Antigua Guatemala

I haven't slept well and felt worse in the morning so we had breakfast and then I went back to sleep. At around 10 we packed our things and drove to Antigua Guatemala, the former capital until it was hit by an earthquake in 1773.
First we looked for a place to stay for the night which turned out be easier than before and we could stay at the second hotel that we tried. Which was a relief because driving in Antigua is exhaustive with lots of traffic and the pretty but very inconvenient cobblestone streets. Also it was very hot in the inner city where the sun burned down. We were a bit too early to check in to the room so we sat in the outdoor lounge area and I had tea for the throat. At that time was also the final of the World Cup and we could listen to the match through the window of the hotel owner. Not that it was needed because you could also hear the screams through the whole town after anything interesting had happened. Obviously most (almost all) of the people were in favor of Argentina, so after their win there were fireworks and a lot of honking.
Then we were allowed to go in our room and we took first a little nap. Afterwards we went on a walk and even though I wasn't feeling great I needed some movement. And it didn't go very bad, my energy wasn't very good and the heart rate was higher than usual. But I forgot about it anyways most of the time because the town had so much beautiful views to offer. The most famous one of the arch of Santa Catalina and the Volcano de Agua in the background, really scenic and iconic. Then there were several churches and a palace, but for each one intact there was at least one ruin destroyed by the earthquake. These ruins are protected and preserved due to their status as UNESCO World Heritage Site and make an interesting contrast. From the town center we took an half hour walk up to a cross towering over town and offering perfect views over the buildings and volcanoes.

For the evening we went to a restaurant to try two Guatemalan specialities: Caldo de pollo and Pepián. The chicken soup was a little disappointing but the Pepián was great! We went back to the hotel and fell asleep soon after, catching up on the missed sleep 😴Read more