Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Photos around Antigua, and a walk in the surrounding hills.

"Except as we have loved, all news arrives as from a distant land." ~ Mary Oliver

Just some photos this time, with descriptions. I hope you enjoy them.

Love,
Dave

The term "indigenous" gets used most often to describe the native people of Guatemala. When you see indigenous women like these in Antigua, identified primarily by their bright colored clothing, they're almost always selling something. It looks to be a tough life, but very social.
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The bride waits for her entrance at the church on the town square.
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This fountain might be one of the more photographed spots in Antigua. It's inside what used to be an old colonial home, and now houses Cafe Condessa, a popular restaurant and bakery with free wi-fi and delicious, inexpensive food. The original house was built in 1549 - just over 50 years after Columbus "discovered" America. I find that amazing.
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The enthusiasm of youth. These guys are no doubt here in Antigua to taken Spanish lessons. When I get off a three-feet wall these days, I get down off it like a toddler climbing out of his high chair. 
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Cerro de la Cruz - the famous cross overlooking Antigua. It was unusually hazy on this particular day.
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I can't help but smile when I see photos like this.
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One of my favorite restaurants - Las Palmas. 
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There were more military in evidence in Antigua in the last few days - possibly because 27 people were found beheaded in the wild and relatively lawless Peten region, near the Mexico border. They suspect the Mexican Zetas drug gang was behind it.
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Some local vendors are checking out the photography exhibit in the main square. It's the norm to see women selling all day, carrying infants, looking after toddlers, and managing older kids who are sellers themselves.
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People looking at people, looking at people. (If I include you, that would be another people.)
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The inside of the oddly name Travel Menu bar and restaurant.
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One of Antigua's famed walls.
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A construction worker on his way home for lunch.
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A boy looking out the window of a parked bus. Some of the buses have paintings, stickers, and decals on the top and bottom third of the front window, leaving only a narrow slot to look through. Virtually all the public buses here are old American school buses.
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Carrying firewood up a steep hill.
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We saw this little girl on two different trips, and she's got the spirit of a fashion model. She LOVES to pose and have her photo taken. She's unusually calm here.
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I took quite a few pictures of this girl, who was hanging out with the model. I don't think they're related.
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He's not sad - he always looks like this! His expression cracks me up.
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The model wearing my friend Kris' sunglasses, which broke about two minutes later as two kids wrestled with them.
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Lovely!
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The Model and Lovely.
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This is beautiful Benjamin, the child of two Americans who built a place called Earth Lodge up in the hills above Antigua. It's a steep but interesting two-hour walk to get there.
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Benjamin, you're killin' me!
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This kid was playing football on the dirt street as we walked past.
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The Model in her look-at-me mode, and her sisters.
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The Model's sweet and soft-spoken brother.
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I love these two.
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How is it that some people don't like kids? It's a mystery...
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(The End)