For two weeks leading up to the resurrection of Christ the Antiguenos parade through the streets, on holy days, in elaborate processions lasting 12 hours while carrying heavy wooden floats with images of Jesus or the Virgin Marry on top. These can be very heavy, up to 90 people carry the Antiguan floats, and those from Guatemala City require 110-120 people to carry them.
Another tradition of La Semana Santa is the construction of colorful and artistically decorated street carpets made from colored saw dust or from natural materials combining pine needles, flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Beyond the Easter festivities, Antigua still exists and can be described as an international oasis where rich Guatemalans and people from all over the world come to study Spanish, schmooze it up at spas, fine dining, and an array of classy hotels and the typical options found in big cities for the backpackers (bars, clubs, good food, etc.)
Antigua is found nestled between the green sloping hills of three volcanoes (one active and can be seen every few days spewing off into the air) and at one time was the capital of the Spanish Central American empire that span from Mexico to Coasta Rica. After a series of devastating earthquakes and volcanic catastrophes the capital was moved one and a half hours away to present day Guatemala City.
A main tourist attraction of the city are the remains of the colonial buildings and churches that survived the passage of time. Unfortunately in the mid-1990s another earthquake hit and ruined most of what was left. A handful of beautiful buildings, or rather the empty shells of them, still stand scattered throughout the streets.
Taking a break from studying Spanish, Marissa and I had the opportunity to hike up the side of a volcano and play in the lava. As you can imagine, it was really hot. Some spots of the hike were sketchy, and you could see the lava flowing beneath the thin shell of volcanic rock you walked across. Apparently here is one of the few places in the world where you can get close enough to lava to poke it with a stick, which I did and almost burned my face off.
Click on photo to enlarge:
This is the family we are staying with in Antigua while studying at a Spanish school for two weeks. Patti from El Salvador, and Luis from Guatemala, have three children and live behind their Salvadorian restaurant. We eat fairly well, lunch is the best meal and dinner and breakfast is usually accompanied with a large helping of beans, which I am starting to get tired of.
La Merced church where a lot of the Easter processions start and end. On holy days they have street-food vendors cooking and on this particular day you can see people selling decorations for palm Sunday.
Marissa tempting the lava gods.
Warming up next to molten lava.
The Central Park in Antigua. At the center of the city, a meeting place for locals and foreigners alike, and a place to lounge around and relax.
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