This morning all of us, along with our three Spanish teachers visited a new sculpture garden on the top of a hill which is part of the fancy, and very expensive Casa Santo Domingo Hotel. The hotel provides a free shuttle bus to the beautiful gardens which offer great sites of Antigua and surrounding villages. The architecture and artwork throughout the complex was modern and the gardens exquisitely cared for. It was a treat for both students and teachers leisurely walking around.
Shana and I went with my teacher, Aracely Lilian, to visit her village, Pedro Las Huertas to see the Velacion in her church. We took the chicken bus from in front of San Francisco Church and returned before lunch.
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
I took a real Spanish lesson while Jane & Shana visited Santa Clara ruins, a monastery just around the corner from the school. We had planned to get together with Caroline after lunch but she didn't show.
Keith and Brian spent the afternoon at the park while Jane, Shana & I went to take a Salsa lesson. Jane 'chickened' out, but Shana & I had a great time and got a little exercise too! Jane has video that I'm hoping she'll keep to herself!
After supper, we spent time with Sandra's daughter & son-in-law. Sandra II works restoring antiquities in Antigua; she shared a lot of interesting history about Antigua, how it became the third capital city of Central America. The current capital city of Guatemala was designed with the churches in the same places they are in Antigua, though built in a different style the churches retain the same names. It was a good Spanish lesson & history lesson for me!
Thursday, 6 April 2012
After breakfast (yummy oatmeal, scrambled eggs, mango & watermelon) we dropped off the laundry and went to school.
Shana, Jane, Aracely & I walked to Church of Calavario. It is a shaded walk along a field of coffee with ruins along the way, very pretty. We were a bit early to see the day's main events, decorations in each of the many ancient churches honoring the Last Supper, but we enjoyed the walk seeing the alfombras along the way of the procession from San Jose De Bajo.
Aracely and I returned to the school to spend our last hour together conversing in Spanish, though that was the only language I used with her she enjoyed practicing her Spanish with Shana & Jane.
Our time after lunch was spent touring Las Capichinas ruins, another monastery. What a lovely place, we took many pictures! We discovered a quiet refuge from the increasingly large and noisy crowds on a covered second floor patio just off the main pedestrian walkway for a cold one, or maybe two.
Sandra had prepared two soups for our 'last supper' together. One was a homemade ramen noodle soup with fresh vegetables and the other a thick soup made from some of the plantains brought from high in the hills around Lake Atitlan by Candido's wife.
Friday, 7 April 2012
We were up before the sun and out the door as it became light outside for the biggest day of Semana Santa. Though the procession left La Merced at 4:00 am and had destroyed many beautiful alfombras before we were even aware, there was much to see in Antigua on Good Friday.
We spent hours walking the narrow stone streets blocked off to the traffic. There wasn't a procession in town that we didn't see. And we had breakfast at Dona Luisa's, a real treat!!
As we ran out of steam we headed home for a short rest and then we hit the alfombra trail again.
The crowds of people were polite and calm though Shana and I did get a bit worried as we waiting in front of the Cathedral for the beginning of their procession because of the mob in front of us that we knew had to move out of the way somehow. We planned an escape route which didn't have to be used luckily.
Rain started in the late afternoon and Jane & Brian waited it out under the shelter of a small roof over the doorway of our adopted Antigua home. The Images were covered with plastic as the procession continued, rain or shine. It did clear up before we headed out to supper only to start up again around midnight before the last processions had headed back into their churches. It's hard to imagine that some of these processions continue for over 14 hours. The people who carry the intensely heavy cargo change, but the bank plays on, front start to finish!
Saturday, 8 April 2012
Keith & I left Antigua around 8:15 am in the craziest shuttle we'd ever taken! While we were bound for El Salvador, Shana, Jane & Brian prepared to shuttle off to the Aurora Airport for their journey back to SLC. We loved the time together in Antigua for Semana Santa! It was an experience none of us will ever forget!!
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