Antigua: 14th - 19th August 2025
14th August – Thursday
I was a little sad leaving Rosa and Juana this morning, but also very happy to be leaving San Pablo. Rosa seemed to like her present; I got her a new stove top kettle to replace the her one with the broken handle. Juana liked her hairbands and little Danna loved her bubbles. I gave Danna her bubbles late last night as I knew I wouldn’t see her this morning. They keep her up late so she sleeps in late.
I got to the park for the bus 10 minutes early, it was only a 5-minute walk from Rosa’s. I’m not sure what was going on but there were about 25 tuk-tuks parked up and the drivers were hanging around on the street being loud and rowdy. I got quite concerned as I couldn’t see anyone else waiting for the bus or where the bus would stop so I found myself walking up and down in front of the park looking like a poor lost soul and getting lots of strange looks. I was about to go back to Rosa’s just as the bus turned up, 10 minutes late. I was so relieved and also the only passenger, that was until we got into town and picked up a lot more people. I prayed hard that it wasn’t packed and I’d get to keep the double seat to myself, my prayers were answered! I stretched out and slept for a good part of the 3-hour journey.
According to my ticket I was supposed to be dropped off at my hotel, but the driver dropped us all off on some corner and quickly disappeared. Luckily there was a coffee shop so I sat in there and used their Wi-Fi. Luck was on my side again; it turns out that my hotel has three branches and I was due to be dropped off at the wrong one – lol. My branch, according to G Maps, was only 450 m from the coffee shop – what a touch. So off I trotted and went to the wrong hotel. God, some people are so rude and lazy and unhelpful. The woman at the wrong hotel point blank refused to help me and just shouting in my face that I was at the wrong place and to check the sign outside. Her place was called Hostel Viajero and I was looking for Hospedaje Viajero. And the look on her face when I asked to use her wi-fi – she told me she was too busy for all of this – pointed to where her router was and then went and laid down on a bed – too busy my arse. Just a nasty woman.
Turns out I just hadn’t gone far enough down the road, so off I trotted again. The hotel is very pretty with lots of plants and a couple of decorative seating areas; a well-equipped kitchen and free herbal tea bags and the staff are really lovely and welcoming but my room is small and feels grimy – I’m definitely keeping my flipflops on and not touching anything. Luckily it is only for 5 nights and at £11 a night with a private bathroom, which is too gruesome to mention, I can’t complain. I have actually stayed in far worse. My first hotel in Battembang immediately springs to mind, with the broken spit-stained bathroom mirror, sink that wouldn’t drain, toilet without a cistern lid and mould and hairs in every corner of the bathroom, and let’s not forget the bedbug bites I woke up with in the morning – ug!
This afternoon I lost 10 years! It cost £30 but it was well worth and am very happy now I’m no longer grey. Shit thing is though the hairdresser didn’t get all of the dye out and I didn’t realise until after I oiled my scalp and locks – black dye all under my fingernails – yuk. I’ll wash it out properly and re-oil tomorrow. Other than doing my hair and having a burger for dinner I haven’t done anything or seen any of Antigua, but that was the plan and tomorrow is another day.
Every time I move in this bed the wooden headboard bangs against the wall – good job I’m not a rampant couple but I still hope there is no-one in the room next to me – they’re not going to thank me in the morning if there is – lol
15th August – Friday
I’ve had an absolutely lovely day and it all started when I found out that there is free fresh coffee on tap just next to my room. Heaven! And then, while drinking coffee in bed there was an earth tremor, it was such a weird sensation watching and feeling the environment jiggle about. Guatemala actually lies on the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates, which leads to frequent seismic activity. Whilst Antigua is near the ring of fire, which is a tectonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes about 40,000 km and 500 km wide. Guatemala has 37 volcanoes and has about 636 earthquakes a year!
Antigua was actually the capital of Guatemala until 1776. In 1773 the Santa Marta earthquake destroyed much of Antigua, which is why there are so many beautiful ruins. The authorities relocated the capital to a safer area, 25 miles away, which is where it still is. They also wanted to move all of the people out of Antigua but many refused and so Antigua was re-built and became such a significant and historical town.
On my way to breakfast I passed the miserable unhelpful woman from yesterday, she smiled and said hello, then it must off dawned on her where she knew me from because after my greeting in reply, she growled at me – lol. Before eating I went to the Iglesia de la Merced, which was next to where I got dropped off yesterday. It is a really beautiful 1767 church with a yellow façade and I have just read that you can go up to the top for a magnificent view of Antigua. Unfortunately, there was a funeral taking place when I was there so I didn’t get to see inside, but it is only a 5-minute walk from my hostel so I will check it out properly another time.
