Antigua! What a spot! When entering the city our bus driver asked us to close our eyes and imagine what it would have been like for those Spanish settlers in the 1600s and due to preservation and the lovely rustic feel to the town I found myself transported back.

At one time it was the capital city, until due to repeated earthquakes the capital was moved.

The town is a UNESCO site with lots of charm.

Mayan workers sell their goods and horses and carts are Available for tourists. There are churches dotted all over the town, though as our tour guide explained, the Mayan people never fully converted to Catholicism or other Christian beliefs. The Mayans look to the sky for Mother Nature not God, they cross themselves but to show union between man and woman. They preserved their lives in many cases by "following Catholicism" but not really believing or understanding.

By the time the Spanish made their way to the area where Antigua stands today 90% of the indigenous population had died from swine flu which travelled faster than the Spanish.

Currently the Mayor of Antigua is in jail for corruption and we were warned repeatedly about the ATMs which are frequently bugged.

I really enjoyed my time in Antigua and enjoyed the slow pace of life there. I found out only afterwards that behind the protected facade of old fashioned buildings there were burgerking and Mcdonald restaurants concealed, not that you'd want that type of food with so many fantastic restaurants to choose from!