Nov 3, Bike Antigua, Guatemala




The Volcano tour by Oldtown Oufitters. We had a full crew for this Mountain bike ride. The van drove us up into the hills, where we then proceeded to ride through the rich farm land. It was amazing to see how well tended the fields are, on the steep hill sides. Corn was in abundance, with some sporting green beans as the secondary crop, after the corn was harvested. The locals all had large machetes, and often a horse carrying supplies. They didn't seem to mind sharing their footpaths with a bunch of crazy gringos on bikes. Unfortunately it was on this ride that Corrinne went over her bike handlebars and broke her radius/ulna mid shaft. We improvised a shoddy splint using an extra bike seat and some corn stalks. Corrinne managed to hike down to the van far below and started her journey back to Seattle for surgery to put her back together. The rest of the group continued back to town, riding all the way back to the Oldtown Outfitters shop, near the town square.

Nov 2, Antigua, Guatemala





Our hotel room was quite charming, loaded with antiques, with views into the central courtyard. From the roof of the hotel we could look out across the city. We tried the Hookah bar out one evening. In the shot are Tonya and Andy smoking the Hookah hard. Other nightlife included O'Reilly's bar, where the bride's father broke out his bag pipes and played some traditional Irish songs. I think the patrons were pretty stunned to hear bag pipes in Guatemala!



Nov. 1, Antigua, Guatemala







Our first day in Antigua. A small city nestled in the hills. Antigua is about one hour from the airport in Guatemala City and a tourist destination for people from Guatemala City and around the world. Most of the city has walled streets surrounding the town square. Here and there are the remains of old cathedrals. During the day the wood gates, like in the picture above, open up and lead to courtyards, espresso shops, restaurants and several night spots. The police presence was extremely high and we felt very safe. Unlike Guatemala City, reports of crime are very low. Prime focus of Antigua seems to be shopping for native crafts, restaurants and night life.