Antigua – Guatemala

My First Impressions of Guatemala

When my flight landed at Guatemala International Airport in early November, I instantly knew I liked the country. Even before I got off the plane or entered the airport. Even before I set foot outside the airport or actually experienced Guatemala.

It just had a very relaxed, calm peaceful vibe about it. And it was bursting with leafy green vegetation. I’d first glimpsed Guatemala’s plentiful greenery and mountainous topography from my plane window a few minutes earlier. They hinted at a rather dry climate and low population density.

first glimpse of Guatemala from flight

As my plane taxied along the runway I noticed many rather ramshackle buildings lining one side of the runway, but they were surprisingly clean and orderly.

Off the plane, inside the airport, the arrival procedures went very quickly and smoothly. Almost before I knew it I was stepping outside into a massive throng of local Guatemalans. They were families awaiting relatives, hotel concierges picking up guests, taxi drivers looking for fares and colorfully-dressed Mayan people selling their traditional fabrics, clothes, flutes and other goods.

Although large in number and densely packed, they were all surprisingly quiet. A few taxi drivers and street vendors approached me calmly, but they were noticeably un-pushy. Within a short time I’d located a direct shuttle van to Antigua, Guatemala’s historic UNESCO World Heritage City, which is located about one hour’s drive from the airport. Soon we were underway.

Antigua Central Plaza with Volcan Agua

Cleanliness

I was immediately surprised at how clean everything was. I had expected such a poor country to be much messier and more ramshackle. Although most buildings were typical boring concrete block structures, often with corrugated roofs and fences, they were tidy and clean. The streets looked immaculate.

I later noted the same amazingly immaculate streets and clean buildings throughout Antigua. On my first excursion out of Antigua, to the Pacific west coast a week later, I continued seeing cleanliness just about everywhere. Tiny villages tended to be a bit messy, but certainly not compared to many villages in SE Asia.

Volcano Fuego – seen from Antigua rooftop

Topography

As we rolled out of Guatemala city into the countryside, the next thing I noticed was how hilly the country is. Indeed, most of Guatemala consists of mountains, volcanoes and rolling hills. In fact, 30 volcanoes jut into the sky within Guatemalan borders, some actively spewing liquid lava or puffing clouds of smoke into the air.

I quickly noted that I would not enjoy cycling there! Although traffic is minimal and roads in good to fair condition, I simply do not enjoy cycling up and down mountains all day long, day after day. I did later meet a few western cyclists tackling Guatemala’s mountainous terrain. Better them than me, I say!

Antigua house courtyard

Climate and vegetation

As I’d assessed from my flight, Guatemala’s climate is quite dry. Comfortably dry. Nothing like Arizona or Utah or a desert climate’s parched dusty heat. But certainly much drier than steamy SE Asia. I find it exceedingly comfortable.

Most of the trees I don’t recognize, although I did spot some Eucalyptus trees. There are also pines, palms, flowering bushes & trees and a bunch of trees that are new to me.

US Influences

Another thing I noticed immediately, and to my huge disappointment, were the much less welcomed US influences. Hordes and hordes of roadside advertising boards. I don’t remember seeing so many massive, obnoxious billboards since I was a kid growing up in the USA in the 1970s. I thought those had long gone out of fashion? But in Guatemala billboards seem to be all the rage, marring the scenery along most highways.

Then of course, all the usual big-chain suspects have long since pushed their way into the country: McDonald’s, Burger Kind, Pizza Hut, Coca Cola. I even saw a Wendy’s in Antigua! Whoa, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Wendy’s outside the US. On the other hand, I have not seen any Starbucks presence… presumably because of all the delicious locally-grown Guatemalan coffee, enjoyed at dozens of local cafes around Antigua and the City.

Street dogs

I also quickly noticed that stray dogs roam the streets everywhere. They all look pretty healthy, free of the Mange and non-aggressive. In Antigua I’ve been able to pet quite a few stray dogs. But others kept a slight distance from people.

Dogs are also very popular pets in Guatemala. People keep all breeds, from tiny miniature Chihuahuas on up to lanky German Shepherds.

Perspectives from Antigua

My shuttle arrived in charming Antigua less than one hour later. The driver dropped me at my guest house and within 30 minutes I was out wandering the streets of Guatemala’s ultra-atmospheric original capital city, camera in hand.

During my first week in Antigua I’ve made many more preliminary observations about other aspects of Guatemalan life and culture…

People

Guatemalans are generally rather small people, by which I mean short in stature. This holds true for both the Spanish-descendant Guatemalans and the indigenous Mayans.

I am just 5 ft. 4 inches / 157 cm, yet I tower over most Guatemalans, including the men. Local women come up just to my chest or neck. Most men are slightly shorter than me, some much shorter, others at about my height. The occasional times that I’ve met a Guatemalan man taller than me, he invariably seemed like a giant, especially compared to his fellow countrymen.

