Serendipitous Connections...
Written by Willow Coyle, Images by Willow Coyle & Phillip LaPalme. All Rights Restricted.
Phil and I are blown away that we’ve only been in Antigua for a little over two weeks now. We’ve settled in nicely to our life here… we take daily strolls through town and enjoy the plethora of parks and delectable cafes. Most of the locals are incredibly friendly… when passing by, many wish us a warm “Buenos dias”. Expats dress like... expats, but locals typically dress conservatively here and there are many beautiful Mayan women and young girls that wear brightly-colored, intricately hand-dyed and woven traditional garb that sell fresh fruits and flowers on the street, while the men often sell hand-carved items and many other souvenirs. The older ladies often are seen carrying baskets or large items on their heads… they typically will sit on the sidewalk outside of shops and offer items as well. One thing is for sure– the people in this town work hard and truly count on tourism to help keep their families fed.
Although Covid rates are on the decline in this area and the district is officially in the “green”, the citizens are still taking the masking protocols quite seriously… even outside. However, many foreigners that are visiting ignore the laws and most customs… either out of ignorance or rude stubbornness. We’re in the slow season here, which is somewhat surprising that there aren’t huge flocks of Texans attacking the city to escape the sweltering summer heat. The “rainy season” is chilly at times and certainly unpredictable- you definitely should be prepared for a healthy downpour– especially in the afternoons or early evenings. However, it is lovely to wander the streets without huge crowds of fumbling tourists clogging up the sidewalks and often you have a restaurant or cafe entirely to yourself.
Contemporary Cuisine Conquers Antigua Speaking of, we recently were craving some Indian cuisine and we stumbled upon the best Indian restaurant that either of us have ever experienced-Indian Accent! We were there a bit early for the dinner rush and were immediately treated like welcome friends by the co-owner Maria Leonardo. We had a great conversation with her and discovered that she is a true expert on Guatemala. A few days later, we had the honor of interviewing her for our very first podcast at a charming little cafe over desayuno, and boy… she did not disappoint! She’s a very interesting and unique woman who has bravely chosen to break some traditions here. She’s quite educated, and not only does she work for the Guatemalan Board of Tourism, she also teaches tour guides and gets them set up for success. She is recently married to a very talented chef from New Delhi, India, whom she met online during the pandemic. What seemed like a dream come true for this established chef who had just recently worked in Frankfurt, Germany, sadly had become a nightmare. He had been coaxed by someone who he thought was a friend, to come to Guatemala and open a series of restaurants with him. When he arrived, his passport was taken from him and he became on of seven Indian slaves to this man. They were forced to work endless hours to open a chain of restaurants. It took months of enduring misery and mistreatment for the authorities to finally step in. This sad tale of human trafficking is all-too common and it’s a relief that he was able to escape and not only re-start his life in Guatemala, but find love with an incredible woman. Like a phoenix from the ashes, he began anew and with the help of his new wife, they have created a culinary jewel in Antigua. I could go on and on about the stories she told us, but we’ll leave some of that for our podcast!
The food is truly world-class here... on a side note (and an overheard hot tip), we found a delicious Ramen joint! Phil is a Ramen-fiend, so stumbling on Kombu was a real treat. Phil highly recommends La Picante if you like the spice! We also popped up to the quintessential expat haven, Snug Bar - a cozy Irish Pub with a lovely upstairs terrace, and met the gregarious Irish-expat owner, Rory, who was quite the character! Over a pint (or two), he shared the story of his wild life as a traveler and the exciting and somewhat tragic story of how his life was turned upside down, but inevitably ended with him falling in love with a Guatemalan woman and relocating to Antigua. We're hoping to have him on the podcast soon, as he is a fantastic storyteller. The owner Greg, of the brand-new Brooklyn Pizza Co. has been working hard to get his own bar/restaurant established, nestled cozily in the back of a large courtyard filled with a variety of restaurants and bars. He, too fell in love with a local lady and has completely recreated himself here, after decades in the military. We haven't tried the neighboring Viking bar SKÅL yet, are looking forward to it!
Heaven is Just Minutes Away This past Sunday, we spent a leisurely afternoon high in the clouds at Earth Lodge, which is an eco-lodge on the outskirts of Antigua, in the tiny Mayan village of El Hato. This area has become a happening escape from the city, with many new restaurants, lodges, retreats, parks and even a Selfie Museum. This progressive expat haven offers treehouses, cabins, tents and a yoga/retreat center– 6000 feet up in the mountains with breathtaking views of the three nearest volcanoes. We’d found out that a free concert was happening at their cafe, so we arranged with them to have a shuttle pick us up near Parque Central. There was a religious parade and procession happening that blocked traffic, so the shuttle was about 30 minutes late. In the meantime, we met an eccentric older Texan gentleman named John who had relocated here several years ago and was clearly enjoying the heck out of retirement from over two decades in the Army & Navy as a Yeoman and a decade as a police officer in Fort Worth. He regaled some very funny stories about his hijinx in the military while we waited. The shuttle finally arrived and Phil and I were loaded into the back of the pickup. As we bumped along the cobblestone streets, we pretended we were on a parade float and waved at all of the people waiting for the parade. They probably just thought we were a couple of crazy gringos, but it was so much fun all the same. We took a wild, winding ride up the mountain and once we arrived, the singer that we were there to see stepped out of the truck.
We became fast friends and it was great to see another strong, independent woman of Guatemala following her passions. “La Barona” performs her (mostly original) pieces all over the area with a simple set up of her little travel guitar and effects pedal. She has a very engaging stage presence, incredible talent and sings a variety of different languages… including a traditional Mayan song or two. She even sings about some of the local legends and we really enjoyed getting to chat with her between sets. It was a wonderful concert with an incredible view, delicious chips and guacamole from their own avocado forest and yummy drinks in a perfect setting of sleepy animals and blissed-out travelers.
As we returned from the heavens, we were back at the park where families were enjoying the vast array of handcrafted items from the artisan market. We were approaching the little bodega to grab a drink and sit in the park for a bit, and a guy, fully geared up in his motocross outfit, accompanied by a sweet black lab, exclaimed to Phil, “Hey, don’t I know you?!” Phil shook his head and smiled but said, “I don’t think so, but maybe you should?” And right then, we made a great new friend. We grabbed some drinks and headed to the park to chat but as soon as we got into conversation, the sky opened up and released a downpour that left everyone in the park scattering. We all rushed down the street and found a little bistro where we shared a bottle of wine, snacks and stories. Our new friends, Elvys and his sweet dog (also named Elvys-or Oso Agreda, meaning “Attack Bear”), were a joy to meet. Elvys was born in Guatemala but lived in Texas from the age of 8 until he was unfortunately deported back to Guatemala about a year ago. It has been a difficult adjustment for him to make... especially during the height of the pandemic– he no longer really identified with his Guatemalan upbringing and was having challenges reinventing himself and concurrently reconnecting with his heritage. He left us with a lot to ponder and we're looking forward to meeting him again tonight for dinner at a little El Salvadorian Papusa joint in town. I must go for now… must get ready for a fun night! Buenas noches… until next time! - W*
