Spanish school – Snapping The Globe

El Diario de Guatemala ONCE

DIA ONCE

This was it!

EL DIA FINAL!

My last day at Academia Espanol de Antiguena…and I was kind of sad. Ever since I had started studying Spanish last year, I had dreamt of coming to Antigua when Covid restrictions were lifted. I had finally done what I had set out to do and fulfilled my goal.

Am I fluent now? Absolutely not.

Does my accent and use of the language make the locals cringe? Probably so.

But as the morning went on, I learned that I do understand a great deal. One of the things I enjoyed most was when Patricia and I had conversations about our lives. Similar in age, length of marriages and sexes of our children (yay boys!), there was much that we had in common outside of the fact that we live in separate countries. When Patricia talked about her life, I understood most of what she said, but it was frustrating that I couldn’t communicate everything I wanted to tell her. I’m just not there yet.

Earlier in the week, I had asked Patricia if she knew of a place that I could donate some clothes. I had brought along some clothing items that I no longer wore at home. While I wore them here, I had no plans to bring them back to Virginia. She had named a few places for me, but I was hoping she would volunteer to give the items to people she knew who might need them. And that’s what she did!

The day before, I had worn a very colorful shirt with a nice pattern. When I walked into our classroom, she complemented me and said how much she liked the design. I was on the fence about leaving that particular shirt, however, when I found out she liked it so much, I decided that it had to go in the bag! When I handed her the bag of clothing and she noticed that shirt on the top, her eyes lit up and I told her that she should keep that shirt for herself! In fact, if Patricia likes that whole bag of clothing for herself, then I hope she keeps it and enjoys it.

Every day during class, I brought an insulated, Yeti-type cup to class, filled with my bebida del dia, Coca Cola Sin Azucar, because you know…I needed my caffeine to help my brain translate. One day, she asked me about the cup and if it kept drinks both cold and hot. She told me the word for that type of cup and mentioned that they don’t sell anything like that here. On my last day, I found out that it was “Teachers Day” in Guatemala when Patricia brought in a little goodie bag given to her by the Director with some hand sanitizer and a small bottle of liqueur. Even though it might be strange by our standards to give someone a cup that you were just drinking out of, I decided that she might like it. I told her that it would need some washing but if she would like to have it, it was my gift to her for Teachers Day. I have never seen someone’s eyes light up the way hers did and she quickly took it to empty the ice and wash it out, thanking me a million times. It really touched me and although I would’ve liked to have kept my cup to have something to drink from for the next couple of days, I realized how little many of the people here have. I can walk into Walmart on Tuesday and buy another one for seven dollars, they cannot.

While we were talking, she also mentioned how little the children here have in regard to schooling. Covid has really put a damper on the children’s education. School is not free and even when they can attend, things like books are not provided. Desks are simply wood planks placed on concrete cinder blocks. Parents have to work very hard in order to buy things that we take for granted like pencils, pens and notebooks. Now that children are having to do school online, many are not receiving instruction at all, since most families don’t have computers, phones or tablets. She told me of one teacher who, in her opinion is a true hero. She watched as children brought an egg or a vegetable as payment to him and sat in his doorway as he instructed them. When asked why he did it, he said that it was his duty.

I really wish that my children could hear these stories and realize how much they take for granted. They all have cellular phones, they have notebooks from school that only a portion of was used, they had textbooks provided for them and they have all had the privilege to attend college.

As the bells were ringing in the noon hour at Iglesia de Merced, our classes officially came to an end. I gave Patricia my email address and asked her to stay in contact with me. I told her that I hoped to return next spring and asked that if I brought supplies for the school children in her town, could she distribute them for me? I truly hope to do this and provide some assistance to those who really need it. We know that in the United States, Covid has affected our lives greatly, but it really has taken a toll on so many others worldwide.

Bidding Julio, the Director, a farewell as I walked out the door, I made my way home for the last time…across the street.

After lunch, I decided to take a walk and start some of the shopping that I needed to do. It was a lovely day and I enjoyed browsing in some of the stores I had never ventured into near the ruins of Colegio Compania de Jesus. After a few blocks, I found myself in the Plaza Mayor. Walking under the portico, I stopped to inspect some embroidered blouses in a store. I suddenly realized that a hallway led to an artisan’s market that I did not know existed. Searching for different nativity sets (which I collect), is always first and foremost when I am abroad. Although I had a beautiful one that I purchased here before, I was searching for something a little different made of a bleached wood. I had just about given up hope of finding what I wanted when I stopped in a store and asked about nativity sets. The young woman reached behind some other statues and started to pull out a nine-piece set that was exactly what I was looking for!

