After a redeye flight, Jingo and I arrived in Guatemala. We headed directly to a town called Antigua, an hour away. The entire town is designated as a Unesco World Heritage site. It has major historical significance as it was the capital of Guatemala for 223 years until 1776. Earthquakes proved to be too much for the ancient colonial town. The town is surrounded by beauty with three volcanoes in sight. The streets are ancient cobblestones lined with buildings of pastel facades with terracotta roofs. It is definitely an affluent town. Homes and buildings have magnificently huge doors with only concrete walls on the outside, only to find magnificent courtyards inside the walls, dating back to colonial times when protection was imperative.
Jingo and I wandered the streets, sat in the town’s square, people watched, ate, drank. Jingo is embracing the experience as I am but this type of traveling (backpacking) is completely foreign to her. After two days in Antigua we hopped on a bus for our next destination 3 hours away. When we arrived and got off the bus Jingo was overwhelmed by the fact that we have no familiarity, no booked hotel, no idea what direction to head. Im pretty sure she was questioning how crazy i am for traveling like this and the fact that she is with me this time. Within minutes though we found the perfect retreat with our own personal bungalow, a walk away from the lake. Jingo just keeps saying “I can’t believe i’m in guatemala!?” …whether she is crying or laughing.