Outside of the Iglesia there were a few market stalls and this is where I got breakfast, chicken frita with guacamole, pickled vegetables and chili sauce in a thick bun, I also got a rice juice with cinnamon, which was so delicious and in total it all came to £2.50 – so cheap compared to San Pedro.
After stuffing my face, I went for a walk to the Arco de Santa Catalina, which is the yellow arch that Antigua is famous for. It was built in 1694 and is actually a bridge that links Convent of the Immaculate Conception of Mary with the Convent of Santa Catilina, and it allowed the nuns to cross from one convent to the other without being seen. The clock tower on the top was added in the 1830’s when it was reconstructed after an earthquake. Antigua is actually very small and it didn’t take long to walk from the Arco to the central park, which is also very small but very beautiful and excellent for people watching. It was really busy but I managed to find a bench and chilled for a while. There was also a Miss / Mister World pageant photo shoot taking place in the middle of the park, I was quite surprised and managed to get a couple of good photos of the participants. The park is overlooked by the Real Palacio de Los Capitanes Generales and the remains of a 1540’s cathedral called Catedral de San Jose. From there I took a slow stroll to the Ruins de Santa Clara, paid the £4 entry fee and had a good look around. It was very beautiful and strange to think that once upon a time it was inhabited by nuns. Whilst there I came across a bride in her purple princes’ ball gown, what a beautiful place for your wedding photos. I was tempted to take a photo myself, but her official photographer was busy at it and in my way. I really enjoyed my walk around the ruins, especially the central courtyard with it fountain and fauna and floral.
On my way back to my hostel I stopped off at the Irish bar and had a couple of Stelas – OMG, my favourite, but I won’t be doing that again – £7 for two small bottles and I was upset that they added a tip, I don’t like compulsory tips. But such is life, and it was good to sit on the roof terrace with the cool breeze and awesome view of the Volcan de Aqua which stands 3,766 meters above sea level – very impressive.
I had a lovely cat nap this afternoon and then went on a little walk to Carboner for a pupusa dinner, highly recommended by my teacher Wendy. Uhm, I was very disappointed, basically, they are tortillas stuffed with stuff, I had one chicken and cheese and one green pepper with cheese. I think the tastiest thing was the salad and hot tomato sauce that came as free sides. I won’t be in a rush to eat them again. I think tomorrow I will eat at the market where I got my breakfast as it was still open when I went for dinner. There is music coming from somewhere nearby, I’m tempted to investigate but have spent enough money today so will resist temptation and get an early night; I’m still not 100% better but should be tomorrow. I’ll go out later for dinner tomorrow and try to stay out and investigate some of the nightlife. Luckily the music is in the distance so it won’t disturb me. I also worked out that my room backs onto the shared bathroom so the headboard banging won’t be disturbing anyone – lol.
16th August – Saturday
Yay, I slept well and woke feeling good – back to my normal positive self. I had a missed video call from Flabzy, so after my coffee and shower I called him back. So good to see his handsome face and I’m over the moon for him as he now has his mobility chair and is able to go out. At the moment he doesn’t feel very confident on it and needs company, but that won’t last for long, a few accompanied outings and then he’ll be good to go on his own.
There is a huge mercoda behind the hostel, I was going to go this afternoon but found myself wondering around it soon after my call with Flabzy. The first section was really dusty and mainly fruit and veg, which I think it was wholesale only as no-one wanted to sell me a single banana, and I got told off for trying to separate one from a bunch – lol. However, after a while I found another section, and rather than stalls the women had set up on ground level. I managed to buy a fair amount of fruit and all single pieces, even a single banana, and a couple of pieces of fruit that I have never seen before. One is yellow with a very prickly skin and the other is dark green with a bright orange flesh – I look forward to trying them later.
As I said this mercado is huge and I soon found myself in the covered area where they have meats, second hand clothes, plastic goods and eateries. I bought a plastic water bottle for £1.50 and then found a place to get some breakfast. I had fried chicken, rice and vegetables. I sat down next to this old guy who proceeded to chat to me. He was hysterical, and so was his mother, who was sitting the other side of him but kept getting up and coming to chat to me. Once I told them I from London, that was it, he told me he is in love with Niome Campbell and has a huge pile of photos of her that he can’t stop looking at and his mother told me how she loves King Philip but not Camila and is sad that Lady Di was murdered, she then proceeded to sing Beetles tunes to me. They were good breakfast entertainment – lol.
