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While standing on the slopes of Pacaya Volcano, we couldn’t help but feel elated!
I can’t explain the pure joy we were feeling for having chosen to visit Guatemala and the beautiful city of Antigua…for all the things we had seen while we were there…for the friendly Guatemalans that we had encountered…for all of the beauty we had laid our eyes upon!
We were not ready for it to be over and thankfully, we were able to work out another night’s stay with our hotel (not an easy feat with the busy Holy Week)!
In order to make the most of our extra time, we were up early to hit the streets and see everything we had not yet had the time to. Believe me, there was quite a bit, plus more than we would have ever imagined.
First stop was the Cementerio General San Lázaro, just down the street from our hotel. We had not intended to stop here, but it was on the way to the our first destination. Always having been intrigued by old cemeteries, I figured it was worth a quick look.
Walking through the white arched entrance, decorated for Holy Week, we made our way through the municipal cemetery that was created in 1834 by the state major, Mariano Galvez on land that once hosted a leper’s hospital. The maze of white-washed tombs, some displaying the purple decorations for Holy week, was very peaceful and we observed the immaculate grounds. Though there were many mausoleums and smaller tombs, there were just as many that were quite grand. The small colonial church, San Lazaro, at the end of the large initial walkway, contained some interesting statues, both inside and out, and a large gold altar.
Leaving the cemetery, we made our way down the street to our original destination, Convento la Recolección, which I had spotted on my map the night before. We didn’t have any idea of what to expect here, but after paying our admission at the gate, we were blown away by what we found.
In the United States, there are so many building codes that dictate the structural integrity of a building. If a building does not meet these codes, people are most definitely not allowed to enter the premises or in some cases, even approach. On our first day, we were shocked to see how we could wander freely through the ruins of the monasteries that had no barrier walls or guard rails.
Convento la Recolección, took this to a whole different level.
We could see that this structure was missing its roof and that the front walls were crumbling, as approached on the lengthy sidewalk. There were two huge chunks of stone on either side of the sidewalk and we discovered that these were pieces of the same front walls that had collapsed during the great earthquake of 1773.
Approaching the front steps, we looked through the stone archway (surprisingly still intact), to the interior. The floor was littered with boulder-sized remains of the church’s ceiling and columns. There were no barriers or restrictions on where you could walk and we slowly and carefully made our way around the decaying floor, littered with its broken extremities, while staring upwards at the remaining walls, some still displaying its original detailing. Truly one of the most thought provoking places I have ever visited!
This architectural complex was a former church and monastery of the Order of the Recollects, initiated when in 1685, two missionaries of the friars of the Recollects arrived and sought permission for construction of the monastery. Though it was originally determined by the City Council that not enough friars were present to support the venture and that enough monasteries had been established, a royal decree was finally issued for its construction in 1700. Construction commenced in 1701 and continued until 1717 when the church was inaugurated. A short time later that year, earthquakes damaged the church and cloisters. Repairs were carried out, however, the devastating Santa Marta Earthquake of 1773, left the complex in ruins.
Today, the ruins are protected as both a national monument and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and as we made our way out of the church, we walked into the adjacent monastery grounds. Here, the walls are still standing, but as with the church, the complex is open to the Antiguan heavens. The interior rooms and the former cloister is free of rubble, giving it a different feel than the church. Many of the walls and interior spaces were aged and decrepit, however, there were many traces of the architectural details that once graced its walls.
Heading a few blocks up the road, we found ourselves at our next stop, Convento de San Jeronimo. This complex was once planned as the College of St. Jerome by the Order of Mercy in 1757, however, in 1765, after initial construction was almost demolished, it was decided that the building would be used as the building of the Real Income Alcabalas and Royal Customs, one of the city’s top financial institutions of the time. As with most other buildings within the city, its construction was affected by earthquakes and some of its remains used as building materials for other projects within the city.
Today, the well-manicured grounds contain a multitude of flowers, shrubs and trees and provide a peaceful setting for families who desire to have a nice setting for a picnic lunch. Though the complex is not immense, it is nice to explore some of the small rooms and ascend the staircases to the top. At the north end, we looked out over the courtyard and its central fountain toward the towering Volcan de Agua in the distance.
Our final destination took us across the city, now teeming with visitors, here to see the Holy Week processions. It seemed that the city’s population had tripled overnight and we had a difficult time making our way through the parades that journeyed through the streets, now even during the daytime hours.
The festivities reminded me so much of Mardi Gras, with its vendors and convivial atmosphere, yet, without the debauchery. Many people were donning purple robes and the Holy Week processions that we had witnessed during the previous evenings, had grown in size, both in the amount of participants and the proportions of the floats. In the Tanque La Unión, the historic gathering place used by the citizens to wash their clothes during colonial times, there were countless peddlers lining its perimeter and cooking traditional Guatemalan delicacies and dishes which could be purchased. The mournful sounds of the bands could be heard throughout the city, especially in the nearby Convento Santa Clara.
