I invite you to walk with me this morning as we meander the cobblestone streets and uneven sidewalks of Antigua. I will take you for your morning's walk and, along the way, we will view passersby, break our fast, do a bit of light shopping at the Bodegona and return to your dwellings.
Starting out from the Philippi compound, it is just minutes before eight but the gardener is already out and about, trimming the leaves of the overgrown banana and poinsettia bushes, sweeping the sidewalks as well as removing the droppings of the dogs who seem to enjoy the most obvious and apparent places instead of a hidden spot. We will unlock the rear door, cross the alley where no fewer than sixty motos are parked awaiting the shifts to end at the Casa Santo Domingo. Past the guard station and into the hotel proper for our pass through and exit onto the one-way street into the heart or center of the village. This morning, instead of walking in the shade, we will opt for full sunshine as the morning's temperature has not risen into the upper sixties quite yet. Normally, residents as well as visitors here will opt for the side where the sun-darkening rays of Mr. Sun will not affect them. Not this morning! Only the hardened soul not wanting to break with tradition will walk in the sombra this morning. I am clad in Levis, a t-shirt and flip-flops.
The morning is stunning with fresh, wonderful air, clear skies, the chirping of birds and smiles in the heart. The three volcanoes are perfectly visible from our vantage point and Fuego is not belching anything that is visible to us this morning. What a day and what a way to greet the dawn.
Just a block down the street we can see two people with mustard-yellow vests marked Control. In their hands were small placards that visiting vehicles must display in order to be legally within the city limits of Antigua. Each time that a vehicle which does not display the Antigua sticker enters the village, the operator must pay ten Quetzales and display such on their rear view mirror. Since there are no parking meters anywhere in the city, this is a way of generating revenue at least from those coming from afar for visits.
Continuing down the streets, we share the sidewalk with a number of folks who are also out walking to work, enjoying the beauty and, maybe also going to breakfast. Passing by us in the streets are cars, trucks and motos (many with more than one rider). Trucks of larger sizes are prohibited from entry into the city center and this ordinance is insured by the placement of three concrete barriers in the form of a pylon placed in positions such that vehicles wider than a certain width simply cannot pass without grave results. Our landlady Ruth has managed to connect her SUV on one or two occasions but we really do not talk about this. Her husband Paul has suggested that if she encounters such a situation in the future it might be better to stop quickly and back up instead of continuing the entire length of the vehicle. It is obvious as we look at these barriers that Ruth has not been the only one to have made a connection therewith.
During Semana Santa or Holy Week when alfombras or carpets are constructed in the streets and thereafter when processions pass over them, the middle barrier is removed so as to provide for unimpeded passage. I suspect it eases the situation for vehicles also during these times. I know that Ruth can smile during these times instead of hold her breath.
So, we continue down to the Casa Don Rodrigo and seat ourselves on an outside portion of the patio in the partial sunlight. John and I use Spanish when we are out despite the fact that many wait folks are both able and willing to communicate in workable English. Just to our left and outside of the eating area is an area where an employee of the hotel and restaurant was patting out corn tortillas and frying them on the stove. I did not know if they were of flour or corn so asked her. She assured me they were of corn. I ordered panqueques delgados (crepes), a plate of fresh fruit (papaya, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, banana, pineapple and lime). The pancakes were served with honey or maple syrup and butter. My drink of choice is tea (cinammon). John ordered huevos rancheros which were served with beans, salsa and tortillas which were delivered hot from the maker to my left. He also had a fruit plate but opted for coffee. As we tarry over breakfast, we can look out over the gorgeous gardens in which flows a beautiful fountain. In the background and far afield, one can see clearly the Volcano Agua which has long been dormant. It is clear today and it seems that nobody is out at least this early burning the fields to provide nitrogen as well as clear the land for the next crop. We can notice the ubiquitous odor of smoke in the air. One becomes inured to the smells and finally it becomes the rule and not the exception. Burning, whether inside the city or in the far off fields is something that is done all the time. And, in the distance as we gaze upon the horizon we can hear the reports of fireworks. These are set off to commemorate anniversaries of weddings, deaths, births and just about anything one can think of. They can arouse one from sleep often or they can blast off unsuspectingly during a lengthy period of calm and quiet. One must be ready at all times.
After breakfast, we exited the hotel and continued walking in the direction of the Bodegona. Entering the store, we quickly found the items we needed, paid for them (tried using MasterCard but only Visa accepted and only when one purchased at least 25 Quetzales) and exited to the pet shop next door. We are in the habit of giving Sandie and Chico treats and needed to replenish them. We purchased some dog biscuits and, after paying for them, exited and began our walk home. Now, we and the majority of the others were walking in the shady side of the street. The temperatures are now in the seventies.
As we entered the hotel again, we noticed six or seven macaws being carried on a wooden contraption to their perches within the garden areas. One of them was upside down while the others were behaving normally. John mentioned that it would have been a great photo op. Sadly, the camera I took along this morning had a memory stick that was unusable. Else, I would have recorded our morning's walk with images. Whistled for Sandie and Chico and only Chico appeared. He knew!!
Now John is preparing the birthday cake for Ruth. She is gluten intolerant so he is preparing the mix sans wheat flour. Monday is her birthday but we are all celebrating tomorrow, Sunday.
Thanks for joining me on our walk this morning.
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