Blatts in Guatemala: Colonial Antigua

We spent hours meandering the rustic, cobblestone streets in old Antigua. (okay, in one instance for hours when I got lost on the way back from the supermarket...), passing brightly colored and faded buildings, old churches, fabulous facades and motorcyclists without helmets, galore.

There's plenty of free stuff to see and do--like hanging out in the plaza and watercolor painting or watching the fountain oddly adorned with water shooting out of women's breasts.

There's a 'jade museum' and a 'chocolate museum' - thinly disguised stores/tourist attractions, but fun to see.

We spent lots of time hanging out in the courtyard of Hostal Antigueno and taking much needed hot showers that we had a hard time finding in our other, more rustic accommodations

After 18 months of bland and expensive Tico food here in Costa Rica, we were happy to eat Indian foot at Toko  Baru (near Cafe Sky, 1st Av. and 7th Calle), nearly every night.

At night, the Christmas and New Years' fireworks were low and dangerous, and people were fond of lighting hot air lanterns and letting them off into the sky.  But most, instead, first made a wild pass at the crowd, nearly lighting tourists and small children on fire (no kidding!)  Lots of people set of M-80s, inciting the dogs to barking and setting off car alarms.

Perhaps the coolest thing we saw was the Volcan del Fuego erupting regularly, sending off plumes of black smoke over the colonial town.

All I can say is "Ootz."  That's how you say "Super cool" in one of the 26 indigenous Mayan language here in Guatemala.