7 days in Guatemala. It’s funny how quickly a new place can feel like home.
I’ve seen astounding natural beauty, picturesque buildings, and joyful people. I’ve also seen sadness and filth and uncomfortable things.
Throughout this adventure, I’m determined to share my experiences with you as they really are; not just the this-is-so-Instagramable moments, but the not-so-photogenic-or-lovely situations, too.
So here is a little snapshot of life in Antigua.
Antigua looks like... Happy, citrusy buildings. Pleading brown eyes of hospital babies who want to be held. Green, dormant volcanoes lining the horizon. Teenage boys kicking a football in the dirt. Cathedrals adorned in Christmas lights. Women selling fruit on sticks. A little red bus with 20 people squeezed on. Couples dancing the salsa in the park square at night. Scruffy dogs sharing food with pigeons. Palm trees through your window. ...feels like... Volcanic ash sucked into your lungs. A warm trickle of water on cold tiles. Tripping along cobblestoned streets. Wafts of biting mountain air. Tiny, weightless coins filling up your purse. Squeezing through narrow doorways and ducking under ceilings. Little fingers wrapped tightly around your shoulders. Smooth sheets and scratchy blankets. Lugging a gallon of water from the supermarket to your home. ...smells like... Ripening bananas and sickly sweet pineapple. Chlorinated cleaning products in your bedroom. Cakes and pastries and custard pies. Motorbike exhaust wafting between buildings. Bean sauce and tomato salsa. Nappies that need to be changed. Fresh eggs in the mornings. Onions and spices laid in trays at the market. ...sounds like... Laughter at the language barrier. Tuk-tuks jolting past. Locals bargaining with shop tenders. Drums and marimbas played by boys wearing suits. Bombas (firecrackers) that sound like gunshots. Last year’s popular songs pounding out in bars. Malnourished babies calling you “Mama”. Listening to the television entirely in Spanish. ...and tastes like... Brown bean paste in the mornings. Creamy avocados that melt in your mouth. Soup and chicken and salty rice. Coconut fudge bought from a little street stall at midnight. Red wine sitting on your tongue. Volcanic dust in your lungs. Tostadas and enchiladas too hot to eat. Watermelon juice that dribbles down your throat.
To see photos of my trip, feel free to follow @elision.online on Instagram or join my Facebook page 'Elision'. I look forward to sharing more of my adventures with you!
Hablamos luego,
-Madeleine