B and J's big adventure: January 2014

Antigua was the first capital of Guatemala. Then after several earth quakes they decided to make Guatemala City be the capital. When the church built the first chapel in Antigua they had to comply with the architecture of the city.

The artist who makes wood into art objects

In Antigua

A view of the City of Antigua. There was a group of nursing students at the look out when we were there.

This week we visited some places here in Guatemala City, but we also visited Antigua. The Zoo was nice because it was well kept and it was sooo peaceful. No one was bugging us to buy something. What a nice time that was. In front of the Zoo we saw a man sweeping with a hand made broom. Another interesting thing is to look at all the different doors on gates and buildings. We were told that one lady they knew took many pictures of doors and made a collage called "doors". It now hangs as a picture in her home. We also went to a real Mall. It was so much fun to just walk around and look and not have people bothering us to buy this or buy that. When we were in Antigua a man wanted me to buy what he had to offer and pay for it with my watch. Another man wanted me to buy something, but all I had left in my pocket was Q2.00 (two quets). So I gave him the two quets and told him I didn't want anything, but just to use the two quets wisely. Blair is getting very good at bargaining. He talked a guy down from Q750 and we ended up paying Q235 for it. We went to a place in Antigua called the Apple Factory where they make things out of wood. We saw volcano Fuego let off some steam. That is one of the active volcanoes now.

At the Apple Factory

Volcano Fuego

The Cathedral

Porcupines

The Government Palace

The park in Zone 1

Zoo entrance is not made with metal pool and tape.

Doors

A women in need

Selling flowers at Central Market

Animals

Naked Pinatas

School Girls

Seen on a licence of a car outside our apartment

This was an interesting tree by the Zoo

The relief map was like a HUGE school project that the kids did in school in a shoe box

The temple is closed for maintenance for three weeks, so we went to Rio Dulce on Tuesday and Wednesday and to Atitlan on Thursday and Friday. Here are some of the pictures we took. On our trips there were the Pitchers and their children and a grandson. The Barlows, us, Roberts, Burbidges. We left for Rio Dulce on January 14 and stayed until January 15th. We left for Atitlan on January 16 and left on January 17th. On our way back from Livingston on Rio Dulce we were in a major rain storm. The rain was coming down so hard that each rain drop hurt when it hit my face. After we got back to our motel, we changed our clothes and left to return to Guatemala City. We had to stop several times along the road because during the storm some trees had fallen down on the road and there were people cutting the trees up so the road could be cleared. We finally got home at mid night and got to bed at 1:00 a.m. We had to be up and ready to leave for Atitlan by seven, so it was a short night. It will always be a memorable trip.

These are pelicans close to Livingston. Livingston got its name from the man who helped free the black people there who were slaves that were brought from Africa. There is only one way to get into Livingston and that is by boat. All their goods are brought in by boat. Livingston is at the mouth of Rio Dulce where it flows into the Caribbean ocean.

A boat wreck

the outskirts of the town of Livingston

There is an Iguana on this tree. Can you see it?

Livingston

This is where we stayed by the lake Atitlan

A town by Lake Atitlan

We were in the town of
Santiago, Guatemala by the Lake Atitlan where these three ladies, one 22 years old, one 17 years old and one 12 years old told me "I remember you. You buy from me. You promise". I asked them if they go to school and they said only in the afternoon. They were so cute. I felt love for them.

at the street market

There is a volcano in the back ground

going to market in a small truck

San Marcos

private homes

One of the 12 Apostle towns

Volcano

A grave yard. Because it is close to sea level, all the caskets are on ground level and going up on top of the guy below him.

by the Rio Dulce. The next several pictures are of this Castle or Fort

these castle doors were rather small and short to go through

This is where they held their prisoners

One of the cannons used to protect themselves from the pirates from Europe.

The bend where the river turns into the lake by the castle

Here is most of our group looking out the look out station. The rest of the group are taking the pictures.

We stopped here to see a fossil museum in this town Zacapa. It shows how far we are from Guatemala City

We could buy a hammock here. Some in our group did.

We stopped on our way to Rio Dulce to see some "Stellas". It was like a nice walk in the park because there was not a lot of climbing to do here.

We stopped at a place on the way to Rio Dulce to have lunch and there was a pond with all these turtles in it.

This is where we had lunch. It reminded us of Kema in Texas.

At our motel by Rio Dulce

Lake of Rio Dulce

there was a mini zoo with caged animals. We don't know what this animal was called.

This monkey was angry with us because we would not let him play with our camera. If looks could kill....

Toucan bird

Fishermen preparing their fish net for the next days work.

children in a park playing

this little guy told us he was guapo

Look at that, This is something we don't see here very often.

This girl and the girl below were gliding down the hill on the same bike. A car was coming so I yelled ALTO. Thankfully they stopped. They followed us to make sure we made it back to our motel.

me resting on a hammock

banana trees with blue bags around the bananas that are going to market

Bubs looking out a window at the "Castillo de San Felipe del Golgo"

two girls sharing their lunch of from one plate. This was in Livingston.

It took two boats to take all of us down the River Dulce

going for a walk

two girls looking at their picture we just took

This guy was a grandpa living there. He has cancer. He said he was happy. When his picture was taken Blair told him he was also guapo. Guapo means handsome.