A couple of months ago I was asked to house sit for a repeat client, as she was planning a trip to Guatemala and Panama. Knowing Guatemala was on my 'bucket list', I responded "Hey, I want to go to Guatemala, how about I join you and find someone else to watch the house?" Amanda (the homeowner) also knew of my bucket list and we agreed to meet and discuss my request.
Well, after some discussion, we decided that if I joined her, her plans would change. Since she hadn't been to Nicaragua, we'd go there instead of Panama. Details ironed out, another friend (Kathy) joining us, it was time to go.
Our journey began at our local Tampa airport, through Miami International, with a pleasurable, albeit not so direct drive to Antigua Guatemala.
Entering Guatemala was uneventful; passport stamp, no baggage inspections, out the door.
Arriving to the turnoff for our lodging on the outskirts of Antigua we found the road blocked by national police and several protesters. As we learned later, there was a meeting of Latin American politicians being held near our rental. Unable to drive the last 1/4 mile, up-hill, we left our bags in the car, checked in, returned to the car and went into town and scout it out.
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| Not a good shot, but I didn't want to go to jail either |
First stop, lunch at a little place called "Pushkar, Indian Cuisine". Sitting in the open-air courtyard, enjoying the mid 70 degree weather, we had some good sandwiches made with their fresh bread.
From there we just started walking around town. Several things I noticed were historic buildings, clean cobble stone streets, and friendly people. At some of the major intersections, police were positioned to assist pedestrians.
One place our wandering lead us to was the local "Craft Market". If you're looking for traditional Guatemalan stuff, and colorful photos, this is a place to go.
After a couple hours later we returned to the AirBnB, this time with the added advantage of being able to drive up.
Car unloaded, cleaned up, and relaxed, we went back into town for dinner at the "Bistro Cinq". The food here was good, but in my opinion a bit overpriced for what you get.
Amanda has been here before, so after dinner, we hit a couple of bars to stop and say hello to her friends. The place was the "Whiskey Den Bar & Coffee Shop" This is a nice local place to leisurely meet and mingle with friends. It shares a common courtyard with a few other small establishments and while there is music, it's more for background noise than dancing.
Next stop, "No Se" bar. Located on 1st Ave South, this is place is frequented by locals and expats alike. At times, they have live blusey jazz music which is played by the owner; and this was one of those times. The place is a small dark place and initially you won't see much as you step in, but ones your eyes are adjusted, nostalgia abounds.In addition to the front room of the bar, there are at least two other rooms in the back.
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| Owner is on the left |
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| This is actually a person and he moves like a robot |
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| My hat wouldn't fit in the sign |
Next post will be from San Pedro La Laguna which is located on Lake Atitlan.
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