Santa Clara was established in 1734 by the sisters from Puebla, Mexico and four years later, destroyed by the Santa Marta Earthquake and subsequently abandoned.
As we entered, we noticed how much larger this complex was compared to the others we had visited. It was filled with floral blooms and shrubs and like most others, missing most of its ceiling.
Most interesting, however, was the intact church’s stonework facade with is Serbian balustrade pilasters and the arched niches along the nave which served as confessionals in addition to the captivating cloister with its ancient fountain.
Walking along one of the halls, you can stand atop the extended pulpit chair and climb the one remaining stairway adjacent to the cloister. Magnificent views over the convent can be obtained here as well as of the nearby mountains.
As our day was coming to a close, we ducked into the nearby Iglesia San Pedro Apóstol, its front portico packed with those looking to purchase items from the multitude of vendors in the streets and in front of the church or just hoping to get a better view of the processions.
Iglesia San Pedro Apóstol is a smaller baroque church adjacent to San Pedro Hospital. It was designed by Nicolás de Cárcamo and named in honor of Hermano Pedro de San José Betancur, whose tomb we had seen on our second day at the Santuario San Francisco el Grande.
As we stood, once again, on the portico, we looked out into the street and noticed a brightly colored display comprised of pine needles, sawdust and flowers. When the owner of our hotel had mentioned to us that “carpets” were beginning to be laid throughout the city, we innocently envisioned something you would see at a movie screening. Suddenly, the colorful sawdust between the cobblestones and the bags of sawdust and the stencils at the market began to make sense. The night before, we had watched a lady lay pine needles in a cordoned-off section on one of the streets as we walked home. We really had no idea what was transpiring and then it all made sense as we looked down on the street below us.
These were the carpets!
But, did the processions avoid these streets that the carpets were laid down on?
As a procession made its way down our street, we watched as they paraded right through these carpets, destroying the beautiful display. After the procession was complete, there were multiple people following who swept up the remnants, leaving a scattering of sawdust wedged between the paving stones.
Walking home, we began to notice so many of these carpets or “alfombras” lining the streets. It was obvious how much work and time was devoted to these endeavors and we were mesmerized as we walked by and examined these intricate designs which sometimes take months to plan involving multiple members of families and businesses.
Around the corner from our hotel, we noticed two different alfombras being laid. We decided that we could check their progress early in the morning when we were heading to the airport.
During the early morning hours, packing up our suitcases, we were informed by the hotel staff that our driver had called and could not make it to the hotel. Since we would have to the walk the six blocks to meet him, we headed into the darkened streets, only to find them lighted by strong lamps and enlivened with loud music.
As we traversed the distance to our awaiting transportation, we discovered why he could not make it to our hotel. The streets were blocked and people had worked through the night, creating alfrombras everywhere. It was the most amazing sight…beautiful carpets stretching as far as we could see.
Though I snapped as many pictures as I could while walking, the outcome does not show you the impact of what were seeing, plus with the motion and darkened streets, my pictures were not the clearest.
If I had realized what was to come, we might have planned on leaving on the afternoon flight and spending the early morning hours walking around the city, admiring the carpets and watching the processions originate from La Merced (around 4:00 am) when the processioners swap their purple robes to black ones. Still, what we saw was one of the most intriguing spectacles, leading me to think that I need to plan a trip in the future, just to spend time inspecting the alfombras!
As our plane departed Guatemala City a few hours later, I sat back in my seat, thinking of all that we had experienced during the last few days. It was mind boggling how much we accomplished not knowing one thing about Guatemala, Antigua, it history and traditions and yet, discovered, almost by accident.
With so much more to explore in this rich country…Lake Atitlan, the ruins of Tikal, Iximche and Yaxha and miles of beach-lined coast…Guatemala deserves more than just one more day!
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Cemeterio General San Lázaro
- Address: Calle San Bartolome Becerra, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
- Hours: 0800-1700, daily
- Admission: free
Convento la Recolección
- Address: 1a Calle Poniente, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
- Hours: 0900-1700, daily
- Admission: Nationals, Q5, Central American, Q15, Foreign Student Q20 (about $2.60 US) , Q40 (about $5.25 US) per person
Convento de San Jeronimo
- Address: Alameda de Santa Lucia y 1a Calle Poniente, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
- Hours: 0900-1700, daily
- Admission: Nationals, Q5, Central American, Q15, Foreign Student Q20 (about $2.60 US) , Q40 (about $5.25 US) per person
Convento Santa Clara
- Address: 6a Calle Oriente y 2a Avenida Sur Antigua, Guatemala
- Hours: 0900-1700, daily
- Admission: Nationals, Q5, Central American, Q15, Foreign Student Q20 (about $2.60 US) , Q40 (about $5.25 US) per person
Iglesia San Pedro Apóstol
- Address: Guatemala 03001, 6a Calle Oriente No. 20, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
- Hours: 0800-1700, daily
- Admission: free