7.12.2008
The eight-hour overnight bus ride from Flores to Guatemala City was awful. I was particularly anxious for some reason, certainly aggravated by trying to sleep on a moving vehicle. The jungle passing by in the glow of the bus headlights seemed particularly ominous and haunted to me.
We arrived in GC at 5am. My Lonely Planet guidebook, and a nice elderly Guatemalan gentleman I had been talking to, so frightened me about the crime in GC that I stayed put in the bus station. It was probably better that way. At 8am I sheepishly telephoned Claudia Villavicencio's parents and tried to ask for her in Spanish. I reached her fluent father and fortunately he did not tolerate my made up Spanish. He told me that Claudia and her mother were driving back from El Salvador and would not return until noon! I tried Claudia´s mom´s phone but, alas, to no avail. I was getting anxious. I didn´t want to hang around in the Linea Dorada bus station any more so I took a taxi to the Marriot. After some negotiating I got a taxi driver to take me to the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography, the only place that sounded interesting, and accessible, in my guidebook. Boy, it was really worth it, too. Look at the disturbing Mayan artifacts I saw.
An incredible scale model of the Tikal complex.
An elaborate Mayan relief has been carved into the forehead of this human skull!
I think it´s really attractive to file your teeth into animal points.
The gallery of stelae, in a beautiful Spanish baroque courtyard centered around a fountain, was impessive. The elaborate relief carving is astounding to see close up. Three observations/questions I was pondering at the museum - 1. Mayan art was as sophisticated as Greek art I have seen. 2. Why could the Mayans not achieve a unified state even though they had monumental stone architecture? 3. I better get out of this empty museum before something eats me!
My taxi driver was waiting for me when the museum closed at noon for everyone´s siesta. He took me to the Holiday Inn this time. A very helpful travel agent let me use her phone to call Claudia. I finally reached her but unfortunately her mother was very sick. I was not going to be able to stay with the Villavicencios after all! The travel agent called me a cab and helped me get to Antigua by taxi for only $20!
Antigua was a great surprise. It is, quite literally, Europe plunked down in Central America. It´s Trastevere transplanted to the jungle. I love it. Here is the view from my hotel, Las Golondrinas. -AR
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