41 PERCENTOF THEPOPULATION THAT IS INDIGENOUS
I’mnotareligiousman,butforamomentthesight
isenough tomakemewish Iwere.
Later,wewalkback through themain square,
scopingout themany foodcarts.Normanpoints
toagrill,overwhichroastsanentirepig.It’s time
foranother religiousexperience:Wechowdown
onporktacostoppedwithvirulentlyspicygreensalsa,then
tuk-tuk
it backdown thehill toAntigua.
We alight inParqueCentral, the city’smain square,and
strollbeneathaburstingpurplebloomof jacaranda flowers,
past canoodling couples,breakdancing teens,kids pushing
wheelbarrowsofpeanuts for sale.We stopat the450-year-
old Iglesiade laMerced,whoseBaroquedetailing includes
stucco carvings of saints and coffee plants on its dazzling
yellow facade.Wepokeour heads inside—there’s a service
goingon—thencontinueontoQuintaAvenida,arambleof
shops,barsand restaurants that the localscall “ArchStreet”
because itpassesunder theArcodeSantaCatalina,a17th-
century archway and bell tower.We stop in at NimPo’t
Centro deTextilesTradicionales, a cavernous shop filled
with ceremonial masks,
güipiles
(traditional blouses) and
immensecircularkites thatGuatemalans flyaspartof their
Dia de losMuertos celebration. Iwant to take one home,
but it’snot gonna fit inmy carry-on.
We stop for dinner at LosTresTiempos, a bright blue
restaurant that serves expertly executedGuatemalan stan-
dards.Wesitamidbougainvilleason thesecond-floorpatio,
listening toapairofmariachis aswemunchon fried sticks
ofGuatemalan
chancol
cheeseandacevicheof shrimp,fish,
conch, octopus and avocado.For an
entree,Iorder
pepián
,a soupofpork,
rice, potato and carrots in a broth
laced with tomato, chile, pumpkin
and sesame.
Next,we hoof it across town for
sundownersatthethird-floorrooftop
bar of Café Sky.Thanks to preser-
vation regulations (and the fear of
earthquakes) three stories is tall for
Antigua, sowe’re blessedwith views
ofFuego,AguaandAcatenango,the
three12,000-plus-footvolcanoesthat
surroundthecity.AsIsipamint-heavymojito,apuffofdark
smokerises from the topof theappropriatelynamedFuego.
“That’s a small one,”Norman says.“A fewweeks ago there
was abigone that covered the city inash.”
On thewayback to thehotel,wecomeacrossaguarded
motorcade in frontof theSantoDomingo.Apparently the
president ofGuatemala and the primeminister of Spain
aremeetinghere.“Everyonewhocomes toGuatemalaruns
toAntigua,”Normanobserves. I can seewhy.
G
uatemalamaynot
beas internationally
renowned for its
sportfishingasKeyWest
orCaboSanLucas, but
asany fishermanknows,
thebest spot towetyour
line is theonenobody
hasheardabout.As it
happens, thewateroff the
PacificcoastofGuatemala
hasahighoxygencontent
at relatively lowdepths,
making itamagnet for
marine life.Meanwhile,
thegovernmenthas
institutedastrict catch-
and-releasepolicy for
sailfish, ensuring that the
stock isnotdepleted.
The resultsare
undeniable: Charter
boatsoftenhookupward
of20big-game fish ina
day. I spent ahalfday
outon thewaterwith
aboat fromCasaVieja
Lodge, andwe reeled
innine sailfish (pictured
at right), several of
themover100pounds,
alongwithonedorado
(mahimahi) thatwe
wereallowed to fillet
andkeep. Sightingsof
whalesand sea turtles
are commonaswell.
Inaddition toacharter
fleetofnineboats, Casa
Viejahasa luxurious,
all-inclusive lodge in
PuertoSanJosé, just five
minutes from themarina.
casaviejalodge.com
GOFISH
Guatemala isasurprising
paradise foranglers
“THEREARE50,60ARTISTS INSAN JUAN—A
LOTOFARTISTS—ANDTHATBRINGSALOT
OFTOURISM,FROMALLOVERTHEWORLD.
I’MVERYHAPPYABOUTTHAT.WHENPEOPLE
THINKOFSAN JUAN,THEYTHINKOFART.”
ANTONIOCOCHÉ
MENDOZA,
Artist,GaleríadeArte
ChiyayCreaciónMaya
(withwifeand fellow
artistAngelinaQuic)
From top:Jacaranda
trees inbloomat the
Conventode las
Capuchinas, in
Antigua;nightlife
onCalleSantander,
inPanajachel
THREE
PERFECT
DAYS
A scarletmacawat Iglesia yConventodeSantoDomingo
