Friday 1st May, sunrise, La Antigua and thoughts..

Friday 1st May. Here is this morning's sunrise...

Guatemala was a gem at the end of our string of gems which stretch from Miami to Fort Lauderdale all around the world. We had been given such dire warnings about the crime in this country that some people were too anxious to stray far from the port. Thank goodness most of us took off and went further afield and were amply rewarded for doing so.

George and I visited a coffee plantation beyond La Antigua on the first day because he was the bus leader. It turned out to be a lovely introduction to Guatemala; we took the route to La Antigua and climbed to 5000 feet. We left behind the heat and the smog of Puerto Quetzal for vistas of volcanoes and clearer, purer, cooler air. As we gazed out of the bus windows one of the volcanoes suddenly belched forth ringlets of dense white smoke; it was errupting. It obviously happens often because the driver and guide took it in their stride, but you can imagine our excitement. The guide had told us to expect earth tremors daily but in fact the earth didn't move for me, for which I was truly grateful as I have an earthquake phobia. I had to force my mind away from thoughts of violent destruction, particularly in La Antigua which has been destroyed at least three times by volcanic erruptions or earthquakes. In fact it was the capital of Guatemala in earlier times but eventually it was decided to give that honour Guatemala city which seemed more stable!

At the plantation we were shown the processing of coffee from the stalk to being bagged for export....pre-roasted. The roasting is done by the country which imports them....largest importer is the United States and then I think Germany. Afterwards we sat on the wide stoep of the main building, overlooking beautiful gardens and sipped the best coffee we had tasted for some time. Conversation veered from coffee to the tempting shop behind us (which sold colourful, handcrafted bags, scarves, blouses and jade ornaments and jewelry. Guatemala has different coloured jade; green in various hues, white and black.) and ultimately to 'I can't believe this is our last port of call!' (This last sentiment pervades the ship now. We all know that even if we were lucky enough to do this trip again it will never be the same....this was the first time for us (not for everyone) and the friends we have made have been important and have added so much to our enjoyment of it. )

On our second day we hitched a ride from the ship to La Antigua on another Semester at Sea trip; this time to a textile school for women. The tour was absolutely fascinating because these are women who are trying to support families on meagre pay but are learning a craft which should continue to sustain them in the future. They show enormous artistic skill in colour and design: some designs going back to the Mayan civilisation. One sees them still in the fabrics of traditional and modern clothes and displayed in wall hangings, bedspreads and carpets.

We arrived in La Antigua central square at about noon having first been let loose in a market place...oh the temptations! The town is at first glance a grid of narrow cobbled streets lined by mostly small, one storey, painted houses....not so far to fall in the next earthquake? The busy streets and squares are thronged with men and women in traditional Guatemalan dress, school children in uniform, horse drawn carriages, mopeds, cars and little tuk tuks or enclosed two passenger motor bikes,(The latter a variation on those we saw all over Asia.) and of course tourists like ourselves.

George and I left the tour and set off to find our hotel. It was in the South of the town, overlooked by the Agua volcano which had been responsible for destroying it by flooding from a hidden inner lake during an erruption in the middle ages. (There were ruins being preserved everywhere to remind us of the town's many lives.) We found the hotel after a 15 minute walk and it was a wonderful surprise. Hidden behind a large dark (and locked) wooden gate/door was this beautiful villa built round a courtyard garden. The garden was bursting with exotic flowering bushes, echoing chimes, birdsong, potted plants and cobbled paths.

Our bedroom had a window and door facing the courtyard...needless to say we left both wide open! We had a large, high ceilinged room with brilliant red bedspreads and cushions and a terra cotta walled shower with more silver-toned bells and whistles on it than any I have seen. In fact it took me 20 minutes of peering through my spectacles to work out how to get any water from it! However, when it came it was piping hot, forceful and oh so soothing.

After a short break we hurried back to the central square to meet friends for lunch which we enjoyed in yet another courtyard garden. George and I then spent a long afternoon wandering through the streets, parks and churches of Antigua... I staring at the women and children and receiving smiles and greetings in return. They easily gave permission for me to take photographs of themselves with their babies, which I asked for very tentatively at first but they seemed delighted to be asked..... an unusual phenomenon world wide I believe. We had been warned that they might be afraid and angry but this was clearly not the case in Antigua......I suppose I do look more like a grandmother than a terrorist planning to abduct their children. (In Africa they used to feel that the camera might steal their souls but now they ask to be paid....) In Antigua they just walked away smiling when the photograph had been taken...they asked for nothing. There were beggars; old people sitting arthritically and awkwardly on the side walks, some children and mothers with children. Also cripples in wheel chairs... all holding out plastic bowls for Quetzal or dollars. Guatemala is obviously not a land of milk and honey for everyone no matter how attractive and appealing we find it. There is poverty staring you in the face.....

By the time we returned to the hotel that night we were pretty tired and just wanted to relax. We had no desire or need to dine out so watched Obama's 100 day press conference on the TV (me...news junky that I am) and read our books. I had been coughing alot and one of the staff (a gentle young woman called Lourdes) came and knocked on our door. Would I like some hot fruit tea, it would be soothing for my cough? I accepted with thanks and she brought a tray with china tea cups and a tea pot full of delicious, steaming fruit tea. Can you imagine that sort of spontaneous kindness and concern in a large impersonal resort? She emphasised that this was 'on the house'....unusual and generous in itself.

We had a relaxed morning after a delicious breakfast of fresh squeezed orange juice, home baked rolls, jams and, last but not least, delicious coffee with hot milk. We had arranged to meet up with friends to share (with ten others) a cheap ride back to Puerto Quetzal at 1.30pm in the town square. We decided to take a leisurely stroll down to the centre of town and find a good place for lunch which we did.

I apologise for talking so much about food but I must tell you that we had for lunch the tenderest steaks I for one have ever had.... ordinary knives just slid through them like butter. This was preceded by a delicious dish of mushrooms with garlic and cilantro (I have no idea how to spell that). I have a sudden vivid memory of Miss Van Aarde, my English teacher at St Cyprians in Cape Town, saying to me after reading one of my essays about a vacation 'Margaret did you happen to notice anything else on this holiday apart from the food?'....plus ca change, plus ca reste la meme chose....or words to that effect!

Our van ride back to the ship with 12 others at US$10.00 each (very cheap) was uncomfortable to say the least. We sat on the back seat, the shock absorbers were non-existent and the driver took the speed bumps at about 80 miles an hour...ouch! But we arrived at the port in one piece amazingly, no bones broken, and in good time which was all that mattered.

As I walked towards the gangway, my faithful back-pack which has journeyed round the world and Canada with me since I bought it at a stall in a Sudbury mall at least 10-12 years ago, broke at a crucial point.....I could have wept! So, to cheer myself up today I have bought the second to last 'Semester at sea Alumnae' back-pack in our on board shop. It has a life-time guarantee... I think it might well outlive its owner!