Antigua, NO this does not mean the island

Not only is this my first time in Guatemala, but it is also my first time out of the country. With that comes awe at nearly every city I visit, be it in a good way or a bad way. It was no different with Antigua. Antigua was unlike any city I have visited so far in Guatemala. Guatemala City is fast paced, dirty and feels terribly dangerous. Panajachel reeks of tourism and has little personality of its own. Chichicastenango is busy, touristy, and expensive and even has a bit of its own history with some colossal and gorgeous churches. Santa Cruz and Tzununá are hamlets off to themselves, as self-sufficient and as private as they can be with the resources available to them.

Antigua is an entirely different beast. It is quiet and busy at the same time; it is a tourist town, but also a hometown. There, tourists pack the market, but locals also go to buy their necessities. It is one of the more modern cities in Guatemala, yet its history is vibrant in its churches, parks and ruins. Despite its reputation as one of the most dangerous towns in Guatemala, Antigua gives a sense of security and comfort, which may be part of the reason for its danger. The city almost gave a sense of being back in the States (apart from the shotgun guard) with many restaurants and stores I hadn’t seen since leaving Miami. For this reason I liked and disliked the city at the same time. It threw me off to see so many ‘Western’ influences in Antigua, yet despite that, the city was able to maintain its own personality and vividness as a part of a Central American country.

The colonial and indigenous influence is seen in the contrast of everything that is Antigua. Its colonial influence can be seen in every church and monastery that stands in Antigua and even those that have collapsed. Colonialism has a hand in everything that is in Antigua, especially the shops and restaurants around town (McDonald’s). Even the markets geared towards tourists have that colonial touch, where women wear the traje to give tourists the ‘authentic’ touch, but the woman typically wear more modern clothes when not working. The people walking around town have a much more westernized style of dress and living. There are still the chicken buses of Guatemala in and out of town, but I almost get the sense that what was once indigenous is now hidden from view, leaving only to display a modernized city.

Antigua is practically as much in contrast with Santa Cruz as Columbia, South Carolina. The abundance and plenty in Antigua is unequalled. There is actually nightlife after 9 pm besides a few drunks meandering through the streets. Cars are parked everywhere, lining every street, advertising Antigua’s ever ironic modernity.

I found it impossible to get a sense of Antigua in just three days, every time I thought I knew about the city it would surprise me with what was around the corner. I found one thing for sure though; you can never be bored in Antigua.