After the Spaniards had slaughtered the indigenous people or they were carried off by contagious diseases, workers were missing to exploit the natural treasures. So African slaves were brought to the country, whose descendants still live on the caribbean coast like here in livingston. Little africa in guatemala.
We arrived in the lowlands of guatemala, the petén. from now on it’s humid and warm. Quiriguá, meanwhile unseco world cultural heritage, was founded in 426 a.d. by „yax cow mo“, the god king of copán. Says our travel guide. Here you can see the most beautiful steels of Central America, large stone squares, covered with hyroglyphs and reliefs.
The zoomorph „p“ is probably the most impressive object and the laymen is amazed, what the experts can read from the engravings. The covered objects are now protected from the sun and rain, understandable but unfavorable for taking photos.
Overlanders going through Guatemala City will know the “cabaña suiza”. It is like an exotic oasis on the edge of the huge city and offers a safe harbor and engardiner tart to travelers. The bernhardiner avalanche dog became a life guard, the black and white cow is made of plastic, but who needs to get married urgently: the chapel is genuine.
Street parking with family connection
Montericco Hawaii is a narrow peninsula with black lava sand. It´s located in the south of Guatemala between the pacific coast and the mangroves of the plains. The so called ‚canal’ is navigable until El Salvador.
Seven months ago, Fredy and Katy opened their small family hotel, which they had build by their own: Hotel La Guitarra. The large pool with jacuzzi is Fredy’s pride. On weekends, families from Guatemala City having a break here from the big city jungle. Then the 6 rooms are occupied with up to 40 persons and more. From Sunday afternoons, the beach again belongs to the small fishing community, the pigs, the chickens and the dogs. Thank you for your hospitality, family connection and Katy’s Venezuelian food. We wish you all the best for your young business! By the way: Overlanders are welcome!!
Once antigua was the capital of guatemala, but 1776 it got hit by a major earthquake which distroyed the city completely . Many churches were not reconstructed afterwards and if, they got thiscker walls and smaller towers. besides this, the government was moved to guatemala city. However, the city has not lost its charm and its lively nature, and is now a tourist highlight, flanked by three powerful volcanoes of which the “fuego” is active at the moment.
iglesia y convento de la recolección
Anno 1701 the monks in antigua placed an order to built a magnificent church together with a monastry. In 1708 it was done and nothing was saved, thick walls were created with powerful arcs. just 65 years later, in 1773, the earth was wobbling and the complete monastery was fucked up. It was never rebuilt, still today huge clusters of depris are lying in the nave and with some imagination you could assume that quite some cowls lie beneath them.
In the next centuries almost every building in Antigua suffered this fate, many were reconstructed and if just the facade was rebuild and strengthened massively on the rear side.
