Yesterday we had our first P-Day where we could see some of Guatemala, so we ventured off to see the old capital city of Antigua. It was a beautiful and interesting drive over the mountain to Antigua, and our day there walking the cobblestone streets, seeing the historic buildings and the ruins was so much fun. The Santa Marta earthquakes of 1773 destroyed the beautiful old city and caused the Guatemalans to move their capital to its current location here. The city of Antigua Guatemala is maintained in its historic state, and it is a popular tourist site. One of the truly interesting, but really indescribable experiences of the day was walking through the maze of corridors in the main marketplace of Antigua. The market covers several acres and has literally hundreds of individually owned booth-like stores packed in the market side by side in every direction. They sell literally everything imaginable! The fresh produce, grains, meats, and flowers were incredible, but there are booths selling clothes, shoes, housewares, electronics, fabrics, and just about anything you would find in a department store. On the streets the Mayans, wearing their traditional clothing, sell their beautiful handicrafts, arts, and hand-woven fabrics--they really are very beautiful. We had lunch at a traditional Guatemalan restaurant, but "comida tipica" is going to take some getting used to. It was such a great cultural experience!
When we figure out how to share the photos we will put them up here.
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