Panama Canal Cruise - Guatemala


Neither Deborah nor I had ever been to Guatemala, our third port of call. The country has a reputation for being desperately poor and violent, but it has at least one island of peace and beauty and that is the city of Antigua. We traveled by bus from the industrial port of Puerto Quetzal to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Antigua. We loved it: beautiful colonial architecture, lovely parks and gardens, friendly people, perfect weather. We even found a nice little restaurant serving vegetarian fare when we decided we couldn’t wait to eat back at the ship. There is no shortage of locals (mostly women) selling fabrics, jewelry, flutes, trinkets, etc., who are drawn to our pasty, cash-laden cruise ship bodies like magnets. They speak enough English to make a transaction (haggling is expected) and they accept US dollars. Deborah picked up a couple of fabric items and I got some sliced mango and cashews. We would have liked to spend more time in Antigua, but one of the compromises of travelling by cruise ship is the tight schedule and the fact that you seldom get more than a single day in any given port. But we can always come back.


Guatemala has 37 volcanoes, at least 3 of which are active, like this one that kept burping ash as we passed by. A major eruption in 2018 killed more than 200.


Lots of beautiful colonial architecture in Antigua



Antigua Cathedral






Parque Central











Santa Catalina Arch



Mannequins for a religious procession stored in a courtyard.



La Merced Church











Guatemala gets plenty of earthquakes along with the volcanoes.  I assume that's what took down this church, but some businesses have set up shop within the ruins.














Garden inside a hotel courtyard


The same sprawling hotel grounds, which are built around the ruins of an old convent.





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