Day 6 Antigua

Today we met in the hotel lobby to begin our walking tour. It was definitely a day to wear orthotics in running shoes to minimize the chances you twisted an ankle on the cobblestones. I got in over 11,000 steps which is quite a few for a bus tour!  

We walked about one kilometre towards the city centre. 

This is Oscar ahead of me on the single person sidewalk and the cobblestones are wearing the cars and motorcycles travel.  

The entire liturgical season of Lent (the 46 days before Easter), people walk along Turno Street on Saturdays and Sundays re-enact the Stations of the Cross. 

This little chapel represents station #6 of the cross. 

Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday) is a big deal that is celebrated continuously for 24 hours. These enormous wooden floats are carried down the street by 110 people - 55 on each side. 

J is squatting under the huge float on display at San Francisco El Grande Temple. You can see little padded sections (three in front of J) to cushion one’s shoulder. People carry this enormous float for one block and then others are very keen to step in and relieve the previous marchers and carry it a block further. Evidently it is an extremely emotional (and exhausting) experience. 

UNESCO has awarded the Holy Week of Guatemala with the title of “Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage”. 

We made our way to the city centre and had 30 minutes to explore independently

This was a view of what I will call Central Park!

A number of vendors selling hand made crafts sought us out - nothing too crazy. 

We made our way to a convent “Capvchinas” established in 1736. 

This was the second story of the convent overlooking the courtyard. 

Same fountain featured in the above photo but taken from the main floor. 

We enjoyed a plated lunch at Restaurant Las Antorchas. 

I had chicken with lemon sauce. What looks like a swirl of pink icing is actually potatoes. 

After lunch finished around 2 pm, individuals were free to return to the hotel or continue exploring independently. I had joints that were not happy so I returned to the hotel. J hiked to Cerro de la Cruz, the mountain of the cross. He then went to the National museum of Guatemala Art, which he enjoyed. 

After I had a an hour and a half of relaxing, J returned to the hotel and we both went for a swim. While there fellow traveler, Ro, mentioned a group were going to an Italian Restaurant and we were lucky enough to get our names added to their reservation. 

We had a group of seven people who went and ate Italian at Carlos & Carlos Antigua. The pasta was just excellent! What a lovely group of seven to enjoy our second last night in Guatemala!