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.

As soon as we arrived in todos santos, we got invited to a free meal in due to an inauguration of a new church (exactly opposite an older one). For this fiesta, 4 bulls got slaughtered which then were cooked in huge kettels.

The pitoresque village of todos santos cuchumatán, located in 8000feet elevation in the sierra de los cuchumatanes, is known for its exclusive fashion: all men wear the traditional red white striped trousers.