Antigua (again) and Chichicastenango
I had expected to spend all morning in the banks trying to get some more money, and was shocked to get money within 10 minutes of walking into the first bank. So instead I was able to enjoy the day seeing more sites of the city. In the morning I went to a coffee plantation just outside the city. This was really interesting, on the site they do all the process from the growing of the coffee to the packaging of the ground beans. Also got to try a very good cup of coffe.
In the afternoon I went to a really interesting museum all about the folk culture in the different areas of Guatemala, with demonstrations of the different music, textiles and crafts. I also visited the Santo Domingo convent which has been converted in to a hotel and several small museums, galleries and a nice garden.
The following day I went for a walk up nearby Volcano Pacaya. although I have seen many volcanoes in central America, this was the closest I have been to flowing lava. At some points we were walking on solidified lava and you could see lava flowing underneath.
On Sunday I went to Chichicastenango to see the local market. Apparently its one of the biggest in Guatemala with traders coming from all over the highland area. It was really interesting just to wlak round. Most of the women were wearing their traditional dress which varies with each area. There was an area for crafts made for tourists and then other areas where you could buy anything from household goods, food and clothes. I ended up buying a couple fo things to bring home.
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