On Sunday (and Thursdays) they have this famous market in Chichi which is quite famous. It is about 2,5 hours from Antigua.

The market has become quite a touristic thing on this outsides but if you get right into it you come to the food and daily products market where all the indigenous people from the regions shop... quite a sight and a great chance to take pictures!

Antigua Guatemala is surrounded by Volcanos. These are three of them: Agua (r), Acatenango (m) and Fuego (l):


Antigua is actually behind of Volcano Agua on this shot because this view is taken on the way from Antigua to yet another Volcano, called Pacaya... which is active!

And this is it, Volcano Pacaya:


And this time I was lucky, not only was the weather perfect, the volcano is really active and this is the field of lava pouring of of the side of the mountain:


It is not possible to go the the very top of this volcano right now because it is highly active right now. But on the this lave field we could get really close, see the lava flowing and feel the incredible heat:


Flowing lava right in front of you... really impressive!


Here with my swiss friends Elena and Aris in front of the volcano:

Well, I am not a very religious man in the traditional sense but what the people here to during the week of Easter is just anbelievable.

The town is full of people from all over Guatemala, Central America, in fact from all over the world to see the world famous SEMANA SANTA PROCESSIONS.

Here are some pictures of various processions during the Semana Santa, they actually have almost 10 different processions at day and at night! And each procession can last up to 6 or 7 hours easily.

Starting point in front of a church (of course!)


Lots of incense ("Weihrauch") is really important, sometimes you cant see a thing anymore or breath!


Even the youngest kids get involved:


This is the actual beginning of one of the processions:


Huge wooden structures with with Jesus and Mary figures are carried around town by dozends of men and women (seperatly of course and men first, this is still a catholic thing, don't forget!)





What you see on the street are so-called "Alfombras"

An ALFOMBRA - is a carpet made out of coloured sawdust, flowers, native plants and fruits:


These "alfombras" are being layed out on the street by the local people a few hours before the processions and it seems to be in the pride of the people to make them as elaborate and beautiful as possible:








And then comes the procession!




Followed by the people:


So this is what is left of the Alfombra after the procession:

And they build new ones for the next procession!


But then this week is also a big chance for small businesses buying and selling whatever you want... and a so a great oportunity to take pictures!
Enjoy the STREET LIFE IN ANTIGUA DURING SEMANA SANTA:
























And then it is also a good chance for people watching!

Antigua is a beautiful colonial town about an hours drive from Guatemala City.
I went here especially for the Semana Santa, the holy week of Easter - because it is supposed to be something really really special... and it was.

But first to the city as such which is beautifully set at the foot of (inactive) volcano Agua:


Cobbled streets, coloured houses, the volcano... just beautiful:






Big old buildings around the main square (this one is the town hall, "Palacia de Ayuntamento":


And churches... lots of churches! This one is La Merced, built in 1548, like most of the buildings in Antigua badly damaged and sometimes destroyed by a huge earthquack in 1773 and then reconstructed:


And a typical local bus in Guatemala, here in the streets of Antigua:


And I also met some friends from Switzerland here in Antigua: Elena (Ex-Völkl) and Aris are here to learn Spanish... after they travelled through Thailand, Australia and Vietnam before (so much for a strange route!).
Here you see me with Aris... probably at the very moment he got Amoeba from food from a street stall. I was lucky so far even though I have mainly been eating at local street stalls.

To go to Semuc Champey I stayed in a small town called Coban, where I got the first impressions of what awaits me in the easter week in Antigua Guatemala.

Being a very catholic country they hold these processions on Palm Sunday...

First come the men carrying a Jesus figure:




Followed by the women who carry a figure of Mary




And no age group is excused!


But then this is nothing compared to what was going to expect me in Antigua Guatemala!