So we landed in Guate at about 6:00pm the sun was setting and you could see the lights of the city as we made our final decent. As the plane bounced across the landing strip and came to an abrupt stop the locals on the plane began to clap. I've noticed the same custom in Mexico and I am unsure of whether it is cultural or if many are just happy to be landing alive. Many of my flights to Central America have been a little rough. My sister who is a Peace Corps Volunteer said that her plane hit the landing strip three times pretty much taking off again each time and finally skidded into a stop (needless to say as I planned her trip home for Christmas she wanted to have the minimal amount of layovers). As we entered "customs" and walked past, many security guards were standing about talking paying no attention to passengers. I thought it was odd that we were not checked in any way shape or form. I guess they really are not worried about Americans smuggling in drugs. We finally found my sister and as we packed our luggage and drove through the city my sister warned us of the dangers of Guatemala. Stories of Bolos (town drunks), theft, riding in the back of trucks, political insurgants, etc followed. We drove about an hour to Antigua to spend the night. Guatemala City is one of the most dangerous cities in the world so it was not safe to spend the night there. And as my sister warned us I began to feel rather insecure in our travels not quite knowing what to expect for the next week in a half. We arrived in Antigua and walked two blocks to a local restaurant. With the cobblestone streets and the long narrow alleys I began to feel quite comfortable as though I was walking the streets of Nice, France again. We entered the restaurant which might have been one of the most beautiful places I had ever been to eat. With a indoor rainforrest practically above you how could you not fall in love with this city at that moment? For anyone travelling to Guatemala Antigua is a must. Antigua has 7 language schools and really is considered a tourist town. For those who do not speak Spanish many locals understand English and there is a language student on every corner who is willing to help. They treat tourists very good in Antigua and with it's Volcanos overlooking the city it is definetly one of the finest places in Guatemala.
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