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 had a much more Latin flair with most bands including marimbas in their lineup.  The notable exception to the Latin music was the bad that played Lady Gaga.

One thing I really noticed was the shoes the women were wearing.  I suppose this is because I find walking on the streets of Antigua to be challenging enough when I’m in sport sandals (the streets here are badly done cobble stones so can be a pain in the ass – sometimes literally) so watching these girls walk this parade on these streets in high heels – in one case, 3″ spikes – was impressive.

One of the bands was really amazing. Not only did they play well but they put on a great show.  They wore black and white uniforms and you can check them out in the video and pictures below!

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 textures – though I generally prefer for my veggies to be a little more al dente.  The sauce is made from Chard, Peas, Asparagus, Ham and Parmesean in a light cream sauce.

The ambiance leaves a bit to be desired.  There is a back room so perhaps it’s a bit more cozy but I ate in the front room at a table right in front of the door.  There is construction going on outside so the view was not that great and the two drunk brits at the “bar” didn’t help but hey, it’s the food that really matters.

I will definitely be back to La Toscana – perhaps to try the Spinach and Cheese ravioli that everyone raves about.

La Toscana is located at 1a Avenida Sur no. 17A in Antigua.

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 size is reasonable for the price and it comes with some ingredients you can add-in as desired (onion, cliantro, lime, etc.).  I found the soup to be pretty bland and definitely not as flavorful as similar soups at El Caldero in San Cristobal.  I had to add salt to feel like it had any flavor.

The setting is nice.  The main space is a large courtyard but as it was a slow night, everyong was in a side room which opened onto the street.  It was good for people watching if you were lucky enough to get a window seat.

I would be willing to give it another try but I would probably skip the soup next time.

La Fonda de la Calle Real is located at 5a Avenida Norte and a few other branch locations in Antigua, Guatemala.

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 how to prepare them – probably almost as many variations as there are Mexican Mamas – but this is how I always had them.  They are, quite simply, amazing.

Needless to say, I was very excited to hear that they were on the menu for dinner at Earth Lodge.  Imagine my dismay to discover that Chilaquiles in Guatemala (or at least at Earth Lodge) are substantially different than Chilaquiles in Mexico.

In Guatemala, they prepare Chilaquiles with Chayote (pictured right), which is a green, fairly flavorless, squash-like vegetable.  They start the dish by skinning the Chayote, slicing it in half, and removing the core.  After that, they fill it with a thick (almost 1/3 inch) layer of a thick, salty cheese.  Finally, the dip the stuffed Chayote in batter and fry them until lightly brown.  The dish is finished with a light red sauce and, though fried and very cheesy, is not at all heavy or greasy.  The vegetable becomes firm though easily cut with just a fork and seems to take on the flavors of the other ingredients.

I still prefer the Mexican version of Chiliquiles, but this was better than I anticipated though likely not something I would order again.

Final product served with rice, salad and garlic bread:

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 that happened on 28 May 2010.

This photo was taken on 5 September 2010 from the front porch of Earth Lodge.

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 89% approval rate so it was my first choice – and it turned out to be a good one.

Situated just a few blocks from the Central Park, El Hostal is out of the way enough that it’s not too noisy but close enough that getting to other places is quick and easy.  It’s located almost directly across from the well-known Café No Se and I’m a bit surprised it’s not more popular.  Granted, it’s a bit more expensive than some of the other places in town (note the aforementioned $1 more per night) but it’s worth it.

The rooms are clean, the beds are bug free and comfortable (they are actual mattresses, not just foam pads), the reception staff is friendly and helpful and the free breakfast is yummy and plentiful.  Were I to nitpick, the only things I would change would be more comfortable seating in the common area (currently there is only one couch, a hammock and some fairly uncomfortable chairs) and more room between bunk beds.  The beds they’re using are not, I suspect, supposed to be used as bunk beds but rather are regular beds nailed together.  This means that there is only about 2.5 feet from the top of one bed to the bottom of the other which means you can’t sit up in bed.  Somewhat uncomfortable and inconvenient but in the grand scheme of things, not a huge problem.  I could avoid it were I to sleep in the front dorm room which doesn’t have bunks but that room also faces the street so it is significantly louder.  If you’re tall though you would want that room as one of my roommates was 6’4” and had to sleep diagonally across his bed and his feet still hung off the end.

