I have always been reluctant to use tour companies and travel agencies, preferring to go it alone. However, when I arrived in Flores, I made arrangements to take an overnight bus to Antigua after viewing Tikal. The tour company knew about my arrangements and shepherded me along, making sure that I got on each ride on time. They also could advise me on how to travel safely. At the appointed hour, they picked me up at my hotel to get on the 9 pm double decker bus. The bus had very comfortable seats that reclined quite far and with ample leg room. I still don’t sleep well on buses, and caught up on podcasts during the trip. It was just beginning to get light when we arrived in Guatemala City. Another tour guide took a large group of us to Antigua.

Both nature and human forces have not been kind to the natives of Guatemala. The Mayans in this region were conquered by the Conquistador Pedro Alvarado. He had a reputation for extreme cruelty. For example he burned alive the leaders of the defeated tribes and enslaved their fighters. Although he only had 400 men, the city states were picked off one by one because they were all enemies. This allowed Alvarado to use warriors from an already vanquished tribe to make the next conquest. Once various conquistadors controlled their own Mesoamerican territories, they began to fight among themselves. This set the stage for several hundred years of the Central American regions or countries to fight each other.

Santiago de Guatemala, now called Antigua, was founded in 1527 and was briefly the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala. In 1543, the cone of the Agua Volcano collapsed and buried the settlement in mud. Natural disasters played a big role in the cities history. The original Cathedral was rebuilt three times after earthquakes in 1702, 1717, and 1751 before it was left in ruins and abandoned by another in 1773. The shell still stands as part of a museum. There are several other churches and cathedrals that did not stand up to the quakes.

The city, surrounded by volcanoes, is beautiful. Colonial architecture is everywhere. Exhausted from the bus ride, I found a little café to get breakfast and advice on what to see and eat here. I walked the city until check in time at my hotel and a much needed nap.

Rising, I walked the city enjoying the architecture. A Mercado was fun to walk through. I had been told to try Pepian a fragrant and spicy mole usually served in a bowl with meat and vegetables. The sauce had a wonderfully complex flavor.

After more exploration of the historical district, I found a taxi to take me to a view outlook Cerro de la Cruz. I got lucky. My taxi driver had suggestions of places to go and helped me practice my Spanish skills. He told me about another view of the city where I could also eat lunch, San Cristóbal de las Altas. The view was spectacular. At one point I looked over and a hawk was floating on the updraft right next to the patio.

In the afternoon I entered a convent. Well, I visited a 16th century convent that had also been severely damaged by earthquakes. Looking at the ruins, one could see that it was once a beautiful building. As always, I could not help but wonder how many Mayan natives, either enslaved or with an obligation of tribute to the Spanish, had died building what was essentially a giant round stone dormitory for sixteen nuns (pictured) with an attached cathedral.

The hotel included a breakfast served on the rooftop, affording a view of the surrounding mountains and volcanoes. One of the volcanoes was pumping out puffs of smoke.