The owner, Roberto, and I struck up a conversation and although the price was a little high, we made a deal. There were some beautiful items in his shop and if anyone is ever in the central plaza, you should take a look at Mayanwood #20 in El Mercadito Artisans market! He’s a pleasure to talk to!

*The much sought-after nativity set, as seen in La Aurora Airport for almost twice the price!*

Finally, I made my way back to my other favorite store, Nim Po’t, with my shopping list in hand. It took two baskets to get everything I needed and I left wondering how the heck I was going to get it all in my suitcase!

It was time to celebrate my successes in Spanish school tonight! I headed toward the Cathedral and found a nice restaurant with a quaint courtyard, Las Atorchas (The Torches). Honestly, I don’t know if you can get a bad meal here. Everywhere I go, I enjoy the most amazing food, including tonight, a chicken curry with Guatemalan flare. It was absolutely delightful!

Cerveza in hand, I toasted myself for making it this far and wished myself luck with my future studies.

My Spanish-speaking amigos and amigas had better be ready to help me practice!

What I learned: Always go with your gut. If I hadn’t changed schools I wouldn’t have had the lovely experiences that I had this week.

Photo of the day: The Fountain of the Plaza Mayor

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Antiguena Spanish Academy

https://www.spanishacademyantiguena.com/
Address: 1a Calle Poniente #10 Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez 03001
Rates: $ 110 one-week classes, 4 hours, 5 days from 0800-1200. $ 135 one-week classes, 5 hours, 5 days from 0800-1300. $ 165 one-week classes, 6 hours, 5 days from 0800-1200 and 1400-1600 or 1600-1800. $ 175 one week for both (not each), if you and a friend shared a teacher 4 hours, 5 days. $90 one-week classes, 4 hours, 5 days, 1300-1700.

El Mercadito Artisans Market

Address: 5a Avenida Norte, Antigua, Guatemala. Adjacent to Plaza Mayor, next to Wendy’s.

Nim Po’t

https://www.nimpotexport.com/
Address: 5ta. Avenida Norte 29, Antigua Guatemala
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 1000-1900, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 0900-2000.

Las Atorchas

http://www.lasantorchas.com/
Address: 3a Avenida sur 1, Antigua, Guatemala 03001
Hours: 1100-1500 and 1800-2200, daily

El Diario de Guatemala DIEZ

DIA Diez

Oops, I did it again.

I blew another fuse! But this time, both appliances were not plugged in at the same time. Even though I have been drying my hair here for a week, something had obviously changed with the electrical system. Determined to not contact my host, I tried to find the caretaker and when I was unsuccessful, I left a note on my door (in Spanish) hoping she would spot it before I returned for lunch.

Honestly, I was getting a bit tired and hadn’t slept much the night before. I wasn’t in the mood for school today and was counting down the minutes until we were finished, as I was ready to do something a little different today. But the bright spot was that it was a beautiful day and when I mentioned to my teacher that you could see the volcano so well, she suggested we go to the roof and take a look. It was a spectacular view!

Upon my return to my apartment after school, I found the note still on my door and the lights still dark. So that I didn’t return to a dark apartment tonight, I had to swallow my pride and contact my host once again, to confess my sin, praying that he would not yell at me, or rather, send me a very strongly worded response about my personal appliances!

The plan for the afternoon was to make my way to the main building that houses my school, for one of the cultural events they host each week. Only about a twelve-minute walk, I left a little early to make sure that I remembered which door it was, as none of them are marked. Thankfully, a couple of other girls were arriving when I did, so I found the entrance and ventured inside. Taking a seat, I discovered that it was my teacher that was doing the presentation on traditional wedding attire.

During class, she had asked me about attending and asked if I would be her model, however, I thought I had misunderstood her, although of course my answer was “Si” (my favorite Spanish word!). When the presentation started and she asked for a model, she went straight to me! So, she really was serious!

