arrival in Antigua

Landing at the airport was a treat. We swooped over lush, mountainous terrain before glimpsing the City nestled in a bowl of earth, surrounded by volcanoes. My plane bounced upon landing, which added to my exelerated heart beat. There were throngs of people waiting outside of the airport, all standing behind metal barricades on the sidewalk, and they kept erupting into cheers because a giant screen was broadcasting a sports game.

Getting out of Guatemala City was not a problem at all. Our shuttle made its way through tiny side streets and stop lights until we started ascending a mountain on the far side, winding all around it until we were in tropical jungle and then small Antigua. Guatemala City is like any other Central American city, and it was nice to leave it and arrive in Antigua, small and cobble-stoned with colonial Spanish-style buildings painted in bright pastels.

We took a walk around and ended up at the park, where sits a fountain of boobs. This park was very busy, with couples and families eating ice cream and Mayan ladies selling fabrics. I soaked up the sun like I've been living in a cave. We hung around the park for a bit and then browsed some touristy crafts, but we were feeling like zombies so we went back to the hostel and took a nap. I fell into a coma-like repose.

For dinner, we had Guatemalan nachos, which are big on the chips and beans, and small on the cheese. We sat on the 3rd floor rooftop and could see the glowing orange behind the volcanoes in the west get dimmer and dimmer, until it was nighttime and even the birds went to sleep.