre. First stop was to find some of the rum that Antigua is famous for throughout the world. I am not a run drinker, but even I thoroughly enjoyed this drink, it is soft and smooth and not at all hard to swallow. We in the shop and relaxed on old bench seats sipping our rum and watching the world go by. It was a very pleasant change of pace from the last day or so.












Walking the streets is a bit like any other UNESCO site in that it has it's street vendors. Fr the most part though they are extremely polite and do not pester you at all. The handicrafts are certainly bright though, and I cannot really imagine wearing anything like this back in Perth.
One thing that does strike you is how small these people are physically. The average Guatemalan person is only a little over 5 feet tall, but they are very solid and nuggety.






The shops themselves are absolutely gorgeous. Very high wooden ceilings, carved furniture, and that lovely '300-year-old' smell and ambiance. They have shelves that extend right to the ceiling and are packed with goods in very traditional packaging.







Every where you look, there are kids playing with parents and racing around the streets and parks all in very high spirits. They are certainly cheeky and love to give you a smile and a cute pose, with no expectation of any form of payment. It is lovely and spontaneous.

Location:Antigua, Guatemala