The clothing that she was describing is the traditional dress of the local pueblos. These amazing pieces are constructed by hand and take about six months, with young girls helping from the age of seven. First, I donned the “guipil”, the blouse, which was embroidered with colorful birds. The girls in the class were remarking that it looked really cute with my jeans and sandals! Next, she placed “el sute es la pieza de tela”, fabric wrapped to make a skirt, around my hips. Finally, she cinched the “cinturon” or “la faja cuesta qinientos” around my waist. As she pulled tightly, I thought maybe I should wear this all day long to remind me not to eat so many tortillas! Lastly, an embroidered mantle was placed around my shoulders. She described how a young woman would wear this on her head for her wedding and then later tie it into a basket or into a sling to carry her baby.

All of these pieces were remarkable and obviously a lot of time and patience went into their creation. When asked how much these would cost if having to purchase them, the total was staggering…about $13,500 Quetzals…approximately $1800 USD…a fortune in Guatemala!

After another couple donned outfits for their pseudo wedding and the festivities were described to us, we were offered pepian, a traditional Guatemalan dish of Mayan origin.

This was a fun diversion from my usual routine, and I enjoyed meeting some of the other students. What I discovered that I was missing while having my class just across the street from my apartment, was the camaraderie many of them shared during their breaks.

I walked home with two other students and decided to get my homework done before dinner and then I took a walk.

Finding myself at Tanque La Union, the historic place that people gathered to wash their clothes during colonial times, I grabbed a seat and of course a few photos. The park that fronts this spot is a popular gathering place for locals and it’s great for people watching.

I found myself wanting to go out this evening and ended up at the pizzeria that I had gotten takeout (para llevar-important word for those who want food-to-go) from last week. Vice Pizzeria has an amazing rooftop bar, fun music and spectacular views. This time, however, I didn’t care for my choice of pizza…chorizo…the bar next door’s was way better and way cheaper…like half the price! Still, I had a great view of the goings-on on the street and the full moon and that’s always interesting!

My last day of school was tomorrow, and I wasn’t sure what to feel. Excitement and sadness all rolled into one…I’ll have to deal with that…manana.

What I learned today: Because of the design of the traditional clothing, there is lots of room for expansion…hint, hint…lots of tortillas and pepian and your skirt will still fit!

Photo of the day: Tanque La Union

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Vice Pizzeria

https://www.lasvibrasantigua.com/vice-pizza-menu/
Address: 5a Avenida Norte 30, Antigua 03001
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 1700-2300, Friday to Sunday, 1200-midnight.

El Diario de Guatemala OCHO

DIA OCHO

My second day at school was going to be the deciding factor of whether or not I was going to make it in the Spanish language educational system of Antigua!
Day two at my other school was when the frustration began to set in, so I was nervous for my class.

Although we began going over some of the irregular verbs, I felt like Patricia never got frustrated with my lack of understanding. It didn’t help that while we were going over my lessons that I received a text from my tour company informing me that my flights for my tour to Tikal could not be booked for Saturday. I was so distracted, trying to think of how to fix this problem, that I wasn’t really paying attention to my Spanish lesson and I think my teacher could see this. It was with great relief when class was finished. But don’t think this got me off the hook…Patricia gave me a great deal of homework!

After class, I ran over to the tour agency to speak with Claudia about the alternatives for my Tikal trip. I had already extended my stay at my Airbnb to accommodate this trip so there wasn’t an option to just not go. In the end, we settled on my tour to Tikal for Sunday. It is going to be a very long day with pick up around 3 AM and return to Antigua around 9 PM. Since I am leaving the next morning to go back to Guatemala City to catch my flight to the United States, I am sure that I’m going to be extremely exhausted, however, I feel as though I must absolutely visit this Mayan wonder!

That taken care of, I made note of the good weather and decided to finally go to my favorite ruins, Convento Santa Clara. I truly think this is one of the most beautiful in the city! Since it was a weekday, I found the place to be mostly empty and the best part was that there were no young lovers hiding in dark corners!

After my visit to the convent, I decided to go to the Artisans market. It was a bit tough finding what I really wanted and negotiating in Spanish, but I found a few gifts that worked. Once done, I was making my way back to my apartment, passing under Santa Catalina Arch, when I noticed a store on my right just past one of my favorite restaurants, Frida’s. This store, Nim Po’t, was like the Artisan’s Superstore. Almost everything that I had just seen at the Artisan’s Market was in this store…plus some! (And they take credit cards!). I made mental notes on everything I wanted to purchase and when I arrived at my apartment, I wrote out my shopping list so that when I returned, I wouldn’t forget anything.

