Our Man in Antigua

‘as the sun dipped behind Volcan Fuego the sky turned to eight different shades of pearlescent gray and a cotton wreath of clouds crowned Volcan Agua. El Parque Central was Ground Zero for love-struck couples, families with babies in the strollers and the second best Peruvian knock-off band wound up early. The bare-boned horses kept circling the park, nose to tail, carrying the last of the days riders and the Mime kept a crowd amused. If Guatemala runs on frijoles and tortillas, Antigua is fueled by ice cream: shiny City cars cruised about and glossy City women tottered up/down the cobblestones in high heels and tight jeans. Little clusters of tourists gathered here and there, city map at hand and the bells of La Merced rang out the end of the day. In the restaurants, candles flickered on table clothes, hoping to entice a couple or two. This wasn’t a day of security guards keeping an eye on the SUV, ear buds and LL Bean jackets open just so…the over-staffed jade stores closed early, the dress shops had buyers or lookers and the candy-ice cream outlets had lines waiting. The old magician, stationed south of La Condesa, had the sidewalk to himself, cards spread on the table and no takers. The horse-drawn carriages cruised, most empty by this time of the day as the line of home-bound cars emptied out on 4th calle. The traffic jam going back to the City will be a long one but for those of us fortunate to live in this Shangri-La, we’re already home.

Judging from the pile of empties/trash at Dos Reilly’s this morning, last night was killer…and whoever thought up the idea of a super-tienda next to the Black Cat Hostel was inspired…fully stocked. Allen of Whiskey Den, checking in for the evening shift, nursing a Maker’s Mark( & water back)…good idea…’had one myself…Piano Mike and Moriah at Caffe Bourbon, which was mostly packed…Djinn, the Indian-inspired store on 5ta norte, doing a good bit of biz today(now that I’m strung out on Nag Champa again, I’m in there often)…tomorrow? a schedule for Rita-Hey-You and Take-a-Lick Abaj, sometime this week if the gods are smiling and the rains don’t wash out the roads…whatever…there’s always next year (that’s what i said last year).