NOTHING TO FEAR NOTHING TO DOUBT
"I jumped in the river and what did I see?
Black-eyed angels swam with me
A moon full of stars and astral cars
All the things I used to see
All my lovers were there with me
All my past and futures
And we all went to heaven in a little row boat
There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt" Radiohead
Itinerary at a Glance
Guatemala - Corazón del Mundo Maya aka Heart of the Mayan World
The city of Guatemala is at the most a 2-day stop. We stayed in Centro Historica in the heart of the old town, which was literally a stone throw away from the Central Plaza, Cathedral and National Palace. Walking during the day and night has a completely different feel, with the historical landmarks doing a different dance in the nightlights. During our time here, there was a cultural festival at the central plaza and thus, was completely covered with spaces for school students to perform.
$800 per person
10 days
Getting There
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Flight from New York to Guatemala City
Airline: Delta
Cost: $500 (Last minute booking)
Duration: 6 hours
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Stay
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Guatemala City
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Airbnb: $38/night for a studio
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Location: In the midst of Centro Historico
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Rating: 5 out of 5
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Antigua
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Airbnb: $45/night for paradise in Antigua, beautiful courtyard.
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Location: A 10 minute walk to the center of town
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Rating: 5 out of 5
***vacilando recommended​
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Lake Atitlán
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Hostel Del Lago: $30 / night for a private room
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Location: In backpacker friendly town of San Marcos, overlooking the lake and deck for yoga
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Rating: 4 out of 5
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Food Much
Guatemala City
Kacao
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Cost: $30 per person​
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Recommended Guatemalan cuisine: Lomito Al Chiltepe, Chilli Relleno
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Antigua
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Los Tres Tiempos; $20 per person
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Recommended: Excellent grills
Bars & Nightclubs
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Momo Loco
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Las Vibras De La Casbah
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Currency
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Quetzales​
Highlights
Guatemala City
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Centro Historico; Cathedral & Nacional Palace
Antigua
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Arco de Catalina
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Central Parque
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Pacaya Volcán
Lake Atitlán
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San Marcos
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Cliff Jumping
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Cooking Class with Paul at Restaurant Fe
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05/20/18-05/29/18
Palacio Nacional de la Cultura
We decided to take a guided tour of the Palacio Verde, which span through the day. On realizing the tour was completely in Spanish, we were contemplating exploring on our own, when a guy from Brazil offered to translate for us. So, with a group of tourists we began walking through the National Palace, which was filled with artistic paintings, décor and exorbitant riches. After several attempts, this palace was built from 1939 to 1943. Under the dictatorship of the then president General Jorge Ubico, the palace was constructed by prison laborers receiving a mere 0.25 cents / day. The palace gives an impression of a grey-green color, because of the oxidized copper that was used in the concrete. Coincidentally, green was Ubico’s wife's favorite color and thus, the palace is called El Guacamolon, the Big Guacamole :)
The massive murals inside depict the Mayan world ranging from creating artistic pottery, the act of sacrificing animals and daily life; the Spanish conquistadors of war and violence; and finally Guatemalan independence. The palace apparently has 350 rooms and is characterized by Ubico’s eccentricities. He installed rails with copper bars in the palace, which would embody the weather becoming heated or frozen and thereby, prevent people from leaning on them. Additionally, the palace had traffic lights that would direct the flow of people in the palace! When it was red, only Ubico would be moving around signifying to others that they had to stay put. On yellow the government officials moved around freely and green invited everyone to be mobile!
We went for a beer with our group after, meeting people from Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, Germany and Gautemala. Pasaje Rubio is an indoor open arcade that serves local Gautemalan beer.
On the right is the famous Guatemalan dish called Lomito Al Chiltepe; Grilled tenderloin served with a delicate creamy chiltepe hot sauce with rice & guacamole.
Antigua
Getting to Antigua
An hour away from Guatemala City, there are a few ways to get to Antigua. A shuttle service costs $10 / person and an uber costs $20. There are buses that are also available commonly called chicken buses, which are generally used to transport chickens on their top carriers thus, the name. For $1, they are a cheap mode of transport, however, these buses aren’t considered the safest and entail rash and fast driving.
The town of Antigua is quaint, old school and very cute. With cobbled stone streets running through the town, it has a fantastic vibe. Filled with small cafes and bars, you can just walk around letting your heart guide you to the place that would most fulfill your craving. As you’re walking through the streets, you take a turn only to find ruins at every other corner some are from the Mayan era and some from the colonial rule.
Stay in Antigua
What made our time so special in Antigua is our stay. We booked a place through airbnb, which in a nutshell was paradise. As you enter, the entire courtyard is filled with abundant trees, plants and greens. I lounged around in the hammock, found a writing spot, a place for my morning yoga & meditation, all of it with a plethora of birds singing to my ears, with sounds I’ve never heard before. It was truly special. Thinking ahead, when I’m writing my final dissertation, this is a version of heaven you’ll find me at.
Arco de Santa Catalina
Located at 5th Avenue North, the Santa Catalina Arch is a historic landmark of Antigua, which was built in the 17th Century (1694). It originally linked the Santa Catalina Convent and Convent of the Virgin to a school, so that the nuns could cross buildings without coming out on the streets. In 1830’s, the clock was added to the arch, marking the Central American Federation and needs to be wound every three days. Powering behind the arch is the volcán de agua, one of three volcanoes that surround the quaint town of Antigua.
Pacaya Volcano
A shuttle service can be booked from Antigua to Pacaya and one can leave either at 6:00 AM or 2:00 PM. We decided to head out nice and early. Pacaya is around an hour drive from Antigua, after which the hike up takes around 1.5 hours. It’s one of the easier hikes I’ve done and is not too steep. Nevertheless, if you feel like riding a horse up, you can. The horse troupe accompanied us for most of the way, with the hope that one of us would break and make use of their services!
The trail is filled with black volcanic soil and as one ascends towards the top, you can see picturesque views of Guatemala’s diverse terrain. Up top, you get to see dried up molten lava lying across an expansive slope. It’s a fascinating sight, something I had never seen before. Being an active volcano, 6 years and as recent as a few months ago, Pacaya released hot fiery molten lava rivers that were flowing in profusion, must have been quite a sight! The two highlights of Pacaya are a Lava Store, which brings together different artisans’ creations and the roasting of marshmallows. The artists use lava rock from the volcano embedding them in jewelry, key chains and other souvenirs. Each little bag connects you to a Mayan artist so that you can learn about their unique story. And as you walk on the rocks feeling the warmth and steam, you can lean into crevices and roast your very own marshmallows that come out crusty and warm, melting into your mouth like jelly.
Lake Atitlán
85000 years ago, a volcano erupted spewing out hot molten lava and magma from inside the earths crust resulting in the terrain collapsing and forming what is Lake Atitlán today. It flows into two rivers instead of connecting with the ocean, which is why when we take boat ferries from one island town to another, the water isn’t too choppy. Each little island town has it’s own character, with Santa Cruz being rugged, fairly untouched and natural with a Mayan village up on the hills. San Marcos is a backpacker friendly island town with tons of garden cafés, cute hostels to meet other travelers, and spaces for meditation, yoga and massages. The decks around the island are a great space to lounge around. After soaking in the sauna heat, you can dip into the lake or walk to spots where you can fling yourself from a height of 15 meters or so, scary but my mental note to myself was, everything I want is on the other side of fear ;)
