Though a little tired from my other travels in 2007, I flew to Guatemala City for Semana Santa or Holy Week in this Central American country. I was so pleased to have worked through Elizabeth Bell of Antigua Tours who planned my trip flawlessly. I arrived in Antigua where I stayed at the lovely Hotel Mansion Del Pensativo located three blocks from the main square. Though I had a small single room I loved being away from the many people who had jammed the streets for Palm Sunday and for Holy Thursday and Good Friday or Holy Friday. The hotel had a lovely garden, pool, a terrace overlooking flowering trees and a large volcano where one could enjoy the view while eating a great breakfast. I also saw the Posada Del Angel which has five suites and looks like a wonderful spot to stay also.
Holy week in Antigua is the largest celebration in the Western Hemisphere and second only to Seville Spain. The highlight of being in Antigua for Easter week is to see the many processions. There can be several in a day. The streets are blocked off beforehand so the neighborhood can complete the amazingly elaborate and colored alfombras or carpets made out of colored sawdust. Flowers, flower petals, pine needles, fruit, seeds can also be found on some of the carpets. The people who make them take great pride in their designs. However, as soon as the processions pass the garbage collectors are not far behind.
The processions were amazing. Originating from the many churches the processions were led by Roman soldiers some on horseback. The large floats, some weighing 7,000 lbs. were carried by 80 or more people. Thousands of processional carrier know as cucuruchos participate in the processions. Many are members of a brotherhood and have carried the statues since childhood. Men carried floats of Jesus while women carried the Virgin Mary. Often somber music was played by a small group of musicians. As the floats were so heavy the carriers were replaced almost at the end of each block. These somber events sometimes went on for twelve or more hours. Some started early in the morning and others started late and ended in the middle of the night. I could hear the drum beats often in the distance from my hotel room.
I found some wonderful restaurants in Antigua. I loved the Café Contessa. It had a great brunch on the weekends and I loved eating outside in the back overlooking the courtyard. It had wonderful food and pastries. Since it is right on the main square it is a great place to stop in for a cup of coffee or snack. I frequented a great store and café called Casa Cicob. I loved stopping in for a late afternoon tea and again to escape from the hoards of people in the streets. The owner was delightful and I purchased some nice accessories for my home in San Miguel de Allende. The newspaper estimated that there would be 1 million visitors for Semana Santa in Antigua. Though many of these people were not frequenting the nicer hotel and restaurants it is wise to book your reservations early. I found the restaurant a the Meson Panza Verde to be excellent with a wonderful atmosphere. The Cuban jazz was a real highlight on weekends. I liked Nicolas International food and also had a great meal at Romarin. I would also suggest trying La Fonda de la Calle Real with its lovely courtyard and great Guatemalan cuisine.
I frequented many art galleries, shops and folk art stores. I loved the colonial architecture and atmosphere. I recommend Antigua for a great getaway. I would consider the city for one of my fractional homes but I don’t know if the government is stable enough for the investment or if people would want to go back several times a year.
I did travel by van to Panachal on Lago or Lake Atitlan located the western part of the country. . The lake is surrounded by three volcanoes and is really beautiful. I stayed at the Hotel Posada de don Ronrigo right on the lake in Panachal. I traveled by boat to the small village where my guide Sara Matzgar introduced me to some local weavers. I am a textile collector and loved seeing and buying some wonderful pieces.
A real highlight of my trip was attending the Mayan New Year celebration on the Tuesday before Easter. I was taken by Sara and her family to a sacred Mayan site at just outside of Tecpan. Her son was one of the Shaman who was participating in the ceremony. We arrived early to watch them build the altar. They started making the sign for the day in colored sugar. Then round pieces of incense were added along with multi-colored candles, cigars, flower petals, pine needles. It was a colorful altar that was lit as the ceremony began. The Shaman were all smoking cigars. All who came to the ceremony brought things to add to the altar. The group that had gathered all were greeted by the Shaman. There was praying toward the North, South, East and West as well as dancing and drumming. It was a wonderful experience as they prayed to the Mayan Gods. There were a few of us gringos present. We were welcomed and told that we could take pictures as long as they were used for good and as long as we told the world that the Mayan people are still alive. I thought that was really a great message.
The next day I visited Chichicastenango for the huge indigenous market. I bought a great number of Mayan textiles some used in the homes on their altars. Thank god for ATMs. They are really outstanding pieces and I could have purchased more. The market was really crowed with the local people shopping for the holiday as well as a large number of tourists.
After the processions in Antigua I flew to Tikal for a night at the Jungle Lodge. We arrived at the National Park on Saturday morning. But I was disappointed with the large number of people visiting the Mayan ruins. However, on Sunday which was Easter Sunday, I went into the park before 7am and I was so pleased to see the wonderful ruins and temples before the crowds had arrived. It was a great experience and I was glad I spent the time to see it. I was a little nervous about flying over the jungle in a small plane but everything worked out with no problems. The Lodge was simple but comfortable and the food was okay for being in the middle of the jungle.
I had a wonderful week in Guatemala! I highly recommend it. Remember Elizabeth Bell at Antigua Tours can do a great job in planning your trip.
