Arrived at Antigua, passing a wedding bridal party, and reached the hotel Casa de los Bucaros at 3.30 pm. As Bec had a 4 pm hairdresser appointment and wanted to get the orientation tour in before hand we had to quickly drop our bags in our rooms and meet back in the foyer. My room was no 20. Well I could find room no 19 and the two rooms to the left looked like small store rooms. The door to the room to the right had no number on it and was open with beds all made up as if in readiness for the guest (ME!). Nice large room, 3 beds (again), 2 easy chairs . Very nice I thought. So bag left in the room and straight out for the very quick orientation tour and where things are in Antigua. All most needed to know was where the ATM was Bec.

I wanted to the next day’s morning 3 hour Mary Bell walking tour and followed Bec’s directions to the ticketing desk in Café Condesa by the main plaza only to find out that there are now no tours on Sunday.

So a wander around simply to get a feel for the town. Again grid layout with narrow cobble stone streets. Reminded me of San Cristobel and also in some ways Cuzzo in Peru but minus the Aztec ruins / architecture influence. Walking towards to markets found in front of the Compania de Jesus a temporary artesian co-operative. Here I did buy my Guatemala souvenir wall hanging for Q 300 / NZ $ 50 / US $ 40. At least I knew where the money was going to and not to a middle person trader.

Antigua Guatemala (commonly referred to as just Antiguais a city in thecentral highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque influenced architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Central Park (Parque Central) is the heart of the city. The reconstructed fountain there is a popular gathering spot. Off to the side of the Central Park, the Arco de Santa Catalina is among the many notable architectural landmarks of La Antigua.

Due to its popularity amongst tourists and its very well developed tourism infrastructure, Antigua Guatemala is often used as a central location in which many choose to set up base and from here, visit other tourist areas in Guatemala and Central America. Cruise ships that dock at Guatemalan ports offer trips to Antigua from both the Pacific and Atlantic. Antigua also holds a sizeable retirement community from the US as well as Europe, drawn by its colonial charm and mild climate.

Historically, the area was considered to be one of the finest agriculturally in Guatemala. tourism is the main driver of the economy. Antigua is also a coffee-producing region of Anacafé.

Antigua is known as a destination for people who want to learn Spanish through immersion. There are many Spanish language schools in Antigua, and it is one of the most popular and best recognized centers for Spanish language study by students from Europe, Asia and North America. Language institutes are one of the primary industries of Antigua, along with tourism. Thanks Mr Wikipedia.

On arrival back to the hotel tried my room key but no go. Wrong room it appears. I was shown where room 20 was. It was 3 doors to the left of room 19. Well, I have been in some small rooms but this one takes the cake. Two beds in a space that is just 4 by 3 metres. Then the bathroom was 3 by 1 metre. In fact you have to kind of step over the toilet to get into the shower. You can only half open the bathroom door to get into it I really do not know how 2 person could unpack and move around in the room. I was lucky as I had a spare bed to use. The rooms with just one bed was just half the size!

Dinner at 7.30 pm at the Rainbow Café. Hibiscus ice tea Q 15 /NZ $ 2.30 / US $ 1.90And for Q 49 / NZ $ 7.50 / US $ 6.20 a melted Mozzarella Quesadillas - warm flour tortillas stuffed with delicious fillings accompanied by home made guacamole and fresh tomato and coriander salsa. Choose the Cajun Chicken - grilled spicy chicken layered with melted mozzarella cheese. Yes, this was certainly melt watering.