Guatemala, old city of Antigua

December 3, 2014

Not much to tell, just a day relaxing, doing nothing, walking trough the streets of beautiful 17th century Spanish Antigua, drinking Guatemalan coffees.

Antigua

Chicken bus

We slept in a old ruined Dominican monastery, which was also a museum. There was an open fire burning in the bedrooms (so we felt a bit like in Morsalines) and Haendel and Monteverdi music playing in the dining room (like in Amsterdam!)

La façade de la cathédrale

22 churches, 14 convents and 11 monasteries (just the place for Harry), most ruined by the earthquakes, especially from 1773. So very few left from the baroque splendour and rich decoration, except the beautiful facades, in dramatic contrast with the disaster behind, fallen columns, bougainvilleas climbing over the broken walls, open to the sky, but very charming, back to the humility of the first churches.

Derrière la façade

A ciel ouvert

After an Italian lunch in cafe Opera, we made a tour under the volcano, driving between coffee plantations, through indian (Mayas) villages, quite a different image than the clean restored Antigua.

Plantation de café

Village maya

In Santa Maria de Jesu, Harry bought a new green plastic tabouret (made in China!) for stepping into the cargo compartment and to replace the same red one we bought 4 years ago in Jayapura (Indonesia). Our driver was a bit surprised of our purchase, leaving behind us all the beautiful colourful (but unwearable unless you are a cousin of Frida Kahlo) fabrics.

Sans légende

Les auteurs