Central America First Stop

That plume of smoke way beyond is a live volcano...

Quick check-in now that I've been hanging out in Antigua, Guatemala for a few days. Lovely colonial town with an unspoiled feel. Two and three-storied stucco-covered buildings, some of which are as old as the forested mountains that surround it. A live volcano watches over the place like a benign ruler with a loaded gun in his hand. You see the smoke rising up from its peak during the daylight hours (that is, the cloud cover isn't obscuring it) and you see the glow of hot lava at night.

Now how cool is that, travel lovers?

There's the usual smog and pollution from the many cars and trucks that motor across old cobbled roads that are an absolute bitch to walk. I've jogged them a couple of times which means I'm begging for a broken ankle or at the very least, a broken toe. Such is the stupidity of the author.

But this is a place of happy natives who, unlike NYC for instance, smile at you when you pass by on the street. The temperature is relatively cool for a tropical lowland/highland geography, but the humidity high. It rains every night since it's the rainy season. The smell is a combination grilled meats, roasting chocolate and coffee, and exhaust. The sounds are motorbikes, cars, church bells, fountains, and laughter. I don't think I've witnessed a single person in distress.

A writer can live here in a nice house, hire staff, and live very well for maybe $30K per year. Makes one think. But this is the easy peasy part of my journey which truly begins on Friday. So I'm enjoying my little calm before the storm, eating some tacos, washing it all down with Gallo Beer. From paradise into the jungle I go to the lost city of Z. Zandri that is. 

Onwards...

Yesterday I hired a tuck-tuck to take me around the place. Note for solo travelers. Don't feel like paying a whole lot of dough for the mega tour including an all you can eat buffet lunch? Just hire a taxi driver and pay him extra for his services. You be surprised how accommodating he can be.

Here's a video snapshot:

Vaya con dios amigos...

WWW.VINCENTZANDRI.COM