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 was wonderful but I’ve been more than ready for the day I could start traveling again.  Today is that day!

As I type this I am winging my way from Chicago to Guatemala City via Fort Lauderdale.  It’s been a challenging summer full of personal and financial losses that have been frustrating and today’s trip started by following that pattern as the ticketing agent demanded proof of ongoing travel before they’d let me board the plane.

This is the first time this has ever happened to me and was immensely frustrating.  After much heated debate and clock watching I finally ended up purchasing a short segment on a Mexican bus line to “prove” that I’d be leaving Guatemala within 90 days.  Thankfully I’m familiar with the bus system in Mexico otherwise I would have been in trouble.  As it was, I made it onto my plane with 5 minutes to spare.  I can only hope that this was the final hurdle and there will be smooth sailing going forward.

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 and famine.  Winding our way through the various Zonas of Guatemala City you see up close and personal the abject poverty that affects many in this Capitol City but even within these poor communities, the strong pride is evident.  September 15 is Guatemalan independence day and all over people are selling flags and hanging them from cars, out of windows and off their person.  It’s a sea of blue and white and I look forward to seeing how this country celebrates its independence.

As we make our way up into the hills I converse with my driver in my halting, half-forgotten Spanish asking questions about the areas we’re driving through, some of the signs on the road  and the purpose of the parade of children we had just passed.  He delights in telling me all manner of things and I catch maybe 25% of what he says.  For the rest I just nod and smile or shake my head and frown, depending on his cues.  One of the cuter sites we see is a block-long section of parked cars with people standing in front of them selling puppies.  Each car has a different breed and it’s like looking at a giant puppy park.  Their cute puppy faces bring a smile until I realize that if they don’t sell it’s likely that nothing good will happen to them.

It’s easy to tell when we get to the expat areas.  The sprawling developments are sparkling clean, perched on the side of mountains which command imposing views and are behind 12’ high compound walls guarded by men with automatic weapons…  If there’s one thing we Americans are good at it’s blending into the local background.

The final drop into Antigua is a series of sweeping turns through a lush jungle that occasionally falls away into deep valleys.  Signs of recent rainfall are visible all along the route as piles of fresh dirt piled on the side of the road.  At this point, I’ve not heard about the landslides that killed several dozen people only 20 miles to the north of where I was driving – that’s probably a good thing.

Antigua is as I remember it.  A curious mix of old and new with bright Coke signs hanging on pockmarked pastel ruins.  The ache in my tooth intensifies as we hit the famous cobble stone streets and the shocks on the cab prove that they’re not up to the task of a smooth ride on these ancient streets.  After a brief hunt for a working ATM my cab driver deposits me on the doorstep of the hostel which will be my home for the evening and with a cheerful “adios” takes off in a cloud of black exhaust.

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 times I’m sure I stuck out like a sore thumb.

I’ve spent the last couple days in Merida visiting my old haunts but mostly visiting with friends.  It’s been great to see everyone again even though Alex is gone and we didn’t get a chance to meet up.  I’m not sure if/when I’ll be back but I know that when I return I’ll have a home waiting here.

Tomorrow I leave for the US.  I’ll be traveling for approximately 24 hours straight and I’m not particularly looking forward to it.  My first stop is Palm Springs where I’ll spend a few days with Rob, the owner of the boat I might be sailing on early next year.  We want to spend some time getting to know each other before we set out just to make sure that we click in person.  it feels a bit like a job interview or a first date but it should be fun and I’ve never been to Palm Springs before so that will be nice.

For now I’m going to take once last walk down to the Zocalo to say goodbye to Merida.