Wow, two weeks have come and gone very quickly! On my last morning, I was up quite early so after getting dressed, I headed over to the bakery around the corner to get breakfast. As I turned to return to my apartment, I caught a glimpse of Volcan de Agua. With nary a cloud in the sky, it stood out against the blue and was one of the clearest views I had had since I arrived. After breakfast, I took one last walk down to the Plaza Mayor and snapped a few photographs along the way. It was simply stunning!
It was finally time to grab my bags and wait for my ride back to Guatemala City. Handing over the keys to Esperanza, I felt a twinge of sadness. My trip was finally over. Last night, on my ride back to Antigua, one of the guys from my tour, who had shared transportation back with me, asked what my favorite thing was about being here in Guatemala this time. I think most people would talk about the adventures that they had but my response was this, “I simply loved having adequate time to investigate every little nook and cranny of the city, taking leisurely walks, greeting the locals and feeling like an actual part of another culture. Because of the nature of my job, I see other parts of the world in short bursts. This time, time was on my side and it was an amazing gift”.
What I learned: My husband is a saint for helping me to realize one of my dreams.
Photo of the day: Volcan de Agua
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You know what they say, “Up with the chickens?” Well, I was up earlier than that. My alarm was set for 2:00 am but I actually awakened before it went off. That’s the beauty of going to bed at eight!
My bags were all packed and downstairs just in case I didn’t make it back due to a delayed or cancelled flight (I have to be out of my apartment by 10:00 am tomorrow, so if there was a problem, my bags could be stored). The flight attendant in me always worries about weather!
Enjoying the beauty of the vacant nighttime street while waiting for pickup.
My itinerary for today is:
3:30 am Pickup. Antigua to Guatemala City
6:30 am Flight from Guatemala City to Flores
7:20 am Arrive Flores. Meet driver/guide.
8:00 am Depart Airport for Peten to gather other travelers.
10:00 am Arrive Tikal
10:00 am – 3:00 pm ENJOY THE BEAUTY!
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Tikal to Flores
6:20 pm – 7:20 pm Flight from Flores to Guatemala City
7:30 pm – 8:30 Meet driver. Guatemala City to Antigua
9:00 pm – 9:00 am REST AND RECOVER to head back to Guatemala City in the morning for my flight back to Atlanta.
It was rather interesting arriving at the airport for a domestic flight. I was nervous to be a regular paying passenger and at first, couldn’t figure out where the domestic departures were located. With the help of one of the shopkeepers, I finally found the entrance, only to realize how early I actually was. When the doors were finally opened, I discovered that the person checking the tickets, was also operating the X-ray machine and keeping an eye on people as they walked thru the scanner. Talk about multi-tasking! We are used to so much scrutiny that it was almost unsettling and I felt like I should ask, “Don’t you want to pat me down?”
As I sat in the gatehouse, I noticed the flight crew arriving. Omg, yes, I know I am getting to be a “senior mama” (flight attendant speak for “old flight attendant”) but the co-pilot looked like he was in grade school!
Finally, the boarding process began and as I gasped in horror (not really), at Tag Airlines small prop plane, I waved to my company’s plane parked at the next gate. We were soon on our way and the lake, adjacent to the airport and Isla de Flores made for a spectacular view as we touched down forty-five minutes later.
Tag Airlines at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City.
View of Flores during landing.
Quickly, I spotted the person waiting for me and after a short wait, we were on our way to gather the other guests on Isla de Flores. After everyone was loaded, we were finally on our way to Tikal!
Picking up guests in Flores, Guatemala, department of Peten.
Split into two groups, Spanish and English, we headed into the jungles of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Dating back to as far as the 4th century BC, this ancient city was the epicenter of Mayan culture. Between 11,000 and 98,000 people lived here at various times and the city was laid out in with plazas surrounded by temples and palaces. Today only a fraction of the hundreds of structures have been unearthed and restored, but those that are visible are spectacular and the views from the top of many are worth the strenuous climb. The park strictly controls the number of visitors and it is advisable to have a tour guide lead the way. They are extremely knowledgeable and will make the most of your time in the park. That being said, however, in the four hours allotted to us, our group enjoyed our tour guide’s intellect, however, he seemed a bit put off by our wanting to capture the monuments photographically. I understood him to say that we were wasting time, however, when you are paying for a tour, you should be in control of the outcome. I do wish that in addition to our time with our guide, we would have had more time to spend on our own afterward.
Newly hatched cicada.
Cicada skeletons and newly hatched cicada.
All in all, my visit was amazing…but extremely hot and humid…a far cry from the past two weeks in the cooler climate of Antigua. Back at the airport and waiting for our flight to Guatemala City, we noticed the sky growing darker and the wind picking up. Exactly what I said was going to happen, did.
A thunderstorm!
And it was a doozy!
Being that it was such a small airplane, we were convinced that there was no way we were going to takeoff as we watched the lightning strikes getting closer. In the United States, the airport would have been shut down, however, we were led out of the terminal, onto the aircraft and we took off! I can’t say that I wasn’t a bit nervous, however, I’m guessing these pilots knew exactly which route to fly, around that storm and we were touching down in Guatemala City a short time later.
My last night in my cute little Antigua Airbnb was a short one but I even found time to relax and enjoy a pizza from the bar next-door…gosh, I’m going to miss that pizza!