After dropping my mercado goods back at my room I filled my water bottle and headed off to the Cerro de La Cruz view point, which is only half hours walk away. The walk up wasn’t too bad as it was all steps up the hill, but I did have to stop half way to catch my breath – I really must stop vaping. The view was spectacular; you could see the whole of Antigua with the volcano rising majestically in the background. It didn’t take long to pin point all the attractions I have visited so far, even this mornings mercado was in sight. I stayed for quite a while as I found a bench which was perfect for people watching – the dynamics of some families are so funny, there was one where the teenage daughter wouldn’t leave her fathers’ side and she seemed to ignore the mother, but walked and stood in the exact same manner as her, and another couple with three young blond daughters. These girls were well trained, they sat patiently while the mother laid out all of the Tupperware pots of food, the father gave them each a squirt of hand sanitiser and when ready they went up one by one and got their food, half way though eating dad gave them each a hand wipe and then one by one they went up for more food, then finally a chocolate bar for dessert. And I love seeing odd bod couples, it’s so romantic. Oh, for a little romance in my life, although I probably run a mile if anyone tried to make any advances on me – lol.
Lady luck was on my side this afternoon, I stepped into my room and it poured down. I hope it dries up later as I would like to have a wonder around after dark and see what goes down on a Saturday night in Antigua. But for now, it’s an afternoon in listening to the rain, eating nuts and fruit and downing a couple of Bacardi’s 😊
Later: Kaleesa messaged me this afternoon and invited me to join her Dreamweaver zoom call, she holds it every Saturday at 3pm. It’s a group of ‘older’ women, mainly from Australia, who talk rather openly and deeply about a current thorn in their life, a current rose in their life and a current dream in their life. I thought the meeting would be uplifting but it was far from that. I’ve coming away from it with rather mixed feelings and an uncertainty about Kaleesa, which I have had before but feel even more so now. My instinct is telling me not to trust her, I wish I could explain why but I can’t, it’s just a feeling I have deep down in my gut. I must trust my instinct.
So, my thorn is being here while so many of my family and friends are sick, and feeling a sense of helplessness, my rose was being able to converse with the guy and his mother this morning in Spanish, admittedly not great Spanish but I had the confidence to give it a go which I didn’t have before San Pedro, and my dream was to believe in myself more. I thought it would be uplifting to share but now I’m just lost in my thoughts. I thought going out for a walk would clear my head, but it’s so busy out there. I walked along the road in the opposite direction to town, turned left and then turned left again only to find myself in another part of the market I went to this morning. So many people, so much hustle and bustle, it hurt my head so I’ve come back to my room. I don’t think I will be going out tonight.
17th August – Sunday
Feeling content and happy.
I had a leisurely morning in bed drinking coffee. Once I finally dragged myself out of it, I went for a walk to the central park where there was an artisan fair taking place. But before looking around the fair I had a stroll around Munag – Museo Nacional de Art de Guatemala. Not only was it free and much bigger than excepted it was also very interesting and informative in regards to the history of Mayan and Guatemalan artwork. It is housed in the Real Palacio de los Capitaines Generales, so I got to view the square from the balconies, which was beautiful. After that I was starving hungry and at the end of the artisan fair, where I emerged, they were serving food. I noticed the people weren’t paying, they had tickets. I asked the lady where I could buy a ticket and in Spanish she explained that the food was for the stall holders – my understanding of Spanish is becoming quite full on – I am very proud of it.
Driven by hunger, as I only had a banana and mango for breakfast, I had a quick look around the fair and then headed back to the market area outside of the iglasia. I had tortillas with mixtos which was very delicious. From there I headed back to my room and had an afternoon nap. I have been sleeping really well since arriving in Antigua and am no longer feeling bloated, ill or in need of the loo every two hours. However, my sinuses are still not quite right and I occasionally get a mild headache from them.
I went out this evening – yeah. I went out early, 6pm and headed to a little bar called Paprika. It looked a lot bigger and more vibrant on G Maps than it actually was, in fact it was very small; a locals bar rather than a tourist bar, which suited me fine cause the drinks were very cheap. I had x3 GnTs for £2 each and a humongous plate of nachos with such a substantial meaty and cheesy topping, the portion was so big that I couldn’t finish, and it was only £4.50. The music was soft rock from the 70’s and 80’s and I sat very happily in a corner and read my book. It was awesome to go out in the evening rather than just sit in my room, which I have been doing a lot of recently. I will make more of an effort from now on to find local bars and go out, even if just for a couple of hours. It’s a mood changer.
