Guatemala, Summer 2014: Antigua

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Potter & I took an early morning flight out of JFK direct to Guatemala City. In our luggage were pretzels, quinoa, Christmas lights, a coffee grinder, and various other things Ali had requested. She picked us up at the airport and her friend Rosa drove us the hour back to Antigua.

Our first stop was Luna de Miel for a late lunch for a late lunch of crepes and piña colada smoothies. We ate on the rooftop in perfect weather, then headed back to Ali’s house.

She shares a 2-story house with 3 other girls. They each have their own bedroom & bathroom, and share a garden, kitchen, living room, and terrace. We spent the afternoon unpacking, napping, and hanging Christmas lights.

Ali had just returned from a Habitat build that morning, so our dinner was a farewell dinner with her group of volunteers. We went to Ali’s favorite restaurant, Epicure. She & Potter had the mahi mahi special over creamy polenta with capers and lemons, and I had polenta gnocchi with walnuts and basil. Dessert was a caramel panna cotta. Everything was delicious. Part of the farewell festivities involved the team leader giving out awards to everyone and speeches. It was great to hear how many nice things everyone had to say about Ali and how good she is at her job.

Back at Ali’s place to sleep because we were all pooped, but first we had to figure out how to inflate Ali’s foot-pump operated air mattress. It took all three of us several tries, but we finally got it and went to bed.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

We took our time waking up and had coffee in Ali’s room. I took a shower, and she showed me how to turn on the water without getting electrocuted (that’s how the water is heated). We went down the street to Cafe Sky for breakfast. We sat on the rooftop and had a view of three volcanos- one of which (Fuego) had two small eruptions while we were there. You could see little puffs of smoke coming out of the top. Potter and I got the huevos rancheros, and Ali had the omelette. We all got juices, too (pineapple and mango).

We spent the morning wandering around town. Ali explained that Antigua is protected as a UNESCO world heritage site, so the building heights, colors, and materials are all regulated. Consequently, it’s maintained a beautiful Spanish colonial style. Buildings are 1-2 stories, with Spanish tile roofs and stucco walls colored pink, orange, blue, yellow, and white. The streets are all cobblestone, and the lamp-posts and signs are ornate wrought iron. There are beautifully patterned tiles everywhere- the undersides of roof soffits, window sills… even the “one way” and “stop” signs on the sides of buildings are tiles!

Ali also explained that Guatemalans love fireworks. They shoot them off at all hours of the day- even 8:30am. As you walk around the city (or try to sleep!) you have a sort of soundtrack of cannon-like booms and crackles.

While walking around town, we went into the ruins of two different churches and convents. All that remained were arches, walls, and remnants of domes. But the scale and remaining details were impressive. They were built of brick and rubble stone infill with a stucco finish, and you could see the layers of how it was all built up. They were beautiful, but it was sad to think about how beautiful they would have been before the earthquakes of the 18th century.

We went to an open air crafts market and bought an embroidered tablecloth, a journal, a potholder shaped like a chicken, and a painted magnet. Ali bartered for all of it like a pro. We also went into a jewelry store, where I got a necklace of my Mayan day sign (Nahual), which is their version of a zodiac. It’s a sterling symbol with a jade bead. My sign is No’j. Ali has a necklace of her sign, too, so now we match.

We took a break from walking around to go to a cafe for drinks- limonata for Potter and iced coffees for Ali and e. We sat the rooftop (again- I could get used to this) with a view of the central park, where we could hear music.

On our way back to Ali’s we found the truck that sells picositas. They give you a Gallo (light Guate beer), you drink it down a bit, then hand it back to them so they can add worcestershire, onions, hot sauce, lime juice, and salt. Super tasty and refreshing. We took them back to her terrace, where we hung out, laid in the hammock, and played with Kitty, the adorable yet unimaginatively named cat of one of Ali’s roommates.

After relaxing for a bit at Ali’s house, we went back out into town. We bought shuttle tickets for our trip to the lake then caught the end of a Greece - Costa Rica game. The World Cup is going on, and I learned that in Guatemala, you always cheer for the Latino team. Unless it’s Mexico. The game was still tied after overtime, so they went into a shootout and Costa Rica finally won. You got the sense that the whole city was packed into or just outside of bars watching.

Next we went to one of Ali’s favorite bars, Frida’s, for what was supposed to be a snack but ended up being an early dinner. Ali and Potter got shrimp ceviche tostadas, and we all shared a big plate of nachos. Ali said that Frida’s makes the best margaritas in town, so of course we had to sample: tamarind for Potter, and guava and then mint for Ali and me. Ali’s buddy Sergio was our waiter, and was adorably shy about using the English he knew.

After Frida’s we walked around town for a bit to see one of the more ornate churches and the arch in the evening light. Then we headed back to the house to meet up with Kate and Sally, two of Ali’s roommates, who had just gotten back from the lake.

We hung out at the house for a bit, then went back out for dinner for them. The first place we went, Los Encuentros, was decorated with seats, horns, and other pieces of chicken busses. A chicken bus is a cheap mode of transportation that people use to get around the country. The interiors are always jam-packed and a little ghetto, but the exteriors are painted crazy colors with flashing lights and chrome. At the restaurant, Potter and I got Gallo beers, and Ali selected a Brooklyn lager from their extensive bottle list, which she excitedly said tasted like home. I loved the candle holders on the walls, which were made with Spanish roof tiles- the shadow on the wall looked like a butterfly.

Next we walked down the block to Angie Angie’s, and Italian place. We sat outside, listened to a live band playing a wide range of American covers, and ordered a few appetizers that took far too long. Ali was pretty excited about the fresh mozzarella in my caprese salad, though.