On arriving in Antigua I checked out numerous hotels and decided on Casa Rustica del Parque that is located on the block to the west off the parque central. The hotel has a nice central garden and the rooms are quite and clean with hot water. I paid about 150Q. A lot of people rave about Antigua and although I did like the town's colonial architecture, it was not really my kind of place.. too many tourists.
Food
I ate at the following places: Frida's - efficient service although the food is a little over rated IMHO; Asian restaurant across and a little way up the street from Frida's - good fresh Asian meals; Wieners Schnitzel - in the row of shops, in main street, on the south end of the market - filling, inexpensive schnitzel meals; Quesos Y Vino - around the corner from Frida's - good soup and bread but average pasta; Cafe Condesa - great desserts and decent coffee in a relaxing courtyard atmosphere.
Bars
Without a doubt, the most happening bar in town is Monoloco. Friendly staff, good food, varied music and a good mix of travellers and Guatemalans make for a great night out.
Day Trips
Pacaya Volcano was definately one of the highlights of my central America trip and I highly recommend it... there is something really primal and exciting in getting up close to lava slowly flowing from this active volcano. To get to the volcano cone, you must hike uphill for about 45 minutes and it is a little steep and slippery in some places. Once you arrive at the cone, to get to the lava flows, you must walk across the unstable, crumbly and sharp solidified lava flows, so shoes are a must here. From what I observed, all the tour groups were allowed to get close as they wished to the lava.. but be careful.. that lava is pretty hot sh*t. The past problems concerning security issues at Pacaya seem to have been resolved. I shopped around for the best price for the day trip and paid about 60Q (from memory) for the transportation and local guide (only Spanish spoken) and the park entrance fee was extra.
Chichicastenango's market has to be experienced. This sprawling market flows through the streets and just about anything, especially handcrafts, can be purchased here at rock bottom prices... if you are prepared to haggle. The 3 hour minibus trip from Antigua could best be described as torture in a confined space at the mercy of a crazed driver who is intent on setting a new record for overtaking on as many blind curves and hills as possible. My advice is don't look out the windscreen or you will be a nervous wreck by the time you get to Chichi. Instead, only look out the side windows and enjoy the scenery. Sunday is the big market day and don't be surprised if you end up buying more than you had planned on. Haggle hard as the initial asking prices tend to be highly inflated. The best deals are to be had in the afternoon, once the shopping frenzy has died down.
If you are travelling onwards to Lake Atitlan, like I did, you will most likely take a different minibus to Lake Atitilan. Many tourists were in this situation and a lot of them were freaking out with the uncertainty of not knowing whether they would make the connection. Just wait on the steps at the Casa Blanca hotel (the big white hotel near where the incoming buses park) and the organised chaos will sort itself out and you will be found by your new bus driver (hopefully someone who drives in a sane manner) and you will be on your way to the lake where you can chill out and take in the beautiful scenery.
Part 3 - Lake Atitlan - to follow
Thanks for sharing! We found the early morning hours to be a good time to bargain at Chichi, too, and much less crazy; we left before the day trippers arrived. Glad you survived the bus run up! Looking forward to the next installment...
Blu Rock, thank you for the report. I enjoyed reading it but I think the hotel where you catch shuttles in Chichi is the Santo Tomas- not Casa Blanca. Does this sound right to you? Wouldn't want people looking for the wrong hotel.
I think the OP didnt take a tourist shuttle but one of the mini vans that locals often use. I used one once coming up from Pana to return to Antigua this was after the wheel fell of the chichen bus I was riding on on way into Pana. Tourist shuttles do leave from near Hotel Santo Tomas. Chichi is interesting but I like shopping in Pana better myself as I find a larger range of goods and better prices plus frenzy. For photos see my website wolfcalls.com. Nice repot from the OP.
Thanks for the comments. I travelled to Chichi in a 9 seater (in reality it should only accomodate 6 westerners... but they really cram them in) minivan (maybe called a shuttle also?) that was arranged via a travel agency in Antigua. There did not appear to be any locals using these vans. The hotel where they arrived was at the top of the hill ... not sure of the hotel's name though. Patywolf, I too prefered the leisurely shopping pace in Pana but found the prices cheaper in Chichi... once a reasonable deal was struck. For the types of items that I was interested in, fine-weave textiles, I found that Chichi also had a wider range.
Xinloi, my nick is a synthesis of blues and rock... my favourite music genres. I suppose that Blu Rock could also refer to blue saphire, lapis lazuli, azurite or other precious/semi-precious stones. There are probably other more obscure, to me at least, meanings.
OP the shuttles I have used have really been verynice but I think now alot of cheap ones are around that really arent that great and make for a really miserable trip. For really fantastic textiles hit Nim Pot in Antigua. Most of what I have ever seen in Chichi hasnt been that great and I have been collecting for 17 years now in Guatemala and in Chiapas, Mexico.
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