Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. Excursion: The Best of Antigua

The Crypt, Casa Santo Domingo

A bit of rain greeted the Maasdam as she sailed into Puerto Quetzal.  The Amsterdam (also a Holland America Line cruise ship) was already in the cruise berth so the Maasdam was assigned to the commercial pier where a cargo ship was berthed.  The Maasdam was deftly turned around so that her bow facing out to sea and leaving space between her and the cargo ship.  Later another cruise ship docked in behind us.  Guests watching her coming in and manoeuvring wondered if it was a male or female captain ‘parking’ the ship because she had to ‘parallel park’ between the Maasdam and the cargo ship.  If there was a lot of manoeuvres – the captain would be female;  if very few manoeuvres and adjustments – a male captain  😊

The last time the ship was here I was assigned to ‘Antigua on your own’ excursion but didn’t get to see much of the town.  Guests had invited me to walk with them because they knew the town and where to go – but that didn’t happen because they couldn’t decide where to go in the end!  I was glad to be assigned to go on ‘The Best of Antigua’ excursion today because it was a guided tour and I would be able to see a heck of a lot more of Antigua than the last time.

Our guide, Kristofer, and our driver Dani, welcomed us very warmly as we boarded the bus – it set the scene for a pleasant drive to Antigua.  Kristofer gave a good history of Antigua, the surrounding volcanoes, some of the Mayan cultures and belief as well as the history of jade.  When we arrived on the outskirts of Antigua we were met by a minibus for the transfer into Antigua itself.  The ancient narrow cobbled streets weren’t designed for modern day big tour buses but minibuses are smaller therefore it is easier to navigate through the streets.  

During the transfer to the minibus Kristofer came up to me, very upset.  Apparently 2 guests had been quite confrontation and rude to him about his history of jade, saying that his information was incorrect, and questioning his education and capability as a guide.  Kristofer went a bit later to apologise to them if he had given incorrect information but again the guests became hostile, not accepting his apology.  I reassured the guide that he was doing just fine and that I would mention the scenario to Shore Ex later when we got back to the ship.  (He later pointed out to me who the guests were.  I was interested to note that throughout the day the couple would wander off while Kristofer gave an explanation about the sites that we stopped at – such a pity).

The minibus dropped us outside the La Merced Church and convent.  Fortunately there was no church service being held so we were allowed to go in to have a wander around, bearing in mind that we were not to disturb any worshippers.  After that we went into the adjoining ruins of the convent, a bit of which has been restored.

Back outside the church, in a small adjoining square, Kristofer introduced us to a few local ladies who were selling various handmade clothing and cloths.  He pointed out their different styles of clothing which also gave him an idea of which tribe and area they had come from.  One lady had a headdress, 2 others didn’t.  The women carried their goods on their heads, balancing the pile with ease and poise.

We had a good 20 minutes to ourselves for shopping but at the same time making our way to the town’s Central Park to meet back up with our guide.  Our next destination was lunch at Casa Santo Domingo, a former convent that is now a hotel and cultural center/museum.  During the walk Kristofer would stop and allow guests to have a breather/allow those lagging behind to catch up but at the same time point out various buildings or sites of interest.  Two “not so agile” guests struggled to keep up.  They were not happy about how much walking they had to do and felt that the guide was walking too fast.  I had to run ahead to ask Kristofer to stop and allow the couple to catch up again.  Other guests were not so happy – they felt that Kristofer was walking too slow!  Also the slow pace in the heat, for them, was almost unbearable.  The tour brochure had been quite clear that this would be a strenuous tour and perhaps the” not so agile” guests shouldn’t have come.  Our poor guide was caught between two thoughts – those who were fit and those who were not fit.

We eventually arrived at Casa Santo Domingo.  The two slower guests took a seat at the entrance to catch their breath and another guide waited with them until they were ready to go to lunch.  I waited with them.   The rest of the group went on ahead with Kristofer.  The second guide took us through seemingly endless passages to the lunch venue, passing old statues, fountains, gardens….  What a beautiful place!  I would certainly love to come back and stay for a few days at Casa Santo Domingo if I had the chance.  Lunch was buffet-style and delicious.  Afterwards Kristofer took us to one of the tiny museums on the property, on the way stopping briefly to see an expensive bottle of old rum – Ron Zacapa – that was on display.

Our final destination was to the Jade Museum & Factory where we learnt about jade and its place in Mayan history.  We had time to visit the jade shop and also watch the jade cutters at work and then it was time to catch the minibus back to the tour bus.

On board the tour bus, on the way back to the ship Kristofer put on a short video about the highlights of Guatemala and places to visit.  After that it was time for a bit of a zzzzz for most of the guests who were exhausted from their day’s activities.  Before we reached the port there was a traffic jam and we were stuck.  Our driver, Dani, put his hand on the hooter in the hope that traffic would move if he sounded the horn.  It didn’t make any difference.  Other drivers ended up joining in the hooter performance but still traffic didn’t move.  Dani’s co-driver climbed off the bus to assess the situation, climbed back on and spoke to Dani, and climbed off again.  Dani put the bus into gear and started some acrobatic manoeuvres in the little space he had.  It meant going off the road a bit but he was careful not to hit any street vendors’ stalls.  Somehow he got the bus turned around and drove up the hard shoulder, facing oncoming traffic, and exited onto a road to the left.  The co-driver ran to catch up with us and boarded the bus.  Fortunately Dani was driving slowly and the one and only driver we met seemed to understand why we were going up his road the wrong way.  As we crossed a break in the road barrier to get to the correct side of the road, traffic started to build up – people were diverting onto the road that we were on to get out of the traffic jam.  Fortunately a kind driver eventually allowed our bus into his lane and we were again back on track, on the correct side of the road, to get to the port.  It was a detour but it turned out to be worth it in the end – we had queue-jumped the backlog to right next to the port entrance.

Despite the two incidents with certain guests the day and been enjoyable.  Kristofer, though, looked stressed and worried.  I reassured him that he had done nothing wrong, that he had been a great guide and that I would explain to Shore Ex what had happened, in advance of any potential complaints.  He brightened up a bit and we parted on good terms.  It was good to get back on the ship.

You can see my pictures on facebook via this link:  The Best of Antigua

Heading towards Corinto, Nicaragua.