Antigua is the great colonial city of Guatemala.
I left the beautiful and steamy hot Flores in El Petén for a night Journey to Guatemala City. It was a package with luxury bus to Guatemala City and Shuttle bus to Antigua next morning. After a day in above thirty degree Celsius and about eighty percent humidity it´s nice to enter a cool air-conditioned luxury bus. The journey started at 21:20 in the evening expected arrival time in Guatemala City about 06:30 in the morning. After a couple of hour the 17°C to 18° temperature is not so nice any more. It´s becoming very cool even for a Swedish man. The Guatemalan people were well prepared for a cold journey with sweaters and blankets. My sweater was in my backpack in the luggage compartment. If going by long distance buses in Mexico or central America I recommend having a sweater handy and not in the backpack.
Café in Antigua
Café in Antigua towards the counter
After uneventful night the bus drove through the Guatemala suburbs to the bus terminal in the city. Guatemala City looked surprisingly clean and tidy compared to other third world cities. One could not imagine that this is a very dangerous city. The bus arrived on time at the terminal. I stepped out of the bus and picked up my backpack handed it over to the shuttle bus driver and jumped into the shuttle bus. Well this was my twenty seconds in Guatemala City. A couple of minutes later we were off to Antigua. It surprised me how well this change of buses worked out. We entered Antigua after an hour nice journey in early morning light through the dramatic volcano landscape of Guatemala. It even poured out smoke from one of the volcanos.
El Arco towards the volcano
The Shuttle bus driver asked there are you staying? I said drive to Casa Cristina! This bed and breakfast option is conveniently located around the corner to cathedral. Indeed near to everything of importance for a tourist in Antigua. For twenty eight US dollar it´s almost a steal particularly if one includes the nice views form the sitting area of the roof. An early morning breakfast or sunset cup of coffee is wonderful experience when the volcano landscape is at its very best.
El Arco in evening light
El Arco in evening towards the cathedral
It was Sunday morning and Antigua is slowly waking up for a new day. This is not an ordinary day far from it indeed a day of importance. Dressed up people poured into Antigua from everywhere their target was the cathedral for a religious fair. The street down to El Arco Antigua’s world famous building becomes a pedestrian street. Suddenly a heavy firework went off and the square outside the cathedral was saturated with smoke. Through the smoke haze one can see the priest coming out of the cathedral. He walked past two lines of young children with their lightened candles in hand. It was time for the priest to meet the crowd and walk the streets around the cathedral.
Children at the cathedral
Children at the cathedral before the priest comes out
The priest leaving the cathedral
The musicians on the street
Liquor store in Antigua
Chicken bus leaving Antigua
Vintage car from old glory days
Eating icecream on the square
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