Roaming around Antigua, Guatemala

I love Antigua. It is colonial and quaint and feels like a very relaxed city considering it used to be the Guatemalan capital before the volcanos eruption. (In two weeks i will come back to hike Volcano Acatenango and Fuego, where Fuego erupts daily and regularly) Upon arrival from Lanquin, the bus was from 9am until 6pm, I didn’t quite have this feeling. I had booked one of the most popular hostels in Antigua, Tropicana Hostel but only a few hours before (I like to book accommodation last minute). I was supposed to stay one night and head to Xela the next day to begin my Spanish school, only Tropicana told me that HostelWorld had overbooked and I was well aware I wasn’t the first person this has happened to. So I walked around the city surrounded by volcanos and green mountains in search for a bed for the night. I went to three other hostels and hotels in the city but all had no room at the inn for me. I saw a friend and he walked me to a hostel, they had room. But there’s a reason they had room. I sat on the edge of the bed for around 5 minutes, just as I was about to actually stay in that hovel, my girl Lizzie finds me a lovely place to stay. And yet again everything works out perfectly.

Casa Gitana has the most homely feel but also vibrant because it was also a small florist, the rooms are inexpensive, 100Q a night (£10). Not to mention the safety of the city, it has such a warm feeling and I feel very light and relaxed here. I am more than okay to walk around alone and felt completely secure in the centre of the city. I ate my first Wendy’s, got a glass of vino for 15Q (£1.50) with Lizzie and Tom and rested in my hospitable hostel for the evening.

I woke up, drank some of the free coffee and headed out with no plans. I like to learn about the history of places I travel to, so I wanted to see some art and museums. I did both just by roaming around the city. First I bought a day backpack because I’d been travelling with a dusty beach bag from Primark, 2015, weighting down heavily on my left arm. Shopping is less markets here in Antigua and more small boutique shops. I then wanted to watch the volcanos, so found a lovely rooftop cafe, Rooftop Antigua. Here I got a giant veggie sandwich, it was way too much and cost 55Q (£5.50). I sat and watched the mountains and volcanos emerge through the clouds.

After eating and chatting with some locals about the city, I walked into the square, took a street that looked the most colourful and ended up at the famous Santa Catalina Arch (the beautiful yellow archway). A few meters upwards was some colonial ruins and a fountain overlooking the mountains which I roamed around, and then there are many churches to see the arcetechture of. I went to some more art museums and then found myself in a perfect secret garden called El Bosque with a bar area. After roaming around the garden I headed to a cultural centre, Cooperación Española, which specialised in archaeomusicology from Mayan and Aztec times. Along with some photography created by Guatemalan teenagers and nature photography.

Some friends Carlo, Lizzie, Tom, Shane and I met in an Irish pub called the Snug and drank wine on the rooftop, and also went to Pappi’s BBQ, a bit pricey but the perfect bbq food with any sides. I woke in the morning and didn’t have to catch a bus to Quetzaltenango until 2pm, so I went back to the snug to try their English (Irish) breakfast for 60Q (£6) and then walked around Convento Santa Claro right opposite the bar! It was a mesmerising place and I’m sure it had a lot of history if only there was signs to show you what I was seeing. I then picked up my backpack and got on my bus to Xela to live with a Guatemalan family.

This place reminded me of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Mexico where I had previously spent a month, but also a bit like Oaxaca City also in Mexico, of course with a lot of pre-Colombian influence. I spent a total of a day and a half in Antigua, only as a stop off because in a few weeks my mum comes to backpack with me, and I want to show her all the hotspots. One of the main reasons backpackers flock to Antigua is to climb the volcanos, which I will be doing in a few weeks time!