I’ve been in a bit of a funk. Three weeks ago I was hit by a car, crashed a mountain bike and sent to surgery to fix some arteries with cow parts. Suddenly my travel schedule was wiped clean and I had to give up physical activity for six weeks.
While forced to the couch, my Costa Rica anniversary came and went. Like any other anniversary of a momentous occasion, it felt impossible that a year had already passed. I found myself missing Costa Rica, Central America, Latin America like a normal person might miss a significant other.
To put a band-aid on these — what are they called? — feelings, I went searching for a connection back to those adventures in my library of work from Central America that I still need to edit. With that, I landed back in Antigua, Guatemala — without question one of the most popular destinations in all of the Americas. Below enjoy 16 photos from our four days in Antigua, fresh off a week in El Salvador back in January before heading to Lake Atitlán.
Ruins like these are all over Antigua thanks to centuries of violent earthquakes.
Parque Central served as a scenic meeting point in the heart of Antigua.
While many churches have been left in ruins, La Merced continues serving the masses.
One of Antigua’s many crumbling churches.
Arco de Santa Catalina with a controversial fresh coat of paint. Despite the rehab controversy, it remains the thing to see in Antigua.
Another look at Arco de Santa Catalina. Built in the 17th Century, the structure originally served to move nuns from the convent to a school without going out on the street. Now it’s the heart of the UNESCO Heritage city.
A typical cobblestone street in Antigua.
We arrived in the middle of this impromptu event, but the man in the middle appeared to be a local politician giving a speech to constituents.
A closer look as the crowd inches forward to get a better look.
Though so much of Antigua has fallen, the remains have been remarkably well-preserved. Thus it’s completely safe to walk around and you’re free to do so in most locations.
This, however, is not encouraged.
“Hanging with Hey-Zeus” coming to CBS this fall!
Even the door handles of Antigua have more artistic integrity than the majority of today’s style of hasty cut-and-paste development.
This is the most beautiful monument to The Drooling Man I have ever seen.
Sites like these are literally — yes, literally — around every corner in Antigua. It never gets old.
Buildings more than one or two floors are incredibly rare in Antigua and I believe no longer permitted. One restaurant, however, managed to get grandfathered in, allowing for the rare aerial look at Antigua.
Disclaimer: I stayed as a guest of Hotel Quinta de last Flores. As always, all opinions are my own.
