| Tuesday morning we took a local bus directly to Antigua from Panajachel. Antigua was the Spanish colonial capital from 1543 to 1776. On Wednesday we took a tour of the surrounding area and of some of the special spots in Antigua. We visited a coffee plantation and an experimental macadamia nut station, with the goal being at the macadamia nut station to provide the Mayas in the Guatemala highlands with a sustainable agricultural crop and at the same time protect the environment. We also visited the Mayan village of San Antonio Aguas Calientes (known for its weaving) and Ciudad Vieja. In Antigua we visited first La Recoleccion, a massive and impressive ruin, destroyed by earthquakes in the 1700�s. Then, we visited La Merced, one of Antigua�s most striking colonial churches. Afterwards, we stopped at a jade factory before ending the tour at Palacio de los Capitanes. Although Antigua has had much damage from many earthquakes throughout its almost 500 years of existence, much of it has been rebuilt in the original architecture of the 16th and 17th century using the original cobblestone streets. There are, though, many ruins still visible from the many previous earthquakes. |
