Tuesday, June 4, 2013


This youngster speaks a little English and is a very effective saleslady for her native crafts.
Photo by Deb Burton in Antigua, Guatemala

Sunday, June 2, 2013



May 28, 2013 return from Antigua Guatemala to Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico


Street scene in Antigua, Guatemala: Indigenous women in traditional dress


 Just one of the things you may see on the street


Indigenous woman in traditional dress


These dugout canoes are part of the permanent exhibit in a large space where native crafts are displayed and sold.


Our new friends Mark and Dale


Remains of the convent of Neuesto Senora de La Merced


Passing tourist in Antigua, Guatemala


Sunday morning in Antigua, Guatemala - The flute and drum calling people to prayer.  Well, perhaps they are just playing for contributions to their basket.

Municipal government building with central square “Zocalo” on the left

We run out of time on our 180 day Mexican visa, so we head to Antigua, Guatemala.  Though it is hard to get info about renewing the visa, we hear consistent “opinions” that we should leave the country for 24 hours and we can get another 180 day visa on our return to Mexico.

We catch a bus bound from Tapachula, Chiapas, MX to Ciudad Guatemala, Guatemala after a 5:30 a.m. start and only minor complications at the terminal.  Half an hour later we are not only outside the city, we were at the border crossing.  Everybody climbs off the bus and files into the Mexican customs office dragging their luggage.  We pay about $25 USD for the privilege of leaving.  Next, we head into the street where enterprising men and boys with fists full of currency eagerly offer to exchange Mexican Pesos for Guatemalan Quetzales or vise-versa.  This is a little unnerving because there are lots of strangers pestering the travelers on an open road with very little security and very little motorized traffic.  There is no trouble however and we drag our luggage across the bridge to Guatemala where we entered their customs office and clear in easily.

During this time we meet fellow passengers Mark and Dale, Minnesotans who lived in Antigua for ten years.  They are missionaries who work with alcoholics, drug addicts and homeless on the streets of Antigua.  They also host Youth-with-a-Mission youngsters who travel from the USA to Antigua to help with mission projects.  Together with their two children, they helpfully answer questions about what to expect and allay Gregg’s fears of robbery on the street.

Arriving in Guatemala City we make a quick stop at the convenience store ATM, then take a taxi to Antigua.  After a 40 minute ride our driver drops us at the hotel recommended by our mission friends and we are soon settled in and rested.

I hate to make too much fuss over a restaurant, but La Pena del Sol refreshes us body and soul.  We arrive at a quiet time and order a marinated olive appetizer which comes with caramelized carrots, oil and vinegar.  This and the main course are prepared to be visual as well as taste treats.  As we sit in this restaurant in a city far from the coast, an American stops at our table and says: “What kind of a boat do you have?”  We learn that he has a sailboat on the Gulf of Mexico coast of Guatemala.  He says he can usually spot boaters by their clothes.  We soon learn he is a resident of Antigua, the proprietor of this restaurant and he and his wife started it without prior knowledge of the hospitality business.  You’ve come a long way baby.

The pleasant environs of the town square beckon us.  If there are security concerns, we see no signs of them.  On this walk about, we see a couple of churches ruined by earthquakes, a street market, several tourist-oriented gift shops and a central square where children play, families lounge and visit with friends.

We return to La Pena del Sol for a band with pan pipes, conga drums and strings.  These are not Columbian pan pipes.  The costume tends to jeans and Ts and the music is Mexican.  One member  dances very light and lively for each number, often a sort of side-to-side cha-cha.  Occasionally a mandolin sized twelve string guitar comes out.  I have no idea what this is.  Help me out here Andy?  In case it’s not obvious, at least three of the four members can play pipes, guitar and percussion with equal confidence.  I don’t know what kind of music this is but I love it.

Next morning Gregg goes to “Iglesia del Calle” a church where the entire service is done in Spanish and English, including the hymns.  The message is about treating others as you want to be treated and I find myself very sympathetic to the delivery which emphasizes treating women and minorities with respect and sharing with the less fortunate.  The service is held in a restaurant courtyard.
Later Dale and Mark pick us up in their Jeep and take us up a short steep road to a hotel, restaurant and sculpture garden on a mountain overlooking the town.  This is a first class place and very busy.  We order drinks and appetizers and watch the occasional rain squall drift across Antigua Valley while we enjoy lively conversation and learn more about their lives in the very foreign place.  Dale and Mark make us feel comfortable and welcome.
On the trip back to Mexico, we spend two hours in Guatemala City which has its own character but seems gritty, edgy and industrial.  Back at the border, we receive the hoped for visa and continue home to Kalliope.