Picture Mania part 2

This weekend we left Friday after school got out and headed to Antigua! It is about an hour outside of Guatemala City in the mountains. The city is situated at the foot of an volcano and surrounded by mountains. It is a beautiful town, all the buildings and old and built in a similar style. The vibe of Antigua is completely different than that of Guatemala City. First, it is much smaller which makes the pace slower and relaxed. It was so nice to get away from the city for a while. When we arrived on Friday we checked into our hotel and then headed straight for the market. The market has just about any kind of Guatemalan goods that you can imagine. We were told before we went that we had to barter with the vendors, at first it was really awkward because you have to ask their price then offer the price you want and if they won't give it to you for that you walk away. Once you walk away they will usually give into your price. After a few buys it got easy and was actually pretty fun. On Saturday we got up, ate breakfast and went to a coffee plantation that is right outside of Antigua. We took a tour through part of the plantation and got to see each part of the coffee making process. After today I appreciate a cup of coffee SO much more. Once we were done with the tour we hoped in a safari type bus and headed up into the mountains to zip-line! The ride up to the zip line was a little scary. There were a lot of bumps and many steep drop offs but we made it there in one piece. It was the first time I had ever zip lined and it was so amazing! The view from the lines was incredible. We were about 6,500 feet up so you could see the city of Antigua perfectly. You also had a perfect view of the surrounding mountains. It was one of the most beautiful places I've seen.

                                                     View of the volcano in the background

Inside the market

View from the top of the hotel we stayed in

Coffee plantation

On the way to zip line!

Beautiful church in Antigua

View after zip lining

The Plaza in Antigua

Beautfil streets in Antigua

Whole group before zip lining!