One week of
service learning in Guatemala was an intense endeavor; however, we did get to enjoy one free day before we left. While almost all of our students signed up for an excursion to hike
a nearby volcano, my colleague and I decided to sleep in, treat ourselves to breakfast out (including some
good, local tea), and, finally, wander the streets of beautiful, La Antigua Guatemala.
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| A typical, cobblestone street in Antigua |
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| Iglesia La Merced, exemplifies the Baroque style of many buildings in Antigua |
Antigua is the historic capital of Guatemala (founded in 1524), and a
UNESCO World Heritage site. At various points in history, the city was damaged by earthquakes and fire; however, buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries still exist, and several, even older churches and monasteries lie in ruins around the city. A couple of these were on my must-see list, but we discovered others as we walked through town and chatted with locals. Here are a few of the fascinating sites in Antigua. Note, there is a standard admission fee for each of the ruins, but there is a 1/2 price rate for students. Take your ID!
1. Our first stop was the city's
large, outdoor markets: one with food and the other crafts, side by side. When I visit any city in Latin America, "el mercado" is usually my first stop. It's a great place to get a sense of the local culture: what people eat, how they do business. In Guatemala, haggling (especially for the handicrafts) is expected. It seems the shopkeepers triple their prices for gringos, so be ready to talk them down.
2. Next, we headed to
Santo Domingo, one of the city's various monasteries in ruins. As it turned out, the structure is huge and well-preserved, and is, in fact, now a luxury hotel with lush grounds and various museums inside. There is also a spa and artisanal chocolate shop! This is a relaxing, beautiful place to walk around and enjoy.
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| Glimpses of gorgeous gardens through ancient windows... Santo Domingo |
3. Trying to get oriented after Santo Domingo, we stopped to chat with a local man who told us that the ruins of the convent,
Las Capuchinas, could not be missed. So true! What a gem. The round building that was the nuns' living quarters was intact, and it was possible to get a sense of each woman's spartan living quarters.
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| Ruins of the Capuchinas convent, surrounded by beautiful gardens |
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| The peaceful courtyard of the Spanish Cultural Center |
4. Lunch!
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| My most authentic, local meal: jocón, a hearty stew in cilantro broth (the vegetarian version from La Casa de las Sopas) |
5. The last and most intriguing ruins we visited were
La Recolección, highly recommended by a Guatemalan friend. Light years away in look and feel from the pristine Santo Domingo, La Recolección was a convent that is now a complete disaster zone. Visitors climb over giant chunks of the toppled architecture to explore the site. We arrived just before closing and sunset, and were the only ones wandering around this weird and wonderful landscape.
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| Finally arrived at Ruinas La Recolección |
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| Serious ruins! Felt like the earthquake was yesterday at La Recolección |
Antigua is a charming city with many unique places to see. It's also one of the most touristy places in Guatemala, and home to a lot of expat missionaries and Spanish language schools. This place, in comparison to the rural village where we held a clinic, illustrates well the socioeconomic disparity in this country. The juxtaposition of well-preserved, brightly painted Baroque architecture vs. the pieced-together homes of corrugated aluminum offers a superficial glimpse of these differences.
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| "The other" Guatemala |
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