Since arriving in Antigua 6 weeks ago, we have stuck pretty close to "home" and have used our weekends to rest and learn about the town. But we were ready, last weekend, to explore a new area, the Pacific coast town of Montericco. It's only a 2 hour drive from Antigua, but a whole other world, in terms of climate and lifestyle!
Waterfront in Montericco
We began our trip with a 40 minute van ride around the bumpy, cobblestone streets of Antigua, picking up 8 other passengers, all in their 20s' and early 30's, from all parts of the world. They included 3 Sarah's (from Canada and Britain), plus a guy from Norway, and our first Bulgarian, a delightful young woman who has traveled extensively in her job for a Munich travel agency.
Suddenly the road ended, literally, at the dock of a tiny river town. Our little band of travelers waited while the van driver conversed with the horde of hustlers that were vying to take us down the river to Montericco. We, of course, had not known that the trip would entail a boat ride and another fee, but such is travel in this part of the world. It was a very small fee (60 cents/5 Quetzales) to take the public boat, so we all opted for that and hopped on with a bunch of locals. The boat wound its way down the flat river, bordered by mangroves or vast grassy areas. Majestic white egrets were occasionally startled from a high perch or could be seen hiding among the shelter of the mangroves. It felt like what we imagine southeast Asia to be like.
The green pool just outside our cabana
We were greeted in the small village of Montericco by another group of hustlers but we had been warned by our Antigua host, Jose, not to talk to them, as they might very well try to charge a fee. We did our best to ignore them as we got our bearings and made our way to our little beach resort, about a 1/2 mile away. The main street of Montericco was paved but side streets were dusty and hot. Chickens roamed around, laundry hung from fences, a big old pig ambled down the street, people were cooking outside. It was pretty relaxed! We were ready for a cold Moza when we arrived.
The Pez de Oro had been recommended by Jose, and it turned out to be just as delightful as he had said. It consisted of 18 small, colorful cabanas with thatched roofs, 2 small swimming pools, palm trees, brick walkways, with a restaurant looking out over the black volcanic sand to the blue, blue ocean. It was very charming! (You can google it to see for yourself.) We spent the next three days there, indulging ourselves in warmth and good food