The people of Antigua are quite diverse. We went to the local market place and walked through stalls where they were selling fruits and vegetables in the same way they have been for centuries. Most of the people were dressed in traditional clothing, at least the women, but I saw a lot of them talking on cell phones. If you sit in the central park, you see rich Guatemalans in expensive clothes, the women wearing high heeled shoes (insane considering the cobblestone streets and broken sidewalks!) and in the same sightline women in traditional dress with large bags of goods balanced on their heads and a baby strapped to their back. I don’t see many of the truly, truly poor like I did we did in Ecuador, but the city is very touristy so I wonder if the police make them move along.
When you walk around in Antigua you see lots of walls. Entire blocks are one long wall, with doors every once in a while. The walls are painted various colors but are grimy, like most everything else here. If you look in the doors, however, you see beautiful courtyards or expensive shops or hotels. Modern restaurants and sweet shops and art museums are everywhere, but you have to look beyond the walls. They are like secret places. Secret places you don’t take children!
Antigua used to be the capitol of Guatemala, but the city was destroyed by earthquakes, twice, so they moved the capitol to Guatemala City. The city kept its’ original colonial flavor because the only people who stayed were the poor, who couldn’t afford to change things. Now the city is full of the ruins of old cathedrals and convents. The city is flat, but is completely ringed by volcanos and mountains.
OK, I have been avoiding my homework long enough. Time to study. We have a field trip for class tomorrow but I had better stay on top of my work. Today did not go as well as yesterday. I felt good when we were reviewing, now it is new stuff and more difficult.
Adios!
When you walk around in Antigua you see lots of walls. Entire blocks are one long wall, with doors every once in a while. The walls are painted various colors but are grimy, like most everything else here. If you look in the doors, however, you see beautiful courtyards or expensive shops or hotels. Modern restaurants and sweet shops and art museums are everywhere, but you have to look beyond the walls. They are like secret places. Secret places you don’t take children!
Antigua used to be the capitol of Guatemala, but the city was destroyed by earthquakes, twice, so they moved the capitol to Guatemala City. The city kept its’ original colonial flavor because the only people who stayed were the poor, who couldn’t afford to change things. Now the city is full of the ruins of old cathedrals and convents. The city is flat, but is completely ringed by volcanos and mountains.
OK, I have been avoiding my homework long enough. Time to study. We have a field trip for class tomorrow but I had better stay on top of my work. Today did not go as well as yesterday. I felt good when we were reviewing, now it is new stuff and more difficult.
Adios!
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