So, as I was making this shopping list, I was realizing that I was doing everything possible, to avoid my homework…thinking about going to eat out…thinking about editing pictures…thinking about calling home…you name it…I thought about doing it. Finally, I pulled out my work and took a look. It was much tougher than I thought. So, what does one do when you don’t understand your Spanish homework? You send a copy of it to your Spanish-speaking friends and have them do it for you! Well not really do it for you…but tell you some of the answers so you could see if you got them correct.

You know, everyone needs a helping hand or two every now and then!

What I learned today: the Spanish verb, “mandar”, which means to send and “a tiempo” which means on time. Next time I send my passport information to the tour agency in a timelier manner.

Photo of the day: Convento Santa Clara

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Convento Santa Clara

Address: Sur at 6 Calle Oriente 2, Antigua, GT 03001
Hours: 0900-1700, daily
Admission: Q40

Nim Po’t

https://www.nimpotexport.com/
Address: 5ta. Avenida Norte 29, Antigua Guatemala
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 1000-1900, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 0900-2000.

El Diario de Guatemala CUATRO

DIA CUATRO

Figuring out how to cook scrambled eggs in the microwave saved me about twenty minutes this morning. Why have I never figured this out before?

Because of my discovery, I was actually able to leisurely walk to school this morning.
I must admit, I wasn’t eager to begin my day in the classroom. I felt a bit frustrated even with the studying I had done the night before. But I was here to learn and I was going to try my hardest!

The school day began very well and I had some “Aha!” moments when I understood some forms of the verbs I was studying. I felt like I was finally getting somewhere! After my break, I returned to the table with my teacher. Like yesterday, I felt like we lost a bit of steam. On this day, I think she misinterpreted some things I told her and I began to feel like she was getting frustrated with me which, in turn, was making me frustrated. Next thing you know, she had me playing Scrabble in Spanish. Now, I suck at Scrabble in English and I pulled some bad tiles. I couldn’t even make words in English, much less in Spanish and she made me play for an hour until class was finished. Enough said.

Maybe this wasn’t the best fit after all. She was a lovely person and I enjoyed our interactions, but I was distracted by the other student and I noticed that she was spending a lot of time listening to his lesson.

During lunchtime in my apartment, I glanced out of my window at the door across the street.

Academia de Antiguena. This had been my second choice of schools.
Putting aside my quesadillas, I walked over and rang the bell. Speaking with the director, I explained my situation, was given a tour of both facilities and offered one of only two spots available for the following week.

Maybe I made the right decision…maybe not, but school is even closer, it’s a lot cheaper and has better facilities. I think that all of those are positives.

Once that was done, it was time to get my culture of the day. One of my favorite places I visited a couple of years ago was the Convento de Recoleccion. This convent and basilica were destroyed during the earthquake of 1773. The ceiling of the Basilica collapsed into the church, leaving the walls standing. Visitors are allowed to enter the remains of the basilica and make their way around the giant, boulder-like remains. It makes for some amazing photos! Connected to the basilica is the remains of the convent. It contains a few open courtyards flanked by many rooms. With not so many visitors in the city, I had the place to myself…what a peaceful afternoon!

What I learned today: Volcano Fuego is erupting nearby and there was an earthquake last Sunday. Sometimes the universe wants you to “shake it up”.

Photo of the day: Convento de Recoleccion

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Convento de Recoleccion

Address: 1a Calle Poniente and Avenida de la Recoleccion
Hours: 0900-1700
Admission: Adults, foreign, 40Q (about 5.50 USD)

El Diario de Guatemala TRES

DIA TRES

Today I woke up eager to return to my classes and show off my stuff! I was feeling pretty good about yesterday!

I guess the day had other plans for me. First of all, my stove top wouldn’t heat up my pan and it took me about 20 minutes to cook my eggs, causing me to have to run to school, sans mask, getting a few dirty looks and making me arrive about a minute late. One minute late doesn’t sound so bad to most people but the flight attendant in me was freaking out…this “plane” was late and I hate making anyone wait.

My lessons began and I started out telling Heydi about my day yesterday. I was able to describe in Spanish, in pretty good detail about my trip to San Jeronimo, the supermarket, what I bought and what I had for dinner as well as what I watched on Netflix.

