Vagabondette

15 September is Independence Day in Guatemala.  As with most festivals in Latin America you could tell there was something coming up because all over town you could hear and see dozens of bands practicing for the big day. The parade was pretty similar so parades you would see in the US except the music [...]

La Toscana got great reviews on Degustantigua and since it’s virtually across the street and I was feeling lazy I decided to check it out.  The reviews were right on the money. I ordered the home made Chicken Tortellini with the Di Magro sauce which was amazing.  It was a great mix of flavors and [...]

La Fonda is well regarded in most guide books as a good place to get some local cuisine and they’re especially known for their Caldo Real which is basically a big bowl of Chicken and Rice soup.  This is what I got as I was still on soft foods after my tooth extraction. The serving [...]

Earth Lodge, situated about 20 minutes up the mountain from Antigua, offers a great few of some of the natural beauty of the area!

While living in Mexico I became somewhat addicted to a local dish called chilaquiles.  Basically they’re a ‘leftovers’ dish made of cut up stale tortillas sauteed in a red or green sauce and then topped with onions, crema (like thin sour cream), crumbled cheese, avocado and chicken (or eggs).  There are many other variations on [...]

Like giant sleeping beasts, the volcanoes surrounding Antigua lay silent.  Generally dormant, they vent the occasional burst of smoke or ball of flame and rattle the ground to remind the population of the power which surrounds them.  Word on the street is that another eruption is expected in the near future similar to the one [...]

The last time I was in Antigua (July, 2009) I stayed at the Jungle Party hostel which, in my unvarnished opinion, is a complete shit-hole.  On this trip, as I didn’t have to confer with anyone else, I decided to pony up the extra $1 and stay somewhere with better reviews.  El Hostal gets an [...]

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in the US for almost 10 months!  That’s about 9 more than I had planned or wanted but things don’t always work out as anticipated.  The last months have been full of friends and family and I got to spend significant time with people I rarely see which [...]

After wandering for about 40 minutes and discovering that there is no ATM which is easily accessible at the Guatemala City Airport I was finally able to convince a driver to take me to Antigua with the promise of payment on arrival if he’d stop at an ATM. The drive is a mixture of feast [...]

It’s strange to think that this is my last night in Mexico for several months and maybe my last night ever in Merida.  This country, that I never intended to visit, has captured my heart.  The warmth of the people, the culture and the comfortable atmosphere has made me feel at home even though at [...]