I’ve kinda had enough of Antigua, don’t get me wrong it is a charming, serene and a very beautiful little town with an amazing mix of historical ruins, and old buildings but it is very small and you really only need a couple of days here – for me 4 days is one day too long. However, this afternoon I did a lot of research and have found quite a few free things to go and see, so maybe I will change my mind about the time needed here by the end of tomorrow. Anyway, I highly recommend a visit to Antigua, in fact the only place I have visited in Guatemala that I don’t recommend is San Pablo – that is unless you are under 22 years old!
18th August – Monday
Last night, before sleeping, I did some research in regards to what to do today. A blogger suggested a visit to Casa Santo Domingo, which is a hotel! It is located in the grounds of the Santo Domingo Monastry, which was destroyed in the 1773 Guatemalan earthquake. On route I passed a beautiful church, Iglesia de Nuestra Senora El Carmen, unfortunately I couldn’t go in as they were doing extensive renovation work to it.
It was very strange entering a hotel to visit a museum, but it was very much worth it, even if it wasn’t free. The ruins were fabulous and there were 5 rooms of artifacts and artwork to look at. In one there were lots of Maya artifacts in cases alongside more modern, western artifacts. It aas almost as though the western pieces had been modelled from their Maya counterparts. It was a delight to look at. Another room had some very beautiful photographs of local people, they are so beautiful and their Maya features extremely prominent. It was such a relaxing and enjoyable morning.
From the museum I had a look around what I thought was going to be a Jade Museum. It had a timeline of the use and importance of jade to the maya culture but that was it; the rest was a shop. Some of the pieces were absolutely stunning and I thought really cheap. That is until I went to buy my birth stone. The lady looked up my birthdate and informed me that I was born under Ajmaq, the bee/buzzard, which is the sign of the sinner, the deceased and wax! Ajmaq are respectful of Mayan values, are intelligent, tranquil, good-natured and brave and can easily predict different events. I thought the price tag was in Queztals but it was actually in dollars, I bought it anyway even though it cost me £14. I am happy with my purchase and will wear it. I also traced my steps from my first walk around the town as I hadn’t realised that I had passed the municipal clothes washing area, it’s no longer in use but years back everyone used to wash their clothes in the wash pool, it was very pretty.
I had breakfast/lunch at the little market outside the iglesia and then came back to my room for a catnap – I’m really enjoying my little afternoon siestas and they are not disturbing my night’s sleep either. Just now I headed to the bar I went to last night – uhm, that was a mistake on many levels. First it was rush-hour and too manic for me, so much traffic and everyone seemed to be walking in the opposite direction to me and the bar was closed It was only 5pm so I am hoping that it opens at 6pm, but saying that many places in Latin America seem to close on Mondays. Anyway, I am going to try again as I really fancy chicken wings for dinner and after the nachos last night I bet their chicken wings are amazing. But first a back-up plan. What do I get for dinner if they are shut?
Later: The bar was shut, so I had a little walk around. One thing I really love about this town is that a majority of the shops look like the houses. Unless you look in the open doors a lot of the time you would simple walk past them. Even the McDonalds and Burger King are in houses rather than traditional shops. It makes the town appear very serene and beautiful. This afternoon I went into one of the indoor ‘tourist’ markets. Again, the front looked like a traditional house but inside several houses had been knocked into one to make an extremely large open space for all of the stalls. It really does maintain the look of the town.
On my evening walk I had a look at a couple of the fast-food chicken places, it all looked dried up and over fried and really put me off. I saw several people with pizza boxes so thought I’d get one. But when I got to the shop I changed my mind. I’m glad however that I followed that route as I came across a proper supermarket, the first I have seen since Panachaja. Considering the time of the evening it was packed – I didn’t go in. Opposite was a restaurant that did take away and had chicken wraps on the menu so I bought one and was very happy with my decision, it was delicious and full of salad, it also came with 5 rather large deliciously seasoned potato wedges, so I’m happily stuffed right now.
My bus to Guatemala City leaves at midday tomorrow, I’ve booked it from Yellow Hostel which is about 1 minute walk from here, and according to my ticket I should get dropped at Tequila Hostel, which is 5-minutes from my studio apartment. I’m looking forward to moving away from all these bloody mosquitoes – I keep getting bitten. It’s because there are hundreds of plants in the courtyard, which are beautiful, but with all the rain we have had recently they become a mosquito breeding ground. I also fear that the garlic build-up I acquired in SE Asia has dissipated so I am no longer naturally repelling them. I will look for pickled garlic when I get to GC – I also need more tiger balm – I hope there is a proper Chinese quarter there as I haven’t seen any anywhere.