Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala- Our First Few Days

University Congregation and Campus Ministry sponsored a trip to Antigua, Guatemala to celebrate Holy Week in a city rich in faith, culture, and tradition. Including myself, there are seven students and six adults on this trip. It's hard to put all of our experiences so far into one post because this experience has been filled with amazing memories. I'll try my best, though, and hopefully give you a taste of our amazing adventure.

We left late on Thursday (3/22) from Seattle. After a long red-eye flight and an even longer layover in Atlanta, we were on our flight (sitting first class, I might add) to Guatemala City. "I don't know quite what to expect when we land," I wrote in my journal on the  plane. I've never traveled to Latin America before, and with barely a word of Spanish under my belt, my excitement was coated with a nervousness for this experience. We landed in Guatemala City and made the shaky drive to Antigua from the airport. After settling in at Common Hope, our home away from home, a few of the group went into town to buy groceries and change money. Maggie and I stayed behind, tossing a frisbee and exploring the vast grounds of Common Hope. After our group was reunited, we all traveled into town for dinner at a beautiful Guatemalan restaurant. We all sampled each others dinners and a few of us danced with natively dressed dancers to a live marimba band. Even in this first night I could feel the culture of this place engulfing me.

My dinner- el plato typicale

Saturday morning was my first excursion into the city during the day. We came into Parque Central to meet our tour guide, Elizabeth Bell. She was the perfect person to give us a tour of Antigua--she is passionate about the historical preservation of the town as well as, in her words, "getting behind walls of the city." So much of the history we experience is sheltered behind plexiglass, but in Antigua we were able to stand in ruins from the 1500s, visit many small museums of art, and climb down into a crypt with exposed human remains. As morbid as it sounds, it was truly fascinating to feel like I was living  inside a shell of what Antigua looked like over 500 years ago.

Standing inside ruins from the 1500s

After departing from Elizabeth's tour, our group split up and the students went to find food. We chose a restaurant Elizabeth had suggested that is famous for its authentic Guatemalan food. Like before, we sampled each others food and enjoyed a relaxing two hour lunch in company with each other. A few people went to the market to get food for dinner and the rest further explored the city. A group of haggard individuals, we made our way back to Common Hope for a relaxing evening and delicious dinner.

In just two days, I have fallen in love with this city. I am continually humbled and surprised by the eager hospitality of Guatemala. In exiting a church Saturday morning, our group was stopped by a man thanking us for visiting his city. Coming from a country where we so often segregate the 'other', to be graciously welcomed into a foreign place without any judgement or animosity filled me with a warm sense of belonging.There is so much that these people, who have so little, have to offer.

-Emily-