We have been in Guatemala for 10 days and we have at least 10 things to tell you about!

First off: the logistics of this year's trip. Because we wanted to go to New Zealand this fall, and we do not have endless pots of money, we opted to come here straight from the southern hemisphere, and stay till spring. (sob - that means no going back to NS for Christmas - and we will cry more about that later!) Jim also decided to investigate having some dental work done here in La Antigua before we go down to Rio Dulce. So ... we flew from Auckland to LA to Dallas to Guatemala City, arriving on the 15th at 7pm - or thereabouts. Megan McMillin and her boyfriend Lhess met us with wide open arms and big smiles and drove us to Casa Muriel in Antigua, where we were met with more smiles and hugs - along with dinner - from Lori Shea and her visiting mother, Muriel.

Lori Shea is the owner and chief arranger of Guatemala Medical Travel, and friend of several friends of ours in Rio Dulce. Megan is one of 2 RN's who work with her, and Casa Muriel is her home and guesthouse for folks who wish to stay with her while having treatment here. We had heard lots about GMT and Lori from our friends, and we researched her services and looked at recommendations. Jim compared the price estimate for a dental implant in Canada, and the estimate from GMT, and checked with his insurance company. The upshot was that he could come here, have the work done by a top quality dental specialist, be accompanied to every appointment by a bilingual nurse, and stay in a lovely home in this fascinating city for less than he would have paid in Halifax, and the insurance company would pay the same percentage of the cost. The fact that we were coming here anyway made it easier to decide on it, but depending on the procedure, it would probably be worth it even adding in the cost of the flight. We are so fortunate in Canada to have our medical costs covered, so dental care was what interested us, but GMT offers assistance with all sorts of medical and dental procedures. Check out www.guatemalamedicaltravel.com for more information. It is a classy operation!

We spent our first day reconnecting with our cruising friends, Sandra and Steve (Yonder) before they left for Rio Dulce. From coffee in the morning at Café Condesa on the Parque Central to the grocery store where we purchased a new sim chip for our phone, to lunch in the beautiful little garden at SabeRico, to a stroll around the Santo Domingo del Cerro restaurant and event centre high atop the hill overlooking the city (where we sat in the entryway and spent a happy 45 minutes watching the elegant guests coming to a wedding), to dinner at La Paella des Barracas (a newish Spanish restaurant) we watched, listened to and tasted the essence of Antigua and of cruising friendships.

We've walked the streets of the city between dentist visits (Jim had 2 consultations before his surgery on the 21st) revisiting old favourite monuments and gardens and finding new ones. The unique thing about Antigua is the way new and modern facilities are nestled in among ancient buildings and ruins. The narrow streets are all cobbled, and motorbikes and cars and collectivo vans rattle along them as pedestrians dodge out of the way and make their way along the up-and-down, here-and-there sidewalks. On every block there is a tiny tienda selling sodas and snacks. Huge wooden doors break the high walls, some giving peekaboo views to the leafy courtyards that lie beyond, and amidst all that are the ruins of amazing monasteries and churches that made this city the showpiece of Central America in its heyday prior to the great earthquake of 1773.

A brief recap of Antigua's history: An earlier choice of a capital city was not far from here - in Ciudad Vieja - but it was wiped out in an enormous mudslide from Volcan Agua in 1541. Antigua became the capital of Spanish controlled Central America in 1543 and throughout the 17th and 18th centuries was the epicenter of power. Schools, hospitals, churches, a cathedral and monasteries were all examples of magnificent architecture, along with the houses of the upper clergy and the politically connected. At its peak, there were 38 churches here along with a university and vibrant cultural and political scene. Unfortunately, it was still smack dab in the middle of earthquake zone with frequent tremors, and sure enough the great quake of 1773 destroyed it. The capital was moved to the present Guatemala City; this city was abandoned except for some determined squatters and it stayed that way until the 1900's when it began to grow again. It was declared a national monument in 1944 and a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1979. (I have drawn heavily on information from the Lonely Planet Guide book here.)

The remarkable thing about today's La Antigua Guatemala (old Guatemala) is that when we walk through the cobbled streets, we can look directly at those tumbled buildings. We can see by what's left how absolutely grand they must have been. We see elaborate arches and amazing facades, and intricate sculpture - some intact and some crumbling - with enough restoration to make pieces of them useable again, or with functional additions to grand ruins. The topsy turvy stone and twisted walls are still here and every block has its memories of a grand story. Today's story might be less grand, but it is still vibrant. There are dozens of language schools, top-notch restaurants, hotels to rival luxurious ones anywhere. Walk through the unimposing gates to find luxurious gardens and pools and fine dining at every corner. And as long as a gate is open in Antigua, you are welcome to walk in. The wealthy Guatemalans from the city come for the weekends and there are very successful business people living and working here. And still there are the indigenous Guatemalans selling textiles and whistles in the square, and working in the hotels and cleaning the streets. And still the volcanoes loom, and once in a while the earth moves. Volcan Agua dominates the south, Volcan Fuego still puffs steam fairly regularly in the southwest, right next to Volcan Acatenango. We find our way home by walking toward Agua - an easy landmark.

I have been going to Yoga classes everyday since I met Nancy - a vibrant Canadian woman who teaches at YogaAntigua. Classes are held in the art gallery of Meson Panza Verde - one of those elegant hotels and restaurants. In some ways it reminds me of 108 Yoga - my home studio in Halifax. The walls are a foot thick and trucks rumble by outside, but this one has the tinkle of a fountain, wafts of cool breeze, and boughs of bougainvillea visible through the windows - and oh it really does feel so good to hold those poses and be with the breath in such surroundings. Nancy came to Lori's house to give us massages (yep - another bit of joy) and said, "Oh, you are boating people. Do you know Doug, on Serendipity?" Well of course we do! We met him in Placencia a couple of years ago and have enjoyed his company several times since then - and we knew he had a friend in Antigua - and now we know her too. What a wonderful world.

Well - I think that's got to be about 5 things, and that's enough for now. I will tell you about dental surgery and coffee tours and jazz music and good food and the charming ceviche man on the corner in the next post.