Guatemala Day 18 - Plan Changes

After a delicious breakfast, we all gathered in the lobby and left for Guatemala City at around 10 o'clock with two buses.

The original plan for today was a day trip to a Mayan pyramid. However, we couldn't execute this plan as the pyramid was closed due to a volcanic eruption.

During the one-hour drive to the capital, our guide Emilio on the Lohse bus talked a little bit about the country and its locals: 'The people in Guatemala know how to live. They manage to turn nothing into a celebration and thus nourish the soul a little bit.'
He explained that Guatemala is also called 'Banana Republic', or 'Chiquita Banana del Monte', and is one of the largest producers of cocoa and coffee in the world.

In addition to Emilio, we also had Danny on board, a police officer from the 'Policiado Tourismo', who would accompany us during our stay in Antigua.

At around 10:45, we reached our destination - the Mayan city of 'Kaminaljuyu'.
It owes its name to the archaeologist José Antonio Villacorta Calderon, which means 'Hill of the Ancestors'. Kaminaljuyu was settled around 800 BC. The buildings are made of sun-dried bricks, of which about 400 have been excavated so far. The excavation is quite difficult as the Mayan city is located directly within the city area of Guatemala City. All the Mayan artifacts are on display at the National Museum of Archaeology in Guatemala.

At 12:20, we started our return journey and arrived at our hotel about an hour later. Due to the volcano, all plans for the rest of the day were cancelled, and we stayed at the hotel. Some people visited the city and bought some groceries at the supermarket, bought souvenirs, or got themselves a face mask due to the ash that was filling the air. We also had a few cases of gastrointestinal illness, so about ten people were not feeling well and the break came at just the right time.

Those who felt healthy then went to the Cathedral of Antigua at 8 o'clock in the evening.
In the Cathedral, we had a rehearsal for tomorrow's concert. First, we had to find a suitable spot where everyone had enough space and the acoustics were good. We decided not to position ourselves at the front altar area, but further back in the church, as that was where our sacred pieces carried the best sound.

After the rehearsal, we returned to the hotel, where everyone individually arranged dinner and spent the evening in their rooms, hoping not to get infected as well.