Antigua

Antigua was the most beautiful of the cities we visited in Guatemala- beautiful colonial buildings and cobblestone streets. Once the third most important Spanish colony in the Americas, it is among the world's best conserved colonial cities. More than 30 monastic orders called Antigua home and they built beautiful monasteries, convents and cathedrals in the town. The city sits nestled between three volcanoes: Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. Antigua was Guatemala's capital from 1543 until 1776. After a massive earthquake in 1773 destroyed most of the city, the capital was relocated to present-day Guatemala City. During our city tour, there was still evidence of the earthquakes that have struck this city.

We found a gorgeous guesthouse run by an American woman. The rooms were lovely and the garden courtyard was lush with tropical plants—and near our room, a small table with a wooden figure of Maximon!

With only days left in Guatemala, we knew that we had to have one to take back to Boston. We were directed to the local artisan market and there he was—a beautifully carved Maximon –looking very much like the Max we had seen in Santiago Atitlán. We paid (an outrageous amount) and carefully carried him back to our guesthouse. Before we left, we carefully packed him for his journey back to Boston. (Note- we placed him in a place of prominence in our house- and within a few weeks, we noticed that there were offerings at his feet- a flower from an artificial plant, a few coins and a subway token. It took us a few minutes to realize that our Guatemalan house cleaner had created an active shrine to Maximon in our house)