A Walk In Antigua, Guatemala

Though I stayed in Antigua, I spent most of my time in other parts of Guatemala, such that a walk here felt like the sigh of relief you expel returning home from a long trip.

Antigua is compassed and enchanting where everything you see feels like picture inside of picture inside of picture.

No more than a simple overlay of grids, Antigua is easy to navigate, save the local market that is a labyrinth of fruits, secondhand clothing, and everything in between.

Backdropped by volcanos and sitting almost directly atop tectonic plates, it’s hard to conceive of the calm and stillness present in the city. Shaken over and over again, quite literally by violent earthquakes, the city has emerged serenely beautiful like the interior of a snow globe when the inside rests.

Antigua has very obviously been blessed with years of restoration after adversity, and the people seem to repay whichever higher power they believe in with hard work and strong commitment to the city.

38 churches within one colonial town and rich purple flags denoting the remnants of holy week constantly remind you how important religion is and whether you subscribe to religion or not, Antigua commands a certain level of respect for it.

More than anything, I found myself in awe at the natural beauty of Guatemalan people. Tawny skin wrapped in dancing colors and patterns. Deep, raven-black hair cascading into long ponytails or loosely chignoned. Labored hands commonly intertwined with the tender hands of children galore. Strong men prideful in their work, whether selling fresh fruit or erecting a building from the ground up. In smiling, radiant groups more often than alone, Guatemalan people represented to me the gracious and quiet calm after a disaster and the togetherness of one big family united and ever changed by hard times.