After this, she insisted on trying to teach me some verbs I didn’t know. The nerve! These verbs had very different endings and I was so confused. This led me to continually make simple mistakes…mistakes on things I actually knew which was completely frustrating!

She gave me homework and told me that I really need to study. Of course, I knew that I was going to have to study, but I just felt very degraded after class.
I returned to my Airbnb, made some mini quesadillas and eyed my cerveza…in that moment I felt like I really could use a beer! Later. There were things to see in the city!

The sun was out and it was warmer than usual, so I decided that I needed a little field trip and some exercise. Walking toward the north of the city, I began the climb to the top of Cerro de la Cruz, the hill that overlooks the city and sports a large cross. A few hundred steps later, I was sitting on the wall, gazing over the city and praying that the clouds would part a little more so that I could see the top of the Volcan de Agua, the volcano that towers over the area.

While gazing over the city, I had spotted the ruins of the convent, Santa Maria Teresa De Jesus and decided that this would be my next destination. As I headed down the hill, I first stopped at the remains of the Church of Candelaria, captured a few photos and then walked to the convent. It had been one of the first ruins that my son, Ian, and I had visited two years ago and we had enjoyed its beautiful cloister and fountain. I spent some time meandering through its many rooms and was just about to leave when the gentleman who sold me my ticket asked me a question (in Spanish).

“Did you see the crypt and the basilica?”

Um, no.

He showed me on the map, adjacent to the door, the layout of the building and pointing to a set of stairs in a room, that I had not entered as I thought it to be a storage room.

I followed his directions and amazingly, there was a set of steps leading down into a room which also led to the ruins of the basilica. In the far corner, there was also a set of stairs leading to the old crypt.

There was nothing much in the crypt, but as I headed back up and into the basilica, I was simply amazed. Not just because you could still see much of the workmanship being restored, but because it is baffling that visitors are allowed in this area of construction…scaffolding, tools, bags of cement and goodness knows what else filled the space. In the United States, this would have been condemned and no one allowed near, much less in the building. Despite the mess, it was wonderful to see this space up close, as I had only spied it from the street, behind the gate.

Thanking the gentleman, we exchanged pleasantries (in Spanish, of course) and I explained that I was in Antigua for Spanish school. He asked how long I had been there and I said it was my second day. He told me I was very smart for learning that much in just two days! Lol! I got a good laugh out of that but I went on letting him believe I was muy inteligente!

Continuing my explorations, I admired the architecture of the area and the unique doors and doorknockers and then headed over to the El Carmen market, pausing to snap a few photos of the ruins of El Carmen church next door.

I had vowed not to buy anything early in my trip, but next thing you know I was walking out with a table runner. Okay, I am a bit of a sucker sometimes…it was Father’s Day in Guatemala, after all, and he hadn’t had a sale all day!

As I exited the market, I heard a large boom! Praying it wasn’t one of the nearby volcanoes, I realized that I was feeling a few raindrops!

Time to go home.

What do you do when it’s pouring outside?

Have happy hour!

That was a good ending to the day that didn’t start so well!

What I learned: There are many hidden treasures in Guatemala, you just have to talk to the right person, in the right language, to find them!

Photo of the day: The Cloister of Convento Santa Teresa de Jesus

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Cerro de La Cruz

Address: Al final de la 1ª Avenida Norte, Antigua, Guatemala 03001
Hours: 0700-1800, daily
Admission: free

Convento Santa Teresa De Jesus

Address: 1era calle Oriente y 4a Avenida sur. Antigua Guatemala
Hours: 0800-1700, daily
Admission: Q40 (about $5.50 US)

Mercado de Artesanias El Carmen

Address: Avenida 3ra, 3ra Calle Oriente, Antigua 03001
Hours: 0800-2000, daily

El Diario de Guatemala DOS

DIA DOS

Eyes open early…it’s the first day of Spanish school in Antigua, Guatemala!

It has been many years since I have had a first day of school!

As I took to the streets, headed towards my first day of classes, it dawned on me that I had not had a proper breakfast. The little convenience store next to my hotel wasn’t open (or bored, see Day 1) until eight, so I figured I would just have to tough it out until lunchtime.

Walking along 5a Avenida Norte, I passed under the beautiful Santa Catalina Arch (I couldn’t help myself for taking this route) and cut through the park at Iglesia de La Merced. Glancing at my watch, I realized that I had more than a few minutes to spare and lo and behold, there was a little bakery just across the street from my school.

