The 12 day Guatemala circuit (Days 11 and 12) - Antigua - The 4th and 5th of April 2008

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Part of the afternoon of the 4th of April was spent still visiting Antigua. Right in front of the Town Hall Palace, which now houses the Museum of Santiago and the old book Museum there is the fountain of the mermaids behind which we could see the Cathedral, best known as the Church of San José.

The Cathedral, which initially had five naves and eighteen chapels suffered severe damages during the various earthquakes which affected  its former structure dating back to the sixteenth century, having had to be reconstructed several times. We visited not only the actual Cathedral (1985) but also the old ruins.

 

 

After a short drive to the Ciudad Vieja we came back to Antigua and until our departure the following day had the possibility to stroll around the old streets of the city, which really fascinated us all. There was something rather mysterious and unexpected about this city, as we often found out, when entering an open and "inviting" door leading into a patio where there would be amazingly beautiful paintings depicting religious traditions on its walls or even street scenes that were really worth watching.

The whole area around the Arch od Santa Catalina, a landmark in the city, was a "colonial" beauty ... starting with the Arch itself which is what remained of the Convent with the same name founded in 1609 and then used as communication between two buildings keeping the nuns cloistered to the details of the bronze knockers on the doors and the windows.

We still had time to visit the House Museum of old tissues, which displayed a huge collection of huipils and textiles, apart from demonstrating different weaving techniques. I could have easily got "lost" and bought a few more huipils but held back, as I had already bought three (which I often wear).

I knew I would miss Guatemala ... and the reality is that after six years and a few trips inbetween I still think of it and feel I would not mind going back and (even) visiting the same places ...

The last morning was a fairly sad one ... it was as if we had not visited everything we could have ... and wanted to do it in the few minutes left ... to add those precious moments to the memories.

As the bus was driving out of Antigua, we still asked to photograph the ruins of the 1662 Santa Cruz hermitage, in the Southeastern part of the city ... a pretext to delay the return ...

Among some of the precious things I always buy when I am abroad apart fom books I have brought a few embroidered mats (I have never used), a small  collectionn of hair bands from various Guatemalan regions (I use as belts), a "corte"  from Chichicastenango (I haven't yet  adapted to a long skirt) and the three huipils (from Santo Antonio Palopo, Almolonga and Atitlan)  I really feel proud of (particularly when I wear them).