October 2, 2007

Within minutes of our arrival, we penciled in Antigua on our "Top 3" list of favourite cities in Mexico and Central America.

With cobblestone streets, beautifully restored colonial buildings and towering volcanoes rising above it on three sides (Agua, Acatenago and Fuego), Antigua is nothing less than enchanting.

The area around El Arco (The Arch) de Santa Catalina, in particular, oozes with enough history to rival Europe's finest neighborhoods and is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Antigua was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

The number of tourists in Antigua also rivals that found in Europe's great cities, with the year-round spring climate - we wore sweaters at night, a first in eight months of travel - and an abundance of Spanish schools -Guatemalans are known for speaking Spanish with a particularly clear accent - adding to its appeal.

Although the influx of foreigners has led to the establishment of things that cater to them - like upscale hotels, sleek stores, restaurants serving global cuisine, and fast food chains - Antigua is still home to a large Mayan population. This is most evident on market days (Mondays and Thursdays) when the vendors come armed with big baskets full of fruits, vegetables and other goods to sell.

The mixing of these two worlds - Mayan and foreign - provided us with some wonderfully incongruent images, like standing in line at McDonalds behind a Mayan family that was in its traditional dress and speaking an unrecognizable tongue.

Although Antigua was largely spared from the horrific violence that rocked Guatemala in recent decades (leaving 100,000 dead and creating, by some estimates, about one million refugees), and although the peace agreement that ended Guatemala's civil war was signed over 10 years ago, there was a more vigilant approach to security in Antigua (and all of western Guatemala) than in any of the other Central American countries we had visited.

Among other things, there was a strong military/police presence in the city, especially around the Parque Central, many businesses keep their front door locked at all times and/or have armed guards, and very few people leave their cars on the streets at night. We took the hint and each evening moved the van into a walled parking compound that was around the corner from Hotel la Posada Merced, where we were staying.

This undercurrent of violence also meant that we followed Rough Guide to Central America's advice and took advantage of the escorted (two municipal police officers) 20-minute walk from the centre of town up to Cerro de la Cruz, a small hill with a cross that overlooks the city. The lookout offered a great vista for seeing the city and Volcano Agua, to the south.

It was in Antigua that we were first exposed to Guatemala's famous handicrafts, and we passed hours shopping for wooden masks in the massive Nim Pot store and haggling hard for colourful patch-work blankets at the permanent, tourist-orientated market that is located beside the bus terminal.

Gran Jaguar tours has an office in Antigua, and, before we left this majestic city, we were convinced by their staff to sign up for a day trip to Volcan Pacaya, one of Guatemala's most active volcanoes.

Key Facts & Figures:

-Hotel la Posada Merced: $22.50/night
-Parking $4.40/night