Day 10: Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala … A Country That Speaks to Us

Sunday, 15 January 2017
At Sea … Pacific Ocean
Temps: 82F (27.8C) @ UTC 2:30a (ship’s time 9:00p)

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking
new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
~ Marcel Proust ~

We always enjoy the countries we visit … be it the small taste we get when we stop for a quickie visit on a cruise ship or the more in-depth exploration when we do a land-based trip.  But sometimes a country speaks to our heart and soul … making it all the more special.  That’s what happened with Guatemala today …  our first time here.  Can’t wait to come back and explore all that we missed today.  But that’s for the future, let me focus on the here and now.

The ship’s daily — The Currents — forecasted a sunny day with a high of 91F.  But I knew from my notes that we would be traveling to higher altitudes where the temps would be cooler.  I checked the internet before we disembarked the ship this morning and the forecasted high in the mountains was 73F … beautiful.  I think it ended up being a little warmer than that by the time we were strolling about in La Antigua, but it was comfortable with little to no humidity.  Perfect.

Today’s tour was another private one, with Sonia and Boris joining us once again.  Our ship docked in Puerto Quetzal, where we met up with our guide Alex — from Guatemalan Guide.  Minutes later we were off to enjoy this colorful country … and I mean that both literally and figuratively.

The shape of the thatch-roofed visitor center mimics the volcanoes that
dot Guatemala … one of which is on the distant horizon to the right.

Guatemala — like most of the countries on the isthmus — is volcanic in nature … 36 volcanoes Alex told us … 3 of which are active. We saw our first indication of this before we got off the ship … 4 distant volcanoes on the horizon … 2 of them active.  On our way out of the port, we saw more signs of this side of the country in the volcanic sand piles … in conical shapes mimicking the shape of the volcanoes.  Alex explained that this sand was used in construction — especially in foundations — as it is stronger than river sand and withstands earthquakes much better.

The volcanoes that are our constant companions today.  Clockwise from top left
Fuego and Acatenango; Fuego erupting a puff of gases even as we watch … later we
hear it rumbling; Agua; and Pacaya.  Of these, Pacaya and Fuego are the two active ones.

Our route out of PQ took us into the northern highlands.  Alex suggested that since most of the people from the ship were heading to La Antigua, we shift our itinerary around and head to the villages first.  OK by us.  This helped to break the long 1½-hour drive to Antigua into more manageable chunks … and also assured that we were able to see the ruins of an old church that I was particularly interested in seeing.

The first town we stopped at was Ciudad Vieja … literally, Old Town.  Here our focus was the beautiful white-washed cathedral that dominated the central plaza.

Next we headed to San Pedro Las Huertas.  Another cathedral greeted us here — this one painted a deep yellow and trimmed and decorated in white.  What we found especially enchanting in this town was the public laundry across the street from the church.  Women were lined up along three sides of a pool filled with water, washing clothes in individual tubs built into the stone wall.  A fascinating glimpse into daily life.

We spent quite a bit of time at the next village we stopped at — Santa Maria de Jesus, on the slopes of Volcan Agua.  Today was market day in the village … and what a market it was.  Filled with action, color, and even a band playing as a procession was beginning to form from the church across the street.  From the P/A came announcements that someone had a horse and a mule to sell … another announcement told everyone to collect water today as the water would be cut off the next day to make repairs to the system.  Women of all ages were in their traditional outfits — a daily occurrence, Alex told us — with the most amazing tapestry like decorations on the blouses.  My hands itched to photograph the detail, but I respected the privacy of the women … until Mui charmed one of them into giving me a chance for a close up.  What an experience.

Our last stop before heading to La Antigua was one I had requested — at La Ermita de la Santa Cruz — where the ruins of an old church destroyed by earthquakes is set against a backdrop of tropical forest.  Simply marvelous.

Eventually we arrived in La Antigua … a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once the country’s colonial capital … colorful buildings, beautiful churches, cobblestone streets, unrestored ruins of structures devastated by earthquakes, mansions decorated with bougainvillea.  We definitely did not do justice to this beautiful city as there was so much to see and do … we will have to return to explore all that we missed this time.

Our first stop was a local restaurant where we had lunch.  The small eatery reminded me of boutique restaurants in Turkey that serve home-style cooking … various dishes of the day on display … just point to what you want and you’re served.  Our timing was great … by the time we left, there was a long line of people waiting to order … mostly locals.

A “comida tipico” (typical meal) with our guide Alex, and Sonia & Boris.

We walked off our meal with a lengthy wander around town.  We visited several churches.  One was La Merced … constructed with a low profile after lessons learned following the downing by earthquakes of previous churches that stood taller.

Another stop was at Catedral de Santiago … where we saw the new façade and then went inside a another section to wander around the ruins of the 1545 church … toppled by the Santa Marta earthquake of 1773.

Then we strolled along Calle de Arco with its colorful storefronts and checked out the Arch of Santa Catalina — the clock face had Roman numerals, with the #4 depicted as IIII … impossible to see that error in the photo below, so you will just have to take my word for it ;-)

Eventually we arrived at the Jade Museum.  One of the guides talked to us about the various types of jade mined in the country and showed us samples of the different colors … green, black, and the recently found lavender.  Then we got a glimpse into the workshop where artisans were polishing jade beads.  Finally, we checked out replicas of some of the Mayan jade masks.  The tour ended in the jewelry shop … of course … timed perfectly with Alex’s return to pick us up in the car.

The jade embedded in the teeth of the skull is Imperial Jade … very rare.

We made two more stops on our way out of the city.  The first was at the Church and Convent of San Francisco … no photos allowed, but we did get to enjoy a quick walk through and shop for nuts in the market set up in the courtyard.

The last stop was at the main bus depot.  Odd place to visit on a tour?  Maybe, but it was colorful and interesting.  Old school buses are auctioned off when they complete their lifecycle in the US and end up in many of the Central American countries where they are used for public transportation.  They are painted in a variety of bright colors, each denoting the route the bus travels … an easy way for people in a country with low literacy to identify the bus they need to take.

In addition to its Guatemalan license plate, the bus in the bottom
right image still carries its original California license plate.

We left La Antigua at 4:30p.  The drive back to Puerto Quetzal was an easy one, with no traffic to speak of … a lucky break that we were visiting on a Sunday as I understand weekday traffic can be horrendous.  We were back in PQ shortly before 6:00p.  Before we left Alex, he gave each of us a small memento … a bead shaped like a bird.  Then, running the gauntlet of vendors at the cruise terminal, we boarded the ship … pleasantly tired, but totally delighted with our day in Guatemala … enthralled with the country.

We weren’t paying attention to the fact that it was Mui’s birthday when we decided to have dinner in the dining room tonight.  No, the attraction that took us there was a menu item — baked Alaskan halibut … one of our favorite fish.  It was topped with mushroom duxelles, tomato concassé, and Gruyère, and served on a bed of spinach with a creamy vermouth sauce … very tasty.  Sorry … no photo of our meal, but how about one of Mui being surprised by the wait staff with a birthday cake.

Happy Birthday Mui!

Tomorrow is a much anticipated day at sea … from PQ it’s 586 NM to Acapulco and Insignia needs the extra day to cover that distance.  I plan to relax and not do much of anything.

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