Antigua, Guatemala

The itinerary had us docking yesterday at San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. There was a tempting excursion available there to snorkel in a world-class underwater statue garden just off of the coast. However, I have to admit that this country’s ongoing history of security issues scared us off. That, and the fact that they require travelers to pay a $65 Visa entry fee, made the decision to stay on the boat an easy one. But alas, shortly before we began our voyage in December, the US State Department re-issued a Level 3 Travel Restriction for Nicaragua, and RCCL canceled the stopover to visit friendlier waters…

So, today we are at Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, the jumping off point to nearby Antigua. There is much controversy regarding the correct pronunciation, which is “la anˈtiɣwa, ɣwateˈmala”. This city of 35,000 is nestled between three volcanoes, one of which destroyed the city in the late 1700s. It was destroyed by a flood 50 years earlier, so the current city is the third iteration, and is built around the ruins. Notably, the city also survived a major earthquake in the 1940s, and has experienced volcanic eruptions four times in the last 7 years! The volcano, which is located on the city‘s horizon, is said to still be visibly smoldering. Yikes! What a history!

Like many Central American countries, Guatemala ‘s population tends to live on higher grounds, a bit away from the humid coasts.  This is the case with the beautiful city of Antigua, which is about an hour-and-a half from the port. Unfortunately, reserving an excursion after the itinerary changed slipped through the cracks until a few days ago, and none of the available excursions were appealing. So Karen and I kicked around the port town of Puerto Quetzal. 

While the town is primarily an industrial environment, we enjoyed a little village near the seaport where we enjoyed a couple of local beers. Also, I  had meant to mention Cusqueña, a Peruvian Lager with a cool history. Yum!

The country of Guatemala is similar to what Mexico was like in the ‘80s. It is very laid back and colorful, and has its fair share of rainforests and Mayan ruins. It is a bit hot, but it beats the heck out of shoveling snow…

Their textiles are outstanding. I bought a Guatemalan winter coat in 1994 from a little local shop in Jemez. Over the years I got to be friends with the owner. She would return to Guatemala every year to see her family and stock up, and she sold a lot of coats in her little shop. My coat lasted 25 years, but her business only lasted ~15. It was a little (homemade) lean-to on the side of her boyfriend’s shop along Highway 4. Eventually they made enough money that they reached out to several electrical contractors to upgrade their lean-to. Their prices were well beyond their means, and a week or two after telling then that they couldn’t afford the upgrades, the State of NM inspectors showed unexpectedly and shut her down. 
🙁

So, one last thing. Lots of folks are asking how I learned so much about all of the places we’re visiting. So here is the scoop. The trip turned out to be a pretty good value, because we got nearly two years of entertainment, researching the destinations before leaving on the trip. So I have pretty extensive notes. Also, RCCL brings in lecturers on our days-at-sea to talk about upcoming destinations, and the guides on excursions generally talk on the bus’ PA system as we are transported to the various locations. The last answer is simply,  lmgtfy. 
😉

So that is the story of our enjoyable journey to Guatemala, a very payed back and worthy destination. Thank you for visiting mikus.com. 

– Mike

“It was considered a virtue not to talk unnecessarily at sea…”

Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea