A Visit to the Land of Volcanoes With a Rich Mayan Heritage

By GERRY and PAMELA BARKER
North Palm Beach Life
Published March, 2020.

PUERTO QUETZAL, Guatemala – After two days at sea, including a driving overnight thunderstorm with unbelievable lightning, we arrive at this Central American country famous for its Mayan heritage, coffee, sugar cane and volcanoes. “Quetzal” refers to the famous, vibrantly-colored Central American bird of the same name, the national bird of Guatemala and also the name of its currency. This is our first time to experience Guatemala, which plays hosts to over 100 cruise ship visits yearly. To make the most of it, we’ve booked a “Best Of” all-day tour centered around the historic city of Antigua.

Pam is ready to start the tour

Our tour started by making the 90-minute drive to Antigua. Located in the country’s Central Highlands, our guide told us we’ll be going from sea level to an elevation of 5,000 feet on both paved and dirt roads, so don’t be surprised if your ears “pop.”

The first thing to notice are the volcanoes which rise out of the lush green countryside. Guatemala has at least 37 volcanoes, three of them active. One — Fuego — had a major eruption in 2018 that killed over 160 people and left hundreds more missing. We saw the results first hand as work to rebuild the road through the area is still ongoing.
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One quick side note: Our bus driver stopped the bus to check on why the A/C was weak. He and his assistant discovered a belt needed replacing. They quickly pulled a new one from the overhead, changed it out and we were on our way — and cool — in under 10 minutes. Impressive!

Our first stop was the Cultural Center, where you can learn about the history of the region and its Mayan traditions, which are still strongly held by its people. We loved the cooler clime the higher elevation provided — so refreshing! Because Antigua, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, can’t accommodate large buses, tour groups are loaded onto smaller ones for the trip into the city’s center.

Established in the 1500s, Antigua retains its Spanish architecture in the churches and buildings that line the
central square. We will spend the next three hours walking its cobblestone streets and learning about its past.
As we found in Cartagena, be ready to be surrounded by street vendors selling all manner of flutes, dolls,
​ blankets and jewelry. You can’t help but admire their colorful attire.

At the Jade Museum we watched workers as they turn the precious green stone into jewelry. The ancient Mayans assigned a religious importance to jade that to them made it more valuable than gold. 

​All Photos by North Palm Beach Life

The highlight of the tour was lunch at Hotel Casa Santo Domingo. Built on the grounds of a monastery established in the 1500s, it’s a magnificent merger of old and new. An earthquake struck the site in 1773, and what remained has been preserved and turned into a 5-star hotel and restaurant, along with museums and factories that make chocolate and candles. We literally could have spent the whole day here, touring its beautiful 
 grounds and fountains.

You can walk among the ruins

Pam in the garden

Mayan artwork on display

Too soon it was time to make the walk back to the departure point. As we walked, we had to be mindful of the many motorbikes and so-called “chicken buses” that serve the city. Our guide told us they were yellow school buses from the States, brought here to be colorfully re-outfitted for passenger service — and some of those passengers could be chickens.
​ (Think about the bus from the movie, “Romancing the Stone.”)

An open-air market in one of the city squares

As we return to the bus, skies become threatening

A so-called Chicken Bus hurries by

Colorful buildings line the streets

Thank you, Antigua, for your hospitality!