Sunday, February 26, 2012

This is out of order, but I had limited time and the concert was the best of many high points during the day, so I wanted to write about that first.

Other Saturday highlights.

We had breakfast at the Black Cat Inn, but the kitchen was only able to cook for a few people at  time, so it took most of the morning.  My French toast was good, but it was some kind of deep fried bread, not what I was expecting.

After breakfast, we had free time to wander around for a bit.  I was with others part of the time, and on my own part of the time.   I had lunch at the Rainbow Room, recommended by John.  I'm sticking with places that he knows have food that should not make you catch something.  While walking around, I ran into Pedro, Jose and the sound guy, finishing their ice cream.  They stopped in a music shop, where Pedro tried out some drums.  It was good that I ran into them, because I learned that the concert was planned to start at 8, not 9.

Antigua is in a valley between 3 active volcanoes.  Stunning scenery.

At 2, Ryan arrived, and took us for a tour to a few places.  Ryan is from Arkansas, and teaches math and physics at a school in Guatemala City.  So he's quite familiar with Antigua.  John had eaten one of those things he warns us against, so he didn't join our walking tour.  First, we went to the Artists market.  Ryan told us that you could easily spend an hour there, but I found this a good male characterization.  I could spend a day!  We will have free time next Saturday to go back.  At the market, he tells us to offer 50% of what's offered and settle for 75%.

We also saw the more traditional market, next to the Artisans market.  Sections with food, with clothes, with hardware, all kinds of things.  At an herb booth, the owner offered us marijuana - I don't think he was joking, though drugs are not a huge problem in this country (other than drug traffic through the country.)

Then Ryan took us to the coolest McDonald's that I've ever seen.  Not for the food, just to check it out.  There is a large courtyard with a fountain, with Ronald McDonald on a bench and a mountain in the background - I will post a photo soon.








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