Guatemala-Antigua with Emily

Look who came to visit for a long weekend!  Emily, our one and only daughter.  First off a trip to see Clinica Tio Juan in Zona 2, 40 minutes away where we work.

It was another "eternal Spring" day in the city.

Close by is the Guatemala Relief Map.  It is quite dated but fun to see from above.  Part of the 20 quetzales admission ($3) was an umbrella to shield the sun.

View from the top.

To Escuintla and then continuing left, off the photo, is where we attend church each week.  We travel up from Guatemala City through a mountain pass and then down to the tropical area near the coast.

On the way home we stopped at one of our favorite tiendas to buy freshly made tortillas for Emily to try.

This is the table that the women use to rest the dough after they have used their palms to pat the dough into rounds.  The cooktop is covered by the colorful cloth and early morning patrons are served through the window.  The women begin at 5:30 a.m. and stop by 3:00 p.m.  Many people buy a few at a time to take home for breakfast or to work for lunch.

Friday we left for lovely Antigua on another adventure.  Casa Santo Domingo Hotel is in an old monastery that has been remodeled.  It is an easy walk to the central part of the city and a great place to escape to from the hustle and bustle.  The hotel has excellent food and places to relax and people watch.  I enjoyed showing Emily the museums on the grounds and we all enjoyed sitting under an umbrella tasting local Guatemalan cuisine.

Central plaza, Antigua.  The fountain of sirens is modeled after sculptures created in Antigua in the late 1700s.

In the afternoon Em and I explored some of the ancient city.  Volcano Fuego was spewing a little steam and the skies were intensely blue.

Inquiring at the front desk we were directed to la Merced, a beautiful church near the Latter-day Saint chapel.  There just happened to be a wedding in progress.

Come again Emily.  Next time, Lake Atitlan!