Arrival in Antigua

Breakfast was at a little local café where we had a typical Guatemalan breakfast with drinks for 70 quetzals (about $9).

Our ride was scheduled for 1:00, but I believe he arrived closer to 2:00. What should have been a 30-mile trip from Guatemala City to Antigua Guatemala took more than three hours. There were eight of us packed into the van, and by the end of the ride the three of us in the backseat were giggling and practically friends. In fact, the two girls beside me had just met on that van ride and were already planning to travel to a volcano together. At one point I saw a sign that said “Caution: Curves,” but I think the driver thought it said “Speed Up.” There were many moments when we were bouncing so much that one of the girls actually hit her head on the ceiling of the van. The traffic was unbelievable—just one long line of cars inching along. Then a car suddenly swerved in front of us and I was sure we were about to crash. It was definitely a ride to remember. To make it even more interesting, as we were leaving Guatemala City we saw a man walking down the sidewalk with about six goats. As I turned to keep watching, he started leading the goats up the steps of a pedestrian bridge that crossed over the highway.

Arriving in Antigua wasn’t what I expected. There were cars everywhere and crowds of people, and it felt very busy. The driver said it’s like that every day. We were the last ones dropped off, but my impression of Antigua changed as we turned down some quiet neighborhood streets and pulled into a gated community where our Airbnb is located.

The Airbnb is absolutely beautiful. Our hostess, Linda, retired from Chicago and has lived here for 16 years. The unit is filled with colorful Guatemalan art and thriving plants, and as you walk in there are gorgeous photographs of Guatemala on the walls. It turns out Linda is a photographer and even had a photo show at one point. I already feel right at home.

We walked downtown planning to find a Guatemalan meal, but one look at the menu at an Italian restaurant changed our minds. We were so hungry after not eating since breakfast that the decision was easy. The meal was delicious, and the walk back to the unit was lovely. The temperatures here are absolutely perfect.