Lovely (and Lava-ly) Antigua

Before leaving Guatemala, we wanted to take in the culture and beauty of its former capital city: Antigua.

Santa Catarina Arch straddles this typical Antiguan avenue.

We booked a room in a small hotel and enjoyed the freedom of setting our own daily schedule and menu.  Prior to this, we had only spent two nights in hotels in Guatemala despite our original plan to spend the first seven nights in a hotel.  Walking distance from all the sites in town, we enjoyed strolling the grid of cobblestone streets.

The Spanish colonial influence dominates the architecture even as many serious earthquakes have damaged or destroyed original structures.  

La Merced temple and convent--an actively used facility.

Many buildings have been restored multiple times and in some cases, only the facades are currently restored.

Perhaps the most impressive feat of restoration is the hotel and museum Convento Santo Domingo.

Restored fountain surrounded by cloister and remains of Santo Domingo Convent.

One part archeological dig, one part restored structure, two parts new construction, and all parts educational the facility blends old and new tastefully.

A new canopy stretches over original parts creating a chapel for hundreds that is used weekly.

Our boys were especially interested in the two subterranean crypts where centuries-old skeletons laid to rest.

Spanish colonial influence doesn't just extend to architecture--it visibly persists in religion as well.  Visiting during the time of Lent, we witnessed one of Antigua's famed processions in which hundreds of purple-robed parishioners carry several 3-ton floats through the streets exhibiting the stations of the cross.

Example of the exquisite floats.  Photo credit: Nelo Mijangos

Aside from self-guided walking tours, we booked one outing with a local tour operator.  The guide picked us up at our hotel in a mini school bus and drove us to nearby Pacaya Volcano.  We ascended this active volcano with the aid of some horses.

Posing with our local guide in front of the active volcano.
The dark stripes on the volcano are from the recent small eruption.

Though volcanic activity currently prevents visitors from summiting, we were able to climb most of the way until we encountered the lava field from the volcano’s most recent blast fifteen days prior.  At the edge of the lava field, we enjoyed a unique take on an old favorite: s'mores.  Our guide roasted marshmallows over the heat of the magma that was still coming up through the lava field.  

Atticus has never roasted marshmallows like this before!

The heat coming up from the ground collided with the cool breezes of the altitude to create a truly otherworldly sensation.

Though more expensive than San Pedro, Antigua was a site worth seeing.  We'll be happy to add our endorsement to UNESCO's designation of Antigua as a World Heritage Site.

Many have asked through Facebook and email where we're headed next. . . .  We've decided it's off to the equatorial nation of Ecuador for the next several weeks.  And that will be a story for a different day.