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| Antigua, Guatamala. Former colonial capital. |
My brother Tom Scheaffer loves to travel and has recently returned from a trip to Guatemala. I thank him for sharing his pictures and impressions of his trip.Antigua, Guatemala, a colonial city going back to the
early 1500s was once the capital of Guatemala. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Situated at the base of a volcano, it is famous for its celebrations of
Semana Santa (Holy Week), the last week of Lent and the week before Easter. My brother Tom was there at the beginning of Lent. On the
first Sunday of Lent processions of people carrying huge shrines march around the city on streets
carpeted with colorful floral designs. Crowds of people dressed in purple line the streets to watch. It is an impressive sight.
Here are a few photos taken by Tom during his visit:
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| Painting the carpet. |
Tom writes, "T
hey are painting these huge carpets with flowers and other things on the street because today is Cuaresma, the first Sunday of Lent. There is a huge procession with people carrying huge shrines through the streets." (Cuaresma is the Spanish word for Lent, the forty days before Easter. It comes from the Spanish word for forty--cuarenta.) |
| Cobblestone streets and colorful buildings are typical. (Paint colors are restricted to a few choices.) |
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| St. Catalina Arch. Volcanos tower over the Antigua. Some of them are active. |
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| Waiting in front of the historic Church of San Pedro for the Cuaresma procession to arrive. |
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Enormous shrine carried through the streets by teams of young men dressed in purple.
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| Antigua, Guatemala. High altitude (5029 feet) promotes a mild climate. |
For more information about visiting Antigua, Guatemala go to this
website.
