A low key kinda quiet day

Amazing what a decent sleep can do. I rose with a spring in my step hung out in my room for a bit, crossed the road to the awesome cafe I found the other day and bumped into Lola who used to dine in my group when I was at the house stay.

What a small world.

Tonight we are all taking our hostess Jessica out for a meal. It is the least we can do. I was only at her house for a week but she was so lovely and worked so hard for us. I am looking forward to catching up with everyone tonight.

My walk took me out if the old city and onto smooth roads and footpaths. It makes walking so much easier. Other than the roads there wasn’t too much different but I did pass a magnificent sports ground. It was too hard to get a photo.

I head back in the direction of the old city and realise there is another thing that sets Antigua apart. There aren’t any stray animals just hanging out. There are lots of pet shops so maybe they just respect their animals a bit more here.

Every now and then I see women in doorways making tortillas. Huge bowls of doughy mixture that they shape with their hands and dry fry on huge hotplates.   Piles are bundled into big bags probably to sell to restaurants.  They are different colours depending on the type of corn they use.

This is a neat little article about them.

https://correspondanceculinaire.wordpress.com/2015/07/21/the-magical-fresh-tortillas-of-guatemala/

I haven’t seen one smoker (except for a couple in our group) and not one cigarette butt to be seen. There are a few vapers, mainly westerners.

There are many spotless public bathrooms around the place. I didn’t try them but from the outside they look lovely with gorgeous ceramic signage and lovely entrances.

The orientation tour with the guy from Maximo passed a place called Pappy’s which he said was a “must do” whilst here. So here I am.

Typically Texan, loud, country music, great selection of on tap beers including from Antigua Brewing. The menu is texan style BBQ.   I have ordered a platter with pork spare ribs and smoked brisket with sides of fries and corn.

I don’t normally do places with food solely from other countries but there is something bewitching about this. I have been transported elsewhere. My Gallo on tap was a great choice and just what I needed after the hot walk.

My meal arrives. I know I am in an American joint.

I’m not really sure why they bought me a knife. The meat was so tender it fell apart with a push from the fork. I did a good job of trying to finish it but it hot the better of me.  Back home it would have been great value. I’m not sure it was here. But the taste of the brisket was out of this world, smoky with a bit of a bite, tender and moist. The highlight of my meal and I’m glad to have tried Pappy’s.

I need sweet. I leave on a mission. No the mission wasn’t for sweet but was to buy some flowers to take to Jessica tonight. I found the stalls in the depths of the market and therein I learned a valuable lesson.

Don’t be a smartarse Helen and listen to what people tell you. I saw a lovely bunch all fancy with wrapping paper etc and asked the price. Quarenta Q’s was the reply (40 Q’s or $8). In my head I heard 400 and decided it was too much so I gave her 200Q and told her pick enough to make it up. I managed that bit ok. Duh!

It wasn’t till I saw her collecting more and more flowers that I realised my stuff up. This is what I ended up with.

Not only are there lots but I now have to arrange them and find a way of getting them to dinner.  It nearly broke my arm off getting them home and they are now safely lying in the shower.

No wonder the lady in the stall wanted to give me extra’s. Her best sale of the week. To top it all off as I was leaving she started to speak to me in English so I knew that she knew my mistake and just ran with it. 🤣🤣🤣

I’ve had a lovely morning and it was nice to get off the beaten track a bit but by then I was hot and needed a break. I headed home. The cleaners in the hotel were at work and there was much fuss and chatter going on so I couldn’t sleep so arranged the flowers instead. They came out ok for an amateur but I guess with that quantity I couldn’t do a lot wrong.

Time for dinner at a place three blocks from home. We were most of the team that dined together at the homestay plus three newbies and our host Jessica.

Jessica loved the flowers.

2 for 1 cocktails from 6 till 7 and we were all in. I’m not a cocktail drinker but managed to put a few away and bought some for one of the guys. There can’t have been much alcohol in them because I would normally be feeling the affects by now.

Lasagna to share was the order of the day but because I can’t do cheese I ordered a ceviche.  Again it wasn’t a ceviche, the prawns were cooked and it included surimi as well, but it tasted great and was more than enough.

What a neat group of people. It was all pretty loud and so I couldn’t hear much of close up conversations but we had some good laughs mainly at the expense of Mark the Canadian. One of the funniest people I have ever met.

Saying goodbye was like saying bye to long time friends. I was lucky to be included in such a great group.

Home time, Duolingo a cuppa and bed for me.

A lovely low key day.

Not the greatest start to my day

😤

6:22 am Tuesday. 

My room was as quiet as a pin last night when I turned the light out. I should have learned by now that I should never say ‘thank goodness’ for anything. 

I said it last night about the peace and quiet and promptly fell asleep. About 1:00am I woke to the sound of what I thought was gentle rain and lay here for a while formulating a rain day plan. 

Before long the gentle rain sound changed. I now had the sound of a torrent along to the side of my room. It kept me awake for ages but eventually slowed down and stopped. I fell into a deep sleep. 

