Like arepas in South America and gorditas in Mexico, pupusas are made of corn dough. In Central America, the dry corn for pupusa dough is soaked in an alkaline solution to remove the tough outer skin and preserve the nutrients in the kernels. In the US, we call this resultant corn process "hominy." Pupusas don't have to have a filling but almost everything's better with cheese!
I was visiting the town of Santiago de Atitalan in Guatemala and went to the town market as part of this visit. It is a large and bustling market, as most markets tend to be, with portions that are both covered and un-covered and above-ground and below-ground. The market sells all sorts of goods and has a highly interesting atmosphere.
Imagine being able to sip flavorful Guatemalan coffee while taking in the view of Volcán Agua, which changes color from dark green in the morning to an almost purple at dusk. Rent the Grand Suite at Meson Panza Verde and you can. Established in 1986 as Antigua's first boutique hotel, Meson Panza Verde's "Grand Suite" is huge and beautiful and only $250 during low season (Summer), which is still an amazing time to be here. A room like this in other countries could garner anywhere from $1000-$5,000 a night. www.panzaverde.com
Just hours away from the United States and yet worlds apart, Lake Atitlan is truly one of the most beautiful and interesting places I've ever visited... and by far a magical and inspiring backdrop for any yoga practice. Nature puts on a glorious show each day, from the first morning light to the crystal- clear, star-filled night skies- the views are so breathtaking, the air is so clear, the sun is so brilliant- no one ever wanted to miss a practice, although I imagine a few of them would have been fine with a few less chaturangas! And best of all, Lake Atitlan provides you with just the silence and just the inspiration to further your solo yoga practice. Find a deck, a patch of grass, or as I did, a helicopter pad, and let it flow...
Few cities in Central America can rival Antigua Guatemala for its setting: a mile high, surrounded by volcanoes, with a spring-like climate all year round. The first time we visited Antigua, we spent a week here, taking intensive Spanish classes in the mornings, wandering the city in the afternoons, sipping the best coffee we'd ever tasted. The inhabitants are nicknamed 'panza verde'--'green belly,' due to all of the avocados that grow on the hills surrounding the colonial city. Antigua was the capital of Spanish Central America for over two centuries, until earthquakes in the 1770's flattened much of the city, causing the Spanish to relocate their capital to what is now Guatemala City. The patina of time has settled over this place; half-ruined sites still languish amidst the throngs of language students and visitors. Early mornings are still calm here, almost impossibly picturesque. The three volcanoes, Agua (3760m/12336ft, seen here), Fuego (3763m/12345ft) and Acatenango (3976m/13045ft), loom over the bougainvillea and tiled-roofs...And in this streetscape, you can see the Arco de Santa Catalina, one of the icons of the city, originally built so that cloistered nuns could cross over the street without being seen...
Getting up in the pre-dawn is not usually on my agenda, but wanting to see the Gran Plaza in Tikal at sunrise was sufficient motivation. I expected at least a handful of others would be similarly motivated, but my expectation was fantastically wrong. Alone in the misty morning, the pyramids dissolving into the gray sky, while the oropendolas and scores of other birds pierced the thick air with their song, I felt almost as if I were a ghost, floating serenely through the royal complex. I didn’t get to see the sun rise as a ball of flame over the pyramids; instead, the city of Tikal emerged slowly out of the mist, as though materializing out of the past from a dream into reality. And I the lone witness.
When U.S. schoolbuses 'die,' they get re-incarnated in Central America; repainted and rechristened, they become tropical intercity transport. For crossing international borders on land, many Centroamericanos ride on double-decker buses, from which you can look down on all the Panamerican Highway action; traveling from Guatemala through El Salvador and Honduras to Nicaragua, this was a typical scene, as we wondered, "are we there yet?"
These ladies pull hot fresh corn tortillas off their grill, scrape avocado out of the shell, smear it across the warm tortilla, sprinkle on some salt and queso fresco and it's all yours for about 1 Quetzal. Buen Provecho!
Aside from the religious events, what makes the Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebration in Antigua, Guatemala so unique are the flower and sawdust “alfombras” (carpets) created on the cobblestone streets of the town. These huge works of art are created by anyone who wants to and exist for the sole purpose of the Semana Santa processional floats to parade over. The making of the sawdust carpets starts with sand being spread over the cobblestone streets to level the ground. Next, dyed sawdust in hues of all colors are gently sprinkled through intricately designed cardboard stencils. Flowers, seeds, plants, vegetables, and pine needles are often added as final touches. There are numerous processional floats parading through town for several days leading up to Easter so new alfombras are constantly being created over the course of the week. Every alfombra is truly a labor of love and special in its own way.
A woman walks past a door on the streets of downtown Antigua in Guatemala. Antigua is a picturesque colonial town, like many other colonial towns one might see in Central and South America. Old colonial buildings abound, as expected, but the city is also quite modern and has numerous modern amenities making it easy for tourists (as evidenced by the Wi-Fi sign in this photo!).
The "Volcán de Agua," just west of Guatemala City, at sunset... Going 'up north' to visit Guatemala, where an old family friend has lived for years, was our vacation during the year we lived in Nicaragua. Her neighborhood is in the hills above Amatitlán. I'd just bought my first digital camera a few days before and I was still learning to use it. (We had moved to Central America with a film-camera, but getting film developed in Nicaragua was more expensive than back in the U.S., even though Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America! The disparities between wealth and poverty are shocking...and some of the malls in Guatemala City are nicer than what you find in most 'Gringo' cities...and so I finally came into the digital-camera era in, of all places, "Guate.") So, while dinner was cooking, a quick stroll...there weren't many clouds, so I wasn't expecting a very interesting sunset, and then--and then the sun went down and the volcano cast its 3,760 m (12,336 ft) shadow into the sky--time to learn to use the camera!!!
La Cuevita de lo Urquizu was far and away the best restaurant we visited in Antigua. The set up: Choose one from among the gorgeous meat stews that are displayed streetside, and then select two sides from an array of options arranged on a long table that stretches back into the heart of restaurant. Even if you don't know what's in the stew, just choose the one that looks best - they're all delicious. Find it at 2 Calle Oriente 9.
Near the town of Tecpán in the western highlands of Guatemala are the ruins of Iximché. Perched on a hill some 7000 feet above sea level, this was the cool capital of the Kaqchikel Maya in the 15th and 16th centuries, at the time of the Spanish Conquest. This was our first visit to Central America, and although we didn't have time to visit the more famous ruins in the jungle of Tikal, we were excited to come to this less-well-known complex. Iximché is off the beaten path for most non-Guatemalan tourists; and among the Guatemalans who visit here, most are indigenous Maya. Built at the end of the pre-Columbian period, this city was used for only a few decades before the Conquistadors would establish their rule. But these ruins are hardly 'dead;' Maya families regularly come here for recreation and religion. The afternoon we were here, we saw a ceremony taking place. We didn't want to intrude on others' beliefs, so we stayed back--but I was close enough to see that bottles of rum were being used as offerings, and that one of the 'priests' took a break from his duties to answer his cell-phone. Syncretism at work. And then there were some kids playing inside the recessed ball-court. In the mythology of the Kaqchikels, a ceremonial ball-court was also the gateway to the Underworld. Five hundred years later, their descendants spend weekend afternoons kicking soccer balls around in those same courts...
This particular street becomes a pedestrian mall on market day - and everyone comes out to shop!
We stumbled upon this place on an evening stroll in Antigua. I vote this bar run by an energetic couple, Carlos and Carolina, the most AFARish place in the city. You feel like you are in their living room because you basically are. You can dine upstairs, which requires climbing a ladder. Try the lomito. You won't regret coming here. Opens at 4pm.
On a hillside, just north of Antigua, stands this stone cross. From the top of Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross), you have sweeping views south over the city of Antigua with the magnificent Volcán de Agua, towering over the landscape. I would recommend going up to Cerro de la Cruz only after you have already spent time in Antigua. That way, when you get up to the hill and look over the city, you can try and find all the landmarks that you visited. That is what we did when were there – trying to spot the Arco de Santa Catalina, Iglesia La Merced, Parque Central, Fernando’s (our favorite place for coffee) etc.
Aldous Huxley said this about Lake Atitlan when he visited and I agree. This is the lake that I am looking at right now from my living room window. I swear the bewitching beauty sparks new cells in your eyeballs. It melts your heart to look at this lake every day. Swimming, taxi-boating, and walking along the lake hearing the birds in the morning are my favorite things to do. When I jump in the lake in the early mornings and look back over my shoulder I am thrilled at the lush green mountains after all the rain and of course the volcanoes rising out of the horizon with clouds floating over them. They look so close that I can almost touch them with my fingertips. I'm renting a house here for 3 months and am happily teaching photography, writing my next book and hearing the lake lap against the shore all night long. http://www.bartnikowski.com
Lake Atitlan is an amazing volcanic lake in the western highlands of Guatemala. It is surrounded by villages inhabited by people primarily of Mayan origin. This photo was taken right after sunrise when the mist is on the lake and the local men are going out to fish. The scene was physically and spiritually inspiring. I took a lot of photos, but this one captured the scene the best.
From one temple-top to another: on top of the world in Tikal National Park in northeastern Guatemala. These Maya pyramids (8th century) were the tallest structures built in the Americas until twentieth century skyscrapers arose in New York City. Howler monkeys and flocks of toucans add to the lost world feel of these ruins. From the top of Temple IV, this vista of the 'Jaguar Temple' and the 'Mask Temple' was the high point of our jungle-trekking.
Antigua is chalk-a-block full of beautiful and intimate posadas. We stayed at Posada del Angel. The staff is so friendly and willing to take care of your every need. The bathrooms are large and well done. The best part about our stay was breakfast on the rooftop terrace overlooking two volcanoes--Fuego y Agua. Definitely the highlight of our stay. Gotta love the lap pool as well and kept at 22 Celsius.
My friend Joan and I were staying at Ni'tun Private Reserve on Lake Petén Itzá near Flores, and planned to visit several Maya sites in the Petén region, but were most excited about visiting Aguateca. What an adventure it was! Our guide Bernie of Monkey Eco Tours drove us to the town of Sayaxché on Río de la Pasión, where we embarked on a 90-minute boat ride on a gloriously sunny day. About halfway there, the river opened into Petexbatún Lagoon, a protected wildlife refuge where we spotted a variety of birds including cormorants, herons, osprey and vultures. When the boat docked at Aguateca, we had an uphill hike and soon were within viewing distance of the site's most extraordinary feature - La Grieta (translation: fissure or rift). At Aguateca it signifies the geological chasm that divides the site and provided its occupants with a natural defensive wall. As we craned our necks to look up, it was easy to imagine being pelted by rocks or other weapons from above. As we continued toward the ruins, our hike took us through a narrow portion of the chasm. The sun's rays combined with fog from the humidity to create somewhat ethereal lighting when I took this photo of Joan. Although you won't find imposing temples like Tikal’s here, the ruins at Aguateca are significant, and among the best preserved of the Mayan sites in Guatemala. Because of the travel time, you'll need a full day to visit and if Bernie is your guide, you'll be an expert in Mayan culture by the end of the day.
In the marketplace of Antigua, colorful sawdust piles hint at the beginning of Semana Santa. Starting at midnight on Holy Saturday, artists all over Guatemala labor through the night designing giant sawdust carpets to blanket the cobblestone roads. These alfombra artists combine Mayan and Catholic iconography into beautiful artistic creations and when the sun rises, the carpets are destroyed as priests and acolytes process over them carrying statues of Christ and the saints. Beautiful and impermanent, just like life.
During "Semana Santa" (the Holy Week of Easter), every neighborhood gets together to create these beautiful "carpets" - all hand made with flowers. Antigua's streets are so covered in flowers that traffic becomes an absolute nightmare. But it's all worth it for that ephemeral beauty is astonishing!
With a view like this -- from bed! -- who would want to get up and out?! Nearly every room at Casa del Mundo has such a vista. (And no, I don't work for them -- I just can't speak highly enough of this gem of a spot!) Not only is it a TERRIFIC deal (rooms are as cheap as $53!) but it's such a charming place to relax for a few days. Dinners are communal, making it the PERFECT place to meet other travelers visiting the lake. Oh and the food is delicious, too! Pack a book, some sunscreen and expect to be delighted...and at peace.
While backpacking through Central America, one of my first stops was at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, which Aldous Huxley famously referred to as "too much of a good thing." From the second you step on the cramped boat ferry, half filled with wandering gringos and half with locals buying the week's groceries, you are overcome with a sense of awe. Stretching in the distance are the hazy purple volcanoes and lush green hills, and it is indeed way too much of a good thing. Anyone who spends time here gets sucked into an alternate universe of pure, natural beauty and serenity. As a recent convert to outdoors activities, I was hiking from my hostel in Santa Cruz in search of a waterfall somewhere back in the hills near town. After wandering around lost for a while, I started to hear the familiar sounds of soccer, whistles, jeers, and yells. Soccer is simply my favorite game in the world. I've found it to be a powerful connecting force between foreigners and locals while traveling. It is often referred to as "The Beautiful Game," and I could not agree more. I always seek soccer games to photograph and watch, no matter where I travel. As I came to a clearance, I joined a local father and his two kids on this ledge, watching local teams play on an uneven field with San Pedro Volcano and Lake Atitlan in the distance. I never found the waterfalls, but no matter. I found myself watching the beautiful game in the most beautiful place.
We went to Guatemala on my 40th birthday. I was itching to go somewhere with true culture, lots of color and charm. My gypsy soul was calling. The city of Antigua is a lovely base of operations. It is a renovated colonial town filled with cobblestone streets, warm hued haciendas and the smell of the mountains in the air. A feeling of eternal Spring. We arrived just in time for the famed processionals through the streets for Easter. Pilgrims from all over the highlands of Central America were descending on the small jewel of a city dressed in their traditional Mayan colors. Lovely people with devotion on their faces and a contented calm that I had not felt since Bali. In fact, in a strange way Guatemala reminded me of Bali. Spiritual devotion resulting in sublime peace despite the obvious poverty. Color and ceremony influencing everyday life providing meaning, connection and pride over the mundane and everyday. I was thrilled to immerse myself in this energy again. We enjoyed staying in a small, boutique hotel filled with antiques and local art. Just my style. The owners a lovely couple who provided authentic mayan food on the sunny terrace with a view to the volcano for breakfast every morning, the hint of distant burning mountain wood mixing with our own little outdoor fire warming us in the brisk morning air.
At the end of a week-long stay in Antigua, attending intensive language classes, my brain was full of newly acquired verb-tenses and vocabulary lists--pleasantly full, but tired. I let my wife sleep in as I went for an early morning walk around the colonial city, word-free...No busloads of tourists, no vendors, no traffic--just the volcanoes looming over the quiet cobblestones, lush over a sea of tiled roofs...
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