1/29/2015 Antigua, Guatemala

We’ve been having tons of fun here since our first day. I can’t remember what day we arrived on. The day after we arrived we found a lovely place for the right price. Since then we’re enjoying our practically private rooftop patio and finding delicious restaurants. On Tuesday we went on a walking tour. We learned, really just confirmed, that Antigua has little in common with the rest of Guatemala. It’s like San Marcos that way. We learned Guatemala is in the midst of modernization. We also learned a little about the 48 ruins here and saw two up close. They are gorgeous! Most weren’t torn down because of a number of reasons. We went into the old cathedral where the domes are gone. The cathedral is covered by UNESCO and can only be restored to confirmable original specs. Then we saw the Dominican Convent which was such a mess that UNESCO decided not to cover it. Somebody bought it and developed it incorporating the ruins. The site is 8 blocks long! It has a hotel, wedding chapel, three restaurants, three museums, and who knows what else. It has a huge ceiba tree and numerous gardens and fountains. We also stopped at the Jade Museum and learned of the Mayan extravagances of wearing 50 pound earrings.