1,430 miles done. Approximately 10,000 to go.
6th country done. 3 countries to go.
Let’s start with a holiday snap. Here’s us having a beer on a rooftop bar in front of Volcan de Agua. I like to cater for my volcanologist friends.
Here’s some of my colourful friends in Antigua.
As you can see I’m quite a popular person in Antigua.
I kid you not, I went to the town square and shouted ‘who wants to come with me on my motorbike to Alaska?’ and when I turned around this is what I saw:
Yup, you’ve said it before I said it – Susan had better play her cards right if that’s the reserves waiting in the wing!
Now let’s move on from my friends and talk about Antigua.
Founded in 1543 by the Spanish Conquistadors it was once the capital of Guatemala and one of the greatest cities of the Spanish empire.
The city sits on an active tectonic zone and has been repeatedly devastated by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The evidence of these times remains.
It’s a quaint colourful place retaining much of its Spanish colonial character.
The star attraction is 3,768m Volcan de Fuego, one of the world’s most active. For the last 20 years it has been constantly erupting, shooting incandescent lava bombs and clouds of ash every 30 minutes.
I took time off from sipping my beer on my roof top bar with my colourful friends to take a photo of Fuego just for you.
That guy is sparking away as I relax.
Through all this volcanic and earthquake drama one thing endures – Starbucks!
Oh stop rolling your eyes – you should know by now if I’m going to show you a photo of Starbucks it’s going to be better than any photo of Starbucks you have.
This is reckoned to be the best looking Starbucks in the world! That’s another point on the board for me! It’s just a pity the coffee is still like pond water.
Now I’ve got something special for you – yes the treats just keep on coming in this post. Here’s a colourful bus driven by one of my colourful Antiguan friends. Toot toot.
Please don’t get jealous of all my new Antiguan friends – I still care about you.
What’s the food like? Well it’s marvellous. Here’s my good friend Chef Mario Godinez at Barriga Llena and Susan’s prawn dish.
I had chicken and chips and it was the best damn deep fried chicken I’ve had since New Orleans.
Then I had the most unusual beer of my life! Oh yes, that’s made you listen. Well actually, it’s a beer cocktail.
I accept it looks like a can of average lager and a glass of muddy water. But have you ever heard of a piscositas?
It’s a can of beer topped with salt, worcestershire sauce, lime and a hot chile/onion salsa. Variations on this beer cocktail even have shrimps on the tin.
All I can say is it’s an acquired taste and I haven’t acquired that taste yet.
Regardless, don’t tell me you’ve had a more unusual beer cocktail than this! – chalk up another point to me!
I’m now going to finish with another photo of an old friend.
Yes, it’s Volcan de Agua again.
Explanation? Well, let me tell you this is the second time we’ve been to Antigua. Last time, 20 years ago we were young hippies on a backpacking trip.
Has Antigua changed in this time? You bet it has. It was once a wonderful backwater of colonial splendor. Today, like almost any place in the world, it’s blighted by too many tourists.
It’s still a great place to visit and Guatemala is a really lovely country. However, if you really want to see a country outwith the tourist hotspots then you need to travel by motorbike.
No, I’m sorry you can’t come with me – I’ve got a queue of girls in party dresses ahead of you!
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