Guatemalans for the most part are surprisingly mild-mannered, soft-spoken, calm and peaceful. They talk quietly. They’re polite and friendly, yet slightly reserved. It’s nearly impossible to believe a violent criminal element exists in this country, given how peaceful and quiet everyone behaves.

Having said that, there is a strong police presence on the streets, at least in Antigua. Guards armed with huge automatic weapons protect entrances to most banks. Armed guards also stand outside many simple local shops. Police stand on many street corners in Antigua, presumably to make sure the city’s huge throngs of tourists (both Guatemalan and international) are safe while exploring the city.

Quesadillas

Local Food, Drinks and Sweets

Guatemala has a large variety of tasty, inexpensive local street foods and home-cooked meals served at little ‘restaurants’ called comedores. Quite happily for me, meats such as chicken, beef, pork and seafood are common in dishes throughout the day.

Filling breakfasts are nearly the same as American and British breakfasts. Eggs, bread or tortillas, black beans, fresh fruit or fried plantains and coffee/tea is the staple. Some hostels, guest houses and hotels include breakfast in the room rate. Otherwise, stepping out for breakfast at a comedore generally costs about 15Q / $2 US.

Lunches and dinners range from home-style meals like chicken in gravy with rice, potatoes and veggies or grilled thin steak with onion, potatoes and veggies to tortillas, enchilladas and other Latin American fare. I’ve been paying 20-25Q / $3-350 US for such meals.

Bakeries, cake shops and cafes with rich desserts are located on nearly every block. Fresh fruit juices, especially fresh-squeezed orange juice, are also served many places. Arroz con leche – a warm creamy drink made from rice – served at street stalls, is delicious on chilly evenings.

Fresh produce markets bursting with dozens of different vegetables and fruits prove just how rich Guatemala is in food production.

Mayan street market

Cultural elements

Thus far I’ve only visited Antigua, Guatemala’s famous historic Spanish town, now a UNESCO World Heritage City. Antigua is packed with amazing architecture built from the 1500s-1700s, following several Spanish architectural styles. Several dozen Catholic churches and a few large monasteries and cathedrals dot the town.

But Antiguan architecture is not typical of the entire country, so I can’t yet comment on the style of average Guatemalan towns and cities. However, the Spanish did manage to ingrain Catholicism throughout the country, so churches and Sunday services are the norm.

Mayans also make a strong presence in Antigua and the western half of the country. Their brightly patterned, multicolored clothing makes them stand out, distinguishing them from the Spanish-descendant Guatemalans.

In Antigua many Mayan vendors wander the main streets selling fabrics, clothing, wooden flutes and other traditional crafts. On weekends a lovely Mayan market is set up.

Safety

I’ve read reports about violence, robberies, rapes and pick-pocketing in Guatemala. I’ve heard of bus robberies. And apparently, like in America, many guns and knives exist in the country.

On the other hand, the dozen or more travelers I know personally who’ve traveled in Guatemala in recent years have never had any problems. The travelers I’ve met since arriving have never had any issues either.

Antigua seems to be safe. It feels safe. Locals assure me it’s safe to walk around alone in the daytime and even at night, at least in the early evening hours.

Likewise, Monterrico – Pacific beach-side village with resorts, hotels and hostels – seems to be safe. All the locals working at hotels and restaurants have told me it’s safe to walk around alone, even at night, even on the beach, even in the tiny town. In my long years of travel experience, I’ve found that locals never steer me wrong on safety issues. If it’s dangerous, they’ll tell me what to do, what to avoid.

I haven’t had any issues, nor even felt any threat or unease, even walking alone at night. Of course I’ve only been in Guatemala 10 days and visited two places. So I’ll write up another report on safety when I’m more experienced.

As for safety/theft inside hostels and guest houses: All the hostels I’ve stayed in so far offer individual lockers for guests to lock up valuables. I’ve locked up my laptop, camera, other electronics in several establishments, and on occasion for short times, my money and passport. No issues.

at my Antigua guest house

Summary:

After being in Guatemala for 10 days, my first impressions are overwhelmingly positive. The people are friendly, kind, calm and peaceful. Towns, streets and countryside are all surprisingly clean. It seems to be quite safe. There’s plenty of delicious food, beautiful landscapes and interesting cultural elements.

I might just end up thinking Guatemala is even better than my beloved SE Asia! Let’s see how I feel a couple months from now, after visiting a good chunk of the country.

You might also enjoy:

My 1^st Trip to Central America Starts Now!

Spirit Airlines to Guatemala – Excellent Budget Flights

—————————————————————————————————

You might also enjoy:

13 Surprising Facts About Guatemala Travel Perpsectives: Confessions of a Cold Weather Hater Travel Tale: That Wonderful Thai Train Experience Travel Perspectives: Dreaming of Viewing the Northern Lights