Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. Excursion: Coffee Estate & Antigua

Can you see a face carved out by the weather?

I have been so tired today.  My poor finger was so sore and throbbing once the local anaesthetic had worn off that I hardly slept.

Apart from feeling tired and being sore, the day was enjoyable.

Once we boarded the tour bus Karen, our guide, soon had us all feeling welcome.  Throughout the day she was an excellent guide, very informative, attentive and caring.  She also had a fantastic sense of humour, laughing a lot and always smiling.

The nursery - coffee beans have been planted

The journey to Filadelfia Coffee Estate was a good 90 minutes but Karen kept us entertained.  I am not a coffee drinker because I don't like the taste.  But I do love the smell of it, oohhhhh....!  So I am glad I had put my name down for the tour as I thought that the tour would be interesting.

The coffee bean dryers

It was near enough midday by the time we got to the coffee estate so we had a nice lunch (with coffee for afters) before we started our tour.  The tour itself was around the coffee plantation and with an explanation of coffee growing - from planting to grafting, growth and gathering of the coffee berries.  Coffee berries at the plantation are gathered by hand rather than by machine because humans can tell which are the ripe berries, machines can't.  If a coffee berry is picked when it is too young, the coffee will be bitter or or poor quality.

Coffee beans drying on the patio

Getting the hair nets on - guests having a laugh!

We were then taken to the processing plant where the berries are processed via the 'wet method'.  During the wet method freshly harvested berries are passed through a pulping machine to separate the skin and pulp from the bean.  The beans are then separated by weight as they pass through water channels. The lighter beans float to the top, while the heavier ripe beans sink to the bottom.  They are passed through a series of rotating drums which then separate them by size.  After separation the beans are put into water-filled fermentation tanks.  They will remain in the tanks for 12 to 48 hours during which time naturally occurring enzymes remove the gooey-like substance that is still attached a parchment-like layer that surrounds the bean itself.  The beans are rinsed by going through more water channels, and are ready for drying.  They are either dried in tumbler drying drums or on the courtyard drying floors.  At the time of taking photographs of the drying drums the flash on the camera died.  There was a sizzle, a popping sound and the smell of smoke ....   After the drying process, hulling machinery removes the now dried parchment-like layer that surrounds the coffee bean.  Next is the grading and sorting of the beans, by size and weight, roasting and packing.  Some companies prefer to roast their own beans so the roasting process is skipped. Before going into the roasting room we had to wash our hands and put hairnets on.  Some of us looked really funny!

Our next part of the day's tour was a trip into Antigua.  Our tour bus had left and was replaced by two minibuses because it is easier for them to drive along the narrow streets in Antigua.  Karen missed two guests in her head count between two transfer mini-busses as we headed from the coffee estate to Antigua.  Fortunately Christian (our guide on the estate) was 'on the ball' and quickly called our driver before we had left the estate gates and we went back to fetch them.  The left-behind guests seemed fine and were laughing.  They accepted Karen’s apology.

The minibus drivers dropped us the town centre near the Jade Museum and we took a short walk to Antigua's main square.  During this time Karen gave us a run-down of the buildings surrounding the square and also of the town's history.  After a wander around the square we were given free time to either explore the town or local market on the square, or simply rest on seats in the shade.  I went with Karen on a short walk, along with 4 or 5 other guests who were interested in seeing a bit more of the town but with a guide.  It was a nice stroll and we were back well in time to meet up with everyone at the square and walk back to the minibuses.  Karen checked and double-checked heads before we headed out of town back to our waiting tour bus on the outskirts of town.

On the way back to port Karen eventually left the guests to their own thoughts until we arrived at the outskirts of the port.  Being a long drive, we were a bit tired.  I was the last person to leave the bus and as I said my goodbyes to Karen and the driver, the driver grabbed my sore hand and gave me a hearty handshake.  I nearly hit the roof, the grasp was firm but so painful on my finger.  I kept my composure until I got back to the cabin - and burst into tears, howling with pain.  Poor Paul....  Later on I went down to the ship's infirmary and got some ibuprofen from Linda, to try and help lessen the swelling and pain.

We were due to dock in Corinto, Nicaragua, tomorrow but unfortunately there is unrest in Nicaragua and therefore it is not safe to visit there at the moment.   So the Maasdam is leaving Puerto Quetzal later than planned today, and will sail slowly overnight and tomorrow to Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica. 

 PHOTOGRAPHS

Filadelfia Coffee Estate

Drying courtyard surrounded by house and processing plant.

