So, it's Saturday morning, the Tucan tour group are about to leave Antigua, Guatemala for Copan, Honduras, me and Kaine have had a few hours sleep after drinking last night and we've decided to stay another week in Guatemala, meeting everyone again in a week's time in Nicaragua. Adios Tucan!
Anyone expecting a week of culture and sightseeing will be sorely disappointed I feel. We're spending a few days in Antigua with our new Guatemala City posse, then off to Guatemala City so they can chaperone us! I'll let the photos do the talking for most of the week. Most of the Antigua photos are from Reilly's Bar, I may as well have left the camera behind the bar and picked it up each evening! There are some shots of Antigua (just so you know we didn't spend ALL our time either drinking or sleeping), and we also paid a visit to Guatemala City zoo.
I loved Guatemala, both the country and the people. I'm not sure I saw the "real" Gautemala, with only a handful of places visited (Tikal, Rio Dulce/Livingston, Antigua, Guatemala City), but I could say that about many of the countries I've visited. Tikal was the major Mayan site I wanted to see on this tour and the views from the top of Temple IV were one of the highlights of the tour so far for me.
Antigua is a tranquil colonial town by day and a great party town by night. I loved the atmosphere and people, and of course, I ended up staying longer than I intended. The centre is very much a tourist town, with some great bars, clubs and restaurants, and friendly locals and gringoes alike. Reilly's is THE place to go at night. Red's do an English breakfast, and a great variety of other dishes (good fish and chips!), and you must try the Five Peppers Tenderloin at Fusions. If you're coming to Central America, make sure you include Antigua on your itinerary - either for it's UNESCO World Heritage Status centre, it's nightlife, or as somewhere to learn Spanish due to it's proliferation of language schools.
Guatemala City is touted as one of the most dangerous cities in Central America. We stayed in Zone 10, which is the business district where all the restaurants and nightlife is situated, and it's reasonably safe walking around, but we got a taxi when venturing further afield. Food and prices are very reasonable, certainly much more so than the guidebook suggested, which stated that staying in Zone 10 would leave a sizeable dent in your wallet. The Las Torres Guesthouse is a great option for accommodation at US$30 pppn, located close to all the amenities you'd want. We spent most nights at Oz bar Rattle'n'Hum, stated in my guidebook as the happening bar in the city and it's lively, full of locals, some tourists, and business people. I didn't find Guatemala City as friendly and accessible as Antigua, but it's maybe worth a quick visit.
It's Friday morning, Honduras has been missed, but we've had a great week. We have our flights booked to Managua, Nicaragua, and then a bus or taxi to take us to Leon and rejoin the tour group. However, Kaine can't tear himself away, and decides to stay in Guatemala City. I've been ditched and will be making my way to Leon on my lonesome! Is this the end for the partying A Team? Stay tuned for the next instalment to find out!
Alas poor Honduras, we knew you not
Friday, May 14, 2010
Guatemala City, Western Highlands, Guatemala
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