Two delicious mini ham and cheese croissants and a Diet Coke filled the void but I realized with all these tortillas and pan readily available, I might have to seriously exercise in the afternoons!

A few minutes prior to eight (I definitely did not want to be late on my first day), I quickly snapped a photo at the entrance…why did I feel like my children when I used to make them do their obligatory first day photo on our front porch? Should I have brought a sign for the occasion? First Day, Spanish School, Antigua, Guatemala, June 2021. The locals would surely have thought I was a bit loco!

It was time for my day to begin.

Greeted by the owner of the school, business was on the forefront, having to settle up for this week’s lessons and my transportation to Antigua. A short dark-haired woman in her thirties then appeared.

Heydi, my teacher.

Mi maestra.

The person who was going to help me gain fluency in Spanish and not make fun of me when I mispronounced words and phrases.

The Holy Grail!

Taking a seat at a table in the courtyard, I glanced around. This was definitely not what I had pictured for a classroom. It was very rustic…plastic tables and chairs, birds flying around and a motorcycle parked inside! Well, I wasn’t here for a spa day! All we needed was a place to learn and I could hear two other students and their instructors just around the corner.

Mucho gusto! De donde eres?

And that’s how it began. Heidy spoke slowly and clearly and I actually realized how much I already knew from my past year’s studies. I understood almost everything she asked me and was able to respond, with the occasional stumble, of course. Before I realized, it was time for our half hour break.

The beauty of Antigua is that there are countless churches, convents, monasteries and ruins throughout the city. While I had planned to visit a different place each afternoon, it dawned on me that I was just next door to the magnificent La Merced. If I wanted, I could wander over during my break and talk to God (and perhaps pray for fluency). Today, I just made it as far as the steps. I talked to my friend, Kathie, on the phone instead.

The last hour and a half passed quickly and I was bidding Heydi, “Hasta Manana”. This phrase that English speakers casually use takes on a whole new meaning when you really have to see the person the next morning. I was now committed!

After returning to my hotel, gathering my belongings and checking out, I headed back in the direction of La Merced, this time to check into my Airbnb.
While walking along the streets of Antigua, the sidewalks are lined with colorful walls, marked with the occasional window, heavy wooden door, shop and restaurant.

I am always intrigued by what lies behind these walls…usually quaint courtyards and immaculate homes. After being greeted by Esperanza, the caretaker, what I was expecting was exactly what I found. A stone corridor, decorated with seating and Guatemalan artwork led to a small, grassy, art-filled courtyard. My unit was the first one we came to and as I walked in, I realized it was exactly as I had seen it pictured. An airy kitchen was on the first floor and a spiral staircase on the right, led me upstairs to my bedroom and sitting area.

While I was intrigued with the spiral staircase, it dawned on me that getting my suitcases up to the bedroom was going be a bit of a challenge! Definitely one step at a time!

It didn’t take long to unpack and make a quick grocery list.

Heading out, I realized that I my route was going to take me next to the ruins of San Jeronimo church. While planning my trip, I had decided early on that my afternoons would be spent in the city seeing the many sights. Why not begin today? The groceries could wait while I indulged in Guatemalan culture.

The site of San Jeronimo is not a large one, but one I had remembered fondly from my first visit. I wandered through each room and the courtyard, reveling in the knowledge that I did not have to rush. I could take my time and see and photograph things here and each afternoon, making the most of my time. Heck, I could even come back…what a novel idea!

Finally, I walked up the tree lined street toward La Bodegona, the supermarket. Paper towels, toilet paper, water, beer, diet cola…these were easy. But what could I buy for lunch or the occasional dinner? Trying to make these decisions was a bit tough when you are not familiar with some of the products. Eventually, I settled on eggs, tortillas, cheese, tomatoes and chips. Basic. Breakfast and lunch I could handle, dinner would be at one of the countless restaurants in the city!
Finally home and exhausted, I put my goods away and plopped down on the couch. Yes, it was going to be a Netflix and pizza kind of night!

What I learned: My waist is going to expand with all of these croissants and tortillas!

Photo of the day: Lilies of San Jeronimo

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San Jeronimo Church

Address: Corner of 1a Calle Poniente and Alameda de Santa Lucia, Antigua, Guatemala
Hours: 0900-1700, daily
Admission: 40Q (about $5.50 US)