The red wall is actually a series of water channels through which the coffee
berries pass, heavier riper beans sink; less ripe ones pass into the
next channel.  The drying tumblers are in the shed with the blue pipes.

Coffee beans drying before the parchment is removed.

In the trays from left to right: coffee beans with their parchment on;  next,
husks that have been removed;  next to that is the coffee beans without
husks on; and right tray, coffee beans have been roasted.

Coffee bean with the parchment taken off

Roasting plant

Husking machinery

Roasting machinery

Packing room and coffee tasting

Christian, our coffee estate guide, with some of the
packaged coffee.

Time to leave the coffee plantation and head to Antigua in the waiting
minibuses.  This is a nice view of the main driveway down through the
coffee estate.

 Antigua

 

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.

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. Excursion: Antigua on Your Own

We arrived safe and sound in Puerto Quetzal and passengers were greeted to the lovely sound of music coming from the lovely terminal building.  It was an open air building with a thatched roof.  Just outside was a very colourful market with people offering a variety of arts, crafts, clothing, souvenirs and much more.  I didn’t have time to stop as I had to get to a waiting bus for Antigua Guatemala.  As our bus driver negotiated the busy roads for the next 1½ hours our guide, Malbi, talked about the banana and sugar cane plantations that we saw along the way, and also the coffee plantations in the highlands.  She also talked about the history of Guatemala and its people.  In the distance we noticed 4 volcanoes and as we got closer to Antigua Guatemala we could see 1 volcano smoking gently.  We were told that if we heard strange noises and felt vibrations whilst visiting Antigua – not to worry about it as it was just the nearby volcano - Volcán De Agua!

Our bus stopped just outside the Jade Factory and guests were let loose for the next 3 hours to visit places of interest, do some shopping or relax.  A couple (who I had seen and chatted to the previous day whilst on a tour) invited me to join them as they wandered around town.  Having heard some of their stories of their previous visit to Antigua, I was quite glad to be with people who seemed to know what to visit and where.  Needless to say we didn’t see much!  The couple had an idea of where they wanted to go but we didn’t really get anywhere as they were too busy deciding on where to go!  In the end we visited a cathedral near Central Park and then had lunch at a local restaurant.  The food was delicious and we were quite full by the time we finished our meal.  In an effort to ease our stomachs, we walked to the Arch of Santa Catalina, visited an indoor market and then headed to another park.  Unfortunately we couldn’t find it and started to run out of time so we had to make our way back to the Jade Factory to meet up with our bus.

Antigua is a charming town with cobbled streets and interesting looking buildings.  People are friendly however we were hounded by individuals trying to sell things, not taking ‘no’ for an answer, and walking along the road with us until they gave up with the realisation that we weren’t going to buy anything.

One couple had got separated during the day and the lady rocked up at the bus but her husband didn’t.  She was naturally very worried in case he had got lost.  Our driver and guide were prepared to wait for a bit before deciding what to do next.  Fortunately the husband rocked up about 10 to 15 minutes later.  He had got lost ended up getting a Tuk-Tuk taxi (little 2 wheeler) to take him back to the Jade Factory.  The wife was relieved to see him.  One guest was a bit frantic with the wait, saying that the ship would go without us if we were late because we were on a private tour.  Another guest and I explained that the ship would wait for us because we were on bus that was specifically hired by the ship.  If she had decided to do a tour from the port that was not organised via the ship then things might be different.   She calmed down and was even more relieved that we arrived back at the port with over an hour to go before the ‘all aboard’ time, and a few minutes later than our bus’s expected arrival time back at the port.

Back on board the ship I found Paul and we ended up taking a short walk around the market just outside the terminal.  I loved the colourful items of clothing, some of the cloth had been hand made.  One of the cloths the women wear has multiple uses: a skirt top (basic rectangle with a hole in the middle for the head), carrying a baby, wrapping and carrying goods, a warm shawl, etc.  A woman, before she gets married, has to make one for her future mother-in-law.  It takes about 6 to 9 months to make, using the best threads and colours she can find, the nicest patterns that she can think of, etc.  On the wedding day mother-in-law is presented with the newly made cloth which she wears with pride (or not so, depending on how well or poorly made it is).  Wedding guests’ comments about the cloth determines whether the bride is a hard working woman or not, and will or will not be a good wife.

The ship is now well out to sea again, heading towards Manzanillo in Mexico.  We will see land again in 2 days’ time.

You can see my pictures on facebook via this link:  Excursion: Antigua on Your Own

Our route to Manzanillo, Mexico (via sea!)