Guatemala 2008

The way I kill time at the airport: watching the planes come in and take off, checking my email, and drinking plenty of Airborne.

Sometimes even we seasoned travelers who think we have mastered the art of travelling make the most novice mistakes.  I have always wanted to experience Semana Santa, or Holy Week, in Central America.  Over the years people have entertained me with countless stories about the processions and parties that take place to celebrate the Easter holiday.  However, when I booked my flight to Guatemala it never occurred to me that I would be choosing the weekend of Semana Santa and it only finally occurred to me when I tried to book hotels and every single one was full.  From what I have now learned if you plan to travel during this week you need to book your hotel at least 4 months in advance.  It took me a while, but thankfully I was finally able to find some places to stay.

Me in the lobby of our hotel.

2 weeks prior to this trip I met Mel, who is now a dear friend, during my brief trip to Mexico City.  I invited her to join me and she immediately agreed.  She had visited Guatemala 3 years ago for a wedding and had such a wonderful time that she was ready for round 2!

Again, I had an early morning flight.  I cannot put into words how much I hate waking up early.  I would much rather stay awake until 5AM, than wake up at that time.  And no matter how much coffee you give me, I am still not going to be the cheerful person I normally am.

The candlelit entrance into Hotel Convento.

I have decided to eliminate the specific details regarding the terrible events that took place at the airport after I checked in, since they do not contribute in a positive way to the remembrance of the trip.  All I will say is that they included: a 3 hour delay in NYC leading to a missed connection, irate passengers, screaming children, and a 6 hour layover in Miami.  Normally, minor travel setbacks are to be expected, but when the trip is only a few days to begin with, they suddenly turn into major ones.  

This whole trip was first planned around renting a car and driving around the country.

The grounds inside Hotel Convento.

I had told Mel to meet me at our hotel in La Antigua, which is about an hour’s drive from Guatemala City.  I was to pick up our rental car by myself at the airport and was a bit anxious to be driving in a new non-English speaking country alone at night.  I survived driving in torrential rain in Costa Rica and driving on the opposite ride of the road in Australia, so I was confident that I could survive this drive too.

The grounds inside Hotel Convento.

A kind woman at the information desk in the airport pointed me in the direction of a bus that takes people to their hotels in La Antigua for $10.  Note: private taxis can be found in abundance and are usually around $30-40.  I was lucky enough to catch a bus that was just leaving and only had to wait about 5 minute.  As we approached La Antigua, the traffic began to congest heavily.  The driver looked at us passengers like, “C’mon it is Semana Santa, what do you expect?”  We idled for a while and then the driver announced that most of the streets were blocked, as the town was getting ready for the processions tomorrow.

Me inside the grounds of Hotel Convento.

The only place that I was able to find available was Hotel Convento Boutique, which was across the street from the ruins of the Nunnery called Convento de Las Capuchinas.  The hotel was recently built and is still fairly unknown.  I truly believe this place rivals for the title of “The Most Beautiful Hotel in the World.”  As I was checking in, Mel was informed of my arrival, and she came running to the reception desk to greet me.  It was more than wonderful to see her after the very long and frustrating day I had.

I was so exhausted in the bus ride to the hotel, but after seeing Mel and walking through the candle-lit streets and breathing in the incensed filled air, I was more than ready to start exploring my 26^th country.  Mel had said that earlier she had mixed up hotels (there is another Hotel Convento, however, it is much larger) and was amazed by the other hotel’s grounds.  She wanted to go back and take pictures with me.  While we were there a mass was being conducted and it only added to the incredible ambience of the enchanting place.  Then we found an al fresco restaurant set amongst a garden and this where I first fell in love with Guatemalan cuisine.  After our delicious meal, I just could not keep my eyes open any longer and we headed back to our sanctuary for some much needed rest.