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 1.
Our band of eight weary travelers was greeted by steward Simon at
9 pm, December 5, with wine, beer, and jamon y queso sandwiches.
From left to right, David Jensen, Pam Heath, Stephanie Spar, Walt
Crowley, Marie McCaffrey, Michael Hood, and Sue and James Tupper. |
 5.
Looking south down 4th Ave. from the central square, with the Catedral
on the left, the Palace of the Governors General (1558) in the middle
ground, and Volcan de Agua in the distance. Its eruption in 1527
unleashed a mudslide that destroyed the original colonial capital,
and the conquistadors relocated to present-day Antigua. |
 2.
Marie pauses at the Posada’s 4th Ave. entry on the glorious
morning of Dec. 6 as a group of children herd their goats up the
street. Note that central Antiqua is roughly a dozen blocks square
and laid out in a simple grid of cobblestone streets directed by
the compass. |
 6.
El Arco de Santa Catalina on 5th Ave. frames Volcan de Agua and marks
the location of the native crafts market Nim Pot and several trendy
shops, bars, and restaurants on central Antigua’s northern
boundary. |
 3.
A resident of Guatemala since 1969, expat historian and preservationist
Elizabeth Bell leads a daily morning tour of Antigua from its Parque
Central facing the Catedral. She offers an essential introduction
to Antigua’s history, architecture, economics, and social dynamics. |
 7.
The baroque Iglesia de La Merced, designed by Juan de Dios Estrada,
stands just north of the Arco and dates officially from 1767, although
it subsumes structures a century older. |
 4.
Ruins of the original Catedral stand behind its newer facade. Its
catacombs supposedly house the remains of Guatemala’s Spanish
ruthless conqueror, Don Pedro de Alvorado. Mayans perform rituals
few Catholics would recognize in the Catedral and other churches. |
 8.
When American school buses die, they go to Guatemala and are reincarnated
as flamboyantly decorated – and insanely driven -- interurban
transports. Here, a typical bus passes our van as we head northeast
from Antiqua to Lake Atitlan. |
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| Group departs to Lake Atitlan | |