One Week in Antigua, Pt. 1: Friends, Camionetas, and Ruins

As I wound down the Carretera Panamericana from Atitlan, I realized that I absolutely was not going to make it to Antigua by nightfall, thus violating one of my ironclad rules of the trip: don't ride at night in Latin America.

"Why, why, why didn't I add more lights?" I groaned to myself; even with the hi-beam on, the undulations in the road made it hard to see very far, and with the Panamericana's numerous intersections, it made for a hair-raising ride. I also couldn't see much of Antigua as I made my way in, but two things were obvious: lots of detours, and god-awful roads. It turned out that part of Antigua's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site mandated that the cobblestone road be maintained as is; as-is, in this case, meaning some of the roughest "pavement" I'd ever seen. There were construction crews working on every other surrounding road by night, plus two different detours for downed power lines, and by the time I made it to my hostel for the night, I was so turned around that even with my GPS track, I'm not sure I could have found my way out.

Daylight on Monday morning, 8/26, showed me the sights I'd missed by night, and once again I was left gobsmacked at the sheer natural beauty visible at every turn in Guatemala. Antigua is overlooked by three volcanoes, Volcán de Agua to the south, and the twin peaks of Acatenango and Volcán de Fuego to the east. Fuego in particular is a sight to behold; one of the more active volcanoes in Central America, it regularly erupts throughout the day and night, with strong explosions that can be heard and felt throughout the city, and pillars of ash blowing high into the sky. Five major eruptions since 2004 have caused evacuations, problems due to ash falls, and in the most recent eruption of June 2018, nearly 200 deaths and the near-destruction of villages below the volcano.

Volcán de Agua to the left, Acetenango & Volcán de Fuego to the right, with Antigua in between

I'd ridden to Antigua earlier than expected in order to meet up with a friend before she left for the month. Chelsea and I had first contacted each other through Instagram via several posts about her own travels through Mexico and Guatemala, collaborating with and documenting the work of local artists in many different communities along the way, all under the aegis of what she calls her Unus Mundus Project. She'd already given me lots of advice on travels in Guatemala and things to do in Antigua, where she's been based for the past six months, and I was excited to see her latest project: a concrete and metal temezcal, a pre-Colombian sweat lodge commissioned by one of the nearby communities. Though it's still under construction and the intricate metal accents and blown-glass facade aren't in place yet, I loved seeing this project I'd been following for months in person and hearing about the whole process of creating it.

Even though I was only able to meet up with Chelsea and her boyfriend for an afternoon, I was grateful for the opportunity to do so at all. Social media and our internet-centric world may have its downfalls, but the ability to connect based on shared interests, and to turn that into an in-person meeting and genuine friendship, is something I'll always be grateful for. After all, this journey is all about new experiences with new people in new places, and were it not for a few chance messages on Instagram, I'd have never had this particular experience at all. You can follow Chelsea's work and travels, and learn more about the philosophy behind her work and travels, at http://unusmundusproject.com and on Instagram @unusmundusproject.

My last order of business for Monday was to move my things into the hostel at Mototours Antigua, my home for the week while I waited on a new windshield and associated parts to be shipped from Miami. Combining a motorcycle rental company, bar, maintenance shop, hostel, and tour guide service under one roof, Mototours should be THE first stop for anyone traveling through Antigua by motorcycle; besides lots of local advice, a place to work on your bike, and lodging, Jose and Marlo, the two guys who run the business, are all-around fantastic, super friendly, and always up for helping travelers. If I was going to be "stuck" in Antigua for the week, I could hardly have picked a better place! 

Not that Antigua as a whole is a bad place to spend a week. The former capital of Guatemala before a series of earthquakes in the 1700's destroyed most of the major structures, Antigua is now a major tourist and expat destination, and it's full of excellent restaurants and bars, along with a huge expat community; for the first time since crossing the Mexican border more than two weeks prior, I wasn't the only American in any given place, and it was a strange feeling at first. The guys at Mototours certainly did a great job of making me feel at home though, and I ended up spending the bulk of my evenings in Antigua with them.

I also found lots to explore during the days. Antigua, as it turns out, is one of the biggest sources of the colorful "chicken" buses mentioned in my last post, and I managed to stumble into one of the shops that turns out the rolling art pieces. Most of the buses come from American school districts after reaching mandated mileage limits, or from Mexico, and are driven down to Guatemala for conversion at one of the many shops in and around Antigua. The buses are stripped to the body and frame, completely repainted, luggage racks are added inside and out, and often the engine and transmission are swapped for more power and a manual gearbox. The shop I visited fabricated much of the metal detailing in-house, and definitely took pride in what they did. I got to see a few camionetas in various stages of production, and it was a fun look into one of my favorite little aspects of Guatemalan culture.

Antigua is a city with its history on full display in the preserved and ruined buildings throughout town. Though Antigua was founded in 1543 as the capital of Guatemala, a series of earthquakes in the 16th and 18th centuries left many of the original buildings in ruins; while the houses and other buildings were rebuilt, many of the large churches, convents, and monasteries were left in ruins that survive to this day. After being held inside by constant rain for much of my first two days in Antigua, and my subsequent mountaineering adventures (which I'll detail in a whole other post), I finally got the opportunity to explore the old ruins on my last full day in Antigua. Readers who know me in real life know that I love exploring abandoned and ruined buildings, and Antigua's many ruins did not disappoint. Some, like the Convento Capuchinas, are relatively intact and can still be used for events on occasion.

Others, like the Colegia de San Jeronimo (first two photos) and the Monasterio y Templo de la Recoleccion, were almost completely destroyed, with only walls and cell structures still standing. La Recoleccion in particular is a sight to behold, with huge chunks of brick and masonry strewn across the floor of what used to be the church and three-story walls still standing, along with a large portion of what used to be the monastery. 

Exploring the various ruins in Antigua made for a full day of walking around the city, but it was more than worth it. After spending the evening hopping around various bars in order to see the friends I'd made throughout the week one last time, I packed up the Twin for the first time in a week, now looking whole again with the new windshield installed, and set off once again. My next destination would be the Honduran border, with an overnight pitstop in Chiquimula before crossing over, but Antigua had left a lasting impression over the week I'd spent there. The city is an interesting mix of old and new, centuries-old buildings now occupied by modern restaurants and businesses, many staffed by expats from all over the world, but above all, it was an exceedingly beautiful and friendly place with something for everyone. Like Guatemala as a whole, my first visit there will certainly not be my last.