Until 4:30am and it started again. I swore, loudly, and squirmed down under the sheets hoping it would go away.   I could hear dripping noises too, ‘tortuous’ is how I can only describe it. There wasn’t anyone to be found when I went out looking so back under the blankets I went and tried to get some sleep. 

Until that is the dripping noises got closer and closer. So close that I could feel splots of water. So close that water was dripping onto my bed.   

I gave up, made coffee and waited till I heard voices outside and went and told them about it. Water was pouring out of the guttering. It looks like a pipe from the water tank has broken and the water coming down the roof into the courtyard outside my room and then in through my ceiling. I suspect it is not the only ceiling affected as I could hear drips on the other side of my room. 

Lucky I have two beds. The one I didn’t want to sleep on is now my resting place till I am on my way for the day. 

Around 9 am I managed to communicate with the receptionist, who knew nothing of the drama, that I would like to change rooms. The room I was in, apart from a leak and one wet bed, had a step in an awkward place and I knew in a sleepy stupor it would get the best of me. So I was extra pleased when she said ok. 

My bag repacked, laundry dropped at the Lavandaria and I was on my way. I collect the laundry this avo and will pay $4.50 for a bag full of stuff. 4lbs worth. 

I was on a mission to find a pair of solid shoes. The stones can be felt through the soles of the ones I have so time to shop. So far no luck. 

But right now I am in the cutest wee coffee shop having a cup of cinnamon tea. They have the cutest courtyard surrounded by artisan (aka tourist) shops. So sweet and tranquil. 

Except for two loud Americans next to me. In the few minutes I have been here I have learned of the marital problems of each of them, their illnesses, their likes and dislikes. Really girls!. Why do you have to talk so LOUD!  I’m outa here and back to my search.  I wander in the meantime.

I followed my nose and checked out the local market. Not too dissimilar to local markets anywhere selling anything and everything all of disputable quality but cheap. I found the shop with the shoes and was about to ask if I coukd try them when she turn up loud some awful music. I left. I don’t need shoes this bad. 

The markets backed on to the “Artisan Markets”. I went for a look and wish I hadn’t. Two minutes in there and it totally distorted the idea in my head about a cute city that handles tourism well. The last time I used the word Artisan I thought it implied quality/hand made. The Artisan Markets were full (100’s) of stalls all selling the same poor quality garish souvenirs.  Not hand made, not quality and probably not made in Guatemala. They all looked remarkably like the stuff in Panajachel and the stuff at tourist places in other countries I have been. Wish I’d stayed off that path. 

I checked out the bus station where the Chicken Busses live. Some of them are so cool. 

A wander around a very beautiful church was a great respite and provided a few minutes of tranquility. Funnily enough they had a board and photos of the place I was volunteering at.

Vergen del Sacorro. Going back to my volunteer days Virgen del Sacorro is a private hospital where many pay. However many of thise with long term issues are funded by the government. Abortion is illegal in Guatemala and the religion of the masses disapproves anyway. People, especially in the country places, dislike doctors and even when pregnant get no pre-natal care. They often give birth in sub-standard conditions at home and get not follow on care. Many chikdren are born with cerebral palsy and it is these kids that end up where I was. Heartbreaking. Back to today. 

With sore feet I returned to a place I’d had a great meal the other day. Eager to repeat the performance I grabbed a seat and scoured the menu. Drat. Lunch menu from noon. It was 1 minute past and what I was hoping for was no longer on the menu. 😢

Still a Guatemalan style burger will have to do.   Turns out it wasn’t a burger at all but a delicious pepito. Crunchy toasted roll stuffed to the brim with grilled mushrooms, onions and beef. If that wasn’t good enough it came with the best EVER fries.  

I literally dragged myself back to the hotel. They had given me a new room upstairs and moved my stuff. The room is much smaller but has a bed not made of rocks. I tested it out and had the deepest sleep only to be woken by some tradesmen outside. But by that time I was refreshed and ready to roll. 

My 1 hour massage was a chance to relax and let my skin soak in some oil. It wasn’t the greatest massage but was in the hotel so I was able to go straight to my room after. 

With my facebook problems seemingly ongoing I spent some time transferring my blogs onto my website but then found I needed a desktop to finish the job. 

I was going to have to out for food anyway so off I went sneaking into MaximoNivel to use their desktops.   Job done. I will finish it all tomorrow and let you all know.  I have copied in the blogs from the other site but yet to format or add photos as its a pain on the new site. I will get them done slowly.

This is such an easy city to walk around. The roads are in a grid; Avenues (avenidas) go north south and streets (calles) east west.  It is a  very safe place with a low level of crime. The most dangerous thing is probably walking on the footpath. Cobblestones aside you need to be in the lookout for the window boxes which hang out over the footpath, right where they can leave a nasty bruise.

Walking on the streets is harder, the cobblestones are more worn but you can take your time crossing as the cars ALWAYS stop, not only for pedestrians but for each other too. Not a toot or hand signal in sight.  The people are so lovely, polite and eager to help. Even for the rude ones. 

I have noticed that when I yield to let someone past the latin American people either let me through first or at least say a genuine thank you. Our western friends do what they do at home; barge past without even a blink. 

There is always something to see and tonight it was just lovely .

Nearly home and I came across a restaurant which serves Pepian. I was in for a try.  From Mr Google:

“Pepián is one of the most popular and representative dishes of Guatemalan cuisine. It is a thick and tasty stew that is made with a base of toasted and ground seeds, accompanied by meat or chicken and vegetables. The mix of ingredients gives this recipe a unique and delicious flavor, which has become one of the most valued gastronomic wonders of Guatemala.”

I needed the hibiscus drink I ordered as the Pepian was deliciously rich. It would be the best mid winter feast. It came with a small basket of soft tortilla which I didn’t have. 

Interestingly this place closed its doors at 7:30 and on the way home noticed that most places in my hood were closed too. I hope that means that there wont be any late night party goers coming and waking me up tonight. 

I’m finishing this post tonight sitting in a delightful wee courtyard right outside my room. I had a bad start but it has ended up being another lovely day in Antigua. 

Back to Antigua. My happy place

It’s 10:30am Monday and I am sitting on the rooftop of “The Little Spoon” waiting for my eggs on toast with plantain and a hibiscus drink. Already it is stinking hot but with a gentle breeze.  

I have a view of one of the mountains in the background and in the foreground a very cute house bordered by the usual and ugly corrugated iron roofs. Corrugated iron is used for everything, seldom painted and often rusty. Panajachel was nice last night, the hoardes have gone. I didn’t need to check out till 12 and relied on the dogs to wake me. I didn’t need to. 6:30 I was wide awake after a great sleep. The dogs didn’t make a sound. They must have been spooked by all the people on Saturday. 

I spent the morning in my room with my usual routine and enjoying a phenomenal shower. It might be the last of those I get for a while. 

Panajachel is even nicer today, sleepy, quiet and serene. Most of the stalls are still closed but the Little Spoon is full. People, like me, killing time before a shuttle collection. 

The young tourists hog the space with their backpacks, sit and play cards or use free wifi. Same. The. World. Over. My meal especially the plantain was delicious gave me a boost and put a spring in my step. Delicioso. 

They don’t take USD here and quetzales are useless anywhere else. Most places have a minimum amount you can use a card for so my quetzales are just for small spends. I haven’t yet found a restaurant that does not take a card and so far none charge a surcharge (but all add a tip). The Little Spoon charges an 8% surcharge for card use. Well my quetzales will come in handy. My brunch cost $10. 

Back out on the street waiting for the shuttle I watch the street vendors setting up their stalls again. Last night they packed everything up. Some to plastic bags loaded onto a hand trolley which they wheeled to a storage location, others behind a roller door where they were situated during the day. What a job. Every day; unpack, sit in the sun on a stool, hope to sell something and make a profit, pack up. Repeat. Just to survive. 

I had an espresso whilst waiting. First world treats. First world prices $5. 

I’m collected only a few minutes after pickup time. My driver was on a mission. He certainly wasn’t the sedate, cautious driver I’ve had. More like a bit loco. 

It seems like the gradients will never stop; up, down, hairpin bends, not a piece of straight road. There are times when we are up in the clouds. How they have made roads through this terrain is remarkable. And the road quality is pretty good too. Think of NZ’s SH1 on the stretch before Taupo. The views are fantastic but hard to capture in the shuttle. Most of the shuttles are Nissans but there are also heaps of Toyota pickups mainly with flash railings with the Toyota logo on the front of the deck. 

And before long I’m back home. It took nearly 4 hours to get to Panajachel and I’m home in less than two. My home for four nights is the cutest place where rooms surround courtyards. My room is on the ground level tucked into a corner. Perfect. 

I’m off exploring. I notice heaps of artisan workshops hidden through nondescript doorways.  Some selling nice local handcrafts others selling mass produced junk. It seems every open doorway was the entrance to an oasis. 

I just wandered for a while until my feet gave up. Walking on cobblestones is not only tiring but hard on the feet and back. I needed refreshment which came in the form of a Antigua Brewing Co IPA at Freda’s. And a delicious drop it was too. The local beer Gallo costs around 25 Quetsales (Q’s pronounced Kwet-sa-less) in a nice restaurant or 15 Q at a more basic place. My IPA at Freda’s was 50Q. The price you pay to go to tourist places. The price you pay for a posh drink. This city is so pretty with so many interesting things to look at, like this scene tucked into a courtyard behind bars. 

Done of wandering I enjoyed a quick taco pastor and made it home to settle in to my digs. 

A massage is booked for tomorrow afternoon at the hotel. I am relaxing at the thought and looking forward to a good sleep and a sleep in tomorrow.