February 3, 2024- Antigua Guatemala

After breakfast we rode to Cerro de la Cruz which is a hill in Antigua with great views of the city. After taking pictures we walked down the hill to get to our bus.  Next we headed to Casa Santa Domingo.
Casa Santa Domingo is a 5 star hotel and museum built within the ruins of the Spanish Colonial monastery of Santa Domingo.  We walked through it and visited two museums- the Silver collection and Mayan art.
On our way to lunch, we stopped to take pictures of the Monastery Merced.   Lunch today was three traditional stews – Chicken in pumpkin seed sauce, chicken in green sauce, and turkey in a spicy red sauce.   In a separate dish was rice and vegetables to be mixed into each stew.
We walked back to our hotel for a rest period. At 4pm, we went to the bus terminal to see the Chicken buses.  These buses are privately owned and licensed to do one route.  From a city like Antigua, multiple buses may run the same route. Many buses are glammed up with painting and chrome.   The drivers yell out their terminus point so you pick the right bus.  We walked through the large outdoor market on our way to the Super market.   While we waited for our bus a truck with music blaring stopped and masked women danced.  They were called the dancing grannies.
Carol, Tom, and I decided to get pizza for dinner just a few blocks from the hotel. The pizza was very good. Unfortunately I tripped coming back and now have the 2nd black eye of my life.   I feel good so no real harm. I’ll be taking my walking poles everywhere from now on.