Antigua

Under the arch you might be able to see the volcano hiding beneath the clouds. Yes, this is Antigua, breathtaking! We only spent 4 hours in Antigua but it felt like I could spend my whole life there. The streets were buzzing with people and the scenary screamed out life all around us! There we celebrated the birthday of one of my friends here in Guatemala. We went the day before Indepence day and the roads were packed going both ways because of a great tradition where youth run from Antigua to Guatemala City carrying torches. So, every school in the area sends youth to run the rough 15 mile run. So all day we saw and heard groups of children running by us with wistles in their mouth and torches in their hands celebrating their freedom from Spain. The capitol used to be in Antigua and then was moved to Guatemala City sometime after they got their independence but I´m thinking the run has some kind of meaning with the moving of the capitol. The bus ride there and back was about one hour and a half and was full of turns, bumps, and water ballons that youth would try to throw in the windows along their run! I will be going back to Antigua soon to visit a friend from seminary and visit some monastaries there. My friends from school and I are also going back to climb the volcano under the arch! We hope to do it at night because the lava glows extra bright around 9 pm!