What I learned today: A LOT about Tikal!
Photograph of the day: Tikal Temple
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Hours: National Park, 0600-1700, daily. Museums, 0800-1800, daily.
Admission: Adults (foreigners), 150 GTQ (about $20 USD). Children under 12, free. Sign up for sunrise tour to enter park before 0600, ticket fee is 250 GTQ. Tickets purchased after 1500 are valid for next day. Guatemalan citizens enter park for free on Sundays. From Flores, you can take tour companies. A return ticket with a guide will usually cost 100 GTQ or around 70 GTQ without a guided tour.
Getting There: Various bus companies run between Guatemala City and Flores, taking approximately 8-10 hours. Tag Airlines has flights from Guatemala City to Flores about three times daily. Additionally, you can arrive from Belize City by bus, taking approximately three hours. From Belize City to the border is approximately 1 hour and at the border, you can take a collectivo which takes about two hours (100 GTQ) to Tikal. Alternatively, there are buses from the border to Flores and from Flores you have plenty of options to arrive at Tikal.
This morning was an important one and I guess that why I was up at 3:30 am.
It was COVID test day!
It really bothers me that another country will allow me to enter with my vaccine card, yet the country where I received my vaccine requires me to have a COVID test to enter and my vaccine card carries no weight. So, on my trip, I have to spend time and money to get this test in order to return home within 72 hours of departure. With clinics not open on Sundays and only half days on Saturdays, you really have to plan accordingly.
My Airbnb host had told me of a clinic nearby that was charging $50, but thankfully, I asked around and found another about three blocks away that charged $35. They were extremely helpful with my questions during the week and greeted me warmly when they arrived.
Yes, I was the first person in line, thanks to my early awakening!
Watching the early deliveries while waiting for the clinic to open.
Heading back to my apartment after my test, I had breakfast and killed some time before heading back to get my negative result!
It was early and the day was looking to be a beautiful one, so I decided to walk to the Colegio Campania de Jesus (which was closed again) and ended up at the Museo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes Generales in the Plaza Mayor. It’s a small museum that introduces the colonial life during the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries through paintings, furniture and historical artifacts. There is also an important collection of weapons which gives the museum its title.
Colegio Compania de JesusColegio Compania de JesusView of Volcan Agua from Plaza MayorPlaza Mayor Museo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes Generales Weapons Exhibit at Museo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes GeneralesMuseo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes GeneralesMuseo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes GeneralesView from Upper Level of Museo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes GeneralesMuseo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes GeneralesMuseo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes GeneralesMuseo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes GeneralesWalkway in front of Museo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes Generales
Across the plaza, I headed to the Museo Los Libros, but found it to be closed. I was very disappointed as I had heard that it has a beautiful interior and an interesting collection of books.
Museo Los Libros
Returning to my apartment (after a few shopping stops), I began the arduous process of packing. How do you fit your numerous purchases into your bags that had already come full? Well, that was a work in progress all day!
After lunch, I headed back out, bound for the southernmost part of town. It was a long walk, but I wanted to see El Calvario church. I had learned of this church and their procession during Semana Santa during my last visit. I don’t think we witnessed their procession, but I remember seeing the church’s location on the map and thinking what a long way they had to travel. Along the street leading to El Calvario, I noticed many small chapels that were numbered with Roman numerals. They were locked, but noticing that they led to the church, I assumed (correctly) that they were Stations of the Cross, with the final one on the church grounds.
Stations of the Cross on the way to El Calvario
El Calvario’s exterior was a bright yellow, very different from others in the city and its grounds were well maintained. Entering the church, I found it to be rather minimalistic with a barrel vault and dual-colored stained-glass windows. I didn’t stay long as I was reprimanded for taking photos. What I did learn later was that the church’s walls were once graced with paintings by 18th century colonial artist Tomás de Merlo, which were taken a few years ago by thieves. These paintings which depicted the Passion of the Christ were valued at approximately $300,000 each and were prized possessions of the church. Sadly, they have not been recovered.
El Calvario ChurchEl Calvario ChurchEl Calvario Church
One of the highlights of a visit to the church is the Esquisúchil tree in the garden which was planted in 1657 by Holy Saint Hermano Pedro de San Jose de Betancourt, Central America’s only saint. This tree, with its aromatic flowers is believed to have curative powers.
Statue of Holy Saint Hermano Pedro de San Jose de Betancourt and the Esquisúchil tree The Gardens of El Calvario Church
Soon on my way, I passed the ruins of the old El Calvario church and then the church of San Jose de Viejo, which is still in operation and has the appearance of many of the ruined churches.
Ruins of Old El Calvario ChurchThe Church of San Jose de ViejoThe Church of San Jose de Viejo
Finally, I took a less direct route home, enjoyed the different scenery, eventually stopping at a Venezuelan restaurant for a quick dinner of pastelitos and tequenos! Yum! That was perfect for an early night!
Sights Around the AntiguaSights Around the Antigua
Sights Around the Antigua
Sights Around the Antigua
Ermita de Santa Lucia
Ermita de Santa Lucia
Tikal in the morning!!!
What I learned: Bring an extra suitcase to Guatemala for your purchases.
Photo of the day: No parking
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Museo de Caballeros at the Palacio Santiago de Capitanes Generales
