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    Is This the Isthmus? Tour – Guatemala Part 5

    Tuesday, September 5, 2017
    Antigua, Guatemala

    The Plate by Patrick McGrath Muñíz at La Antigua Galerie de Arte in Antigua, Guatemala.
    The Plate by Patrick McGrath Muñíz at La Antigua Galerie de Arte in Antigua, Guatemala.

    De La Serie Primaveras Perdidas by Carlos Chavez at La Antigua Galerie de Arte in Antigua, Guatemala.
    De La Serie Primaveras Perdidas by Carlos Chavez at La Antigua Galerie de Arte in Antigua, Guatemala.

    A fountain siren at Museo Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua, Guatemala.
    A fountain siren at Museo Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua, Guatemala.

    A cannon at Museo Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua, Guatemala.
    A cannon at Museo Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua, Guatemala.

    For my first activity today, I visited La Antigua Galerie de Arte, situated in a small room off to the left side of the entrance of a large souvenir store called Nim Po’t. The gallery boasts a nice collection of lovely paintings and sculptures mostly made by Guatemalan artists. If you proceed up the spiral stairs in the corner, you will also encounter a much larger loft space that hosts temporary art shows.

    Sit in the hot seat at Museo Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua, Guatemala.
    Sit in the hot seat at Museo Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua, Guatemala.

    A xylophone at Museo Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua, Guatemala.
    A xylophone at Museo Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua, Guatemala.

    Unintentional minimalism at Museo Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua, Guatemala.
    Unintentional minimalism at Museo Santiago de los Caballeros in Antigua, Guatemala.

    Next, I stopped by Museo Santiago de los Caballeros, which is housed inside a large building as big as a city block just south of Parque Central. This museum traces the history of Guatemala from the Spanish conquest in the 15th century up to the 19th century. Most notably, it maintains a collection of guns, cannons, and other antique weapons dating from the same time period, and on into the 20th century, as well as a few paintings, sculptures, furniture and other odds and ends. Judging by the large size of the building that contains it, I was surprised at how small the actual museum is, which makes the high entry fee of 30 quetzals seem pretty steep.

    An extremely distressed wall in Antigua, Guatemala.
    An extremely distressed wall in Antigua, Guatemala.

    The ruins of Antiguo Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús in Antigua, Guatemala.
    The ruins of Antiguo Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús in Antigua, Guatemala.

    A weathered doorway in Antigua, Guatemala.
    A weathered doorway in Antigua, Guatemala.

    After walking around the rest of the afternoon shooting street photos, I went out to dinner at Patata Fritas with a fellow traveler. I must say I’ve never seen a restaurant in which the main course consists of French fries. They offer many different varieties of fries prepared different ways. Oh, yeah, you can also order a hamburger or sandwich on the side. Every wall in the whole place, which exists in a claustrophobic labyrinth, is covered with funny, whimsical little murals of French fries engaged in various activities. If you love comfort food, I highly recommend a visit to Patata Fritas.

    A chicken bus in Antigua, Guatemala.
    A chicken bus in Antigua, Guatemala.

    Another weathered wall in Antigua, Guatemala.
    Another weathered wall in Antigua, Guatemala.

    Dinner at Patatas Fritas in Antigua, Guatemala.
    Dinner at Patatas Fritas in Antigua, Guatemala.

    French fries kissing at Patatas Fritas in Antigua, Guatemala.
    French fries kissing at Patatas Fritas in Antigua, Guatemala.

    Words and photos ©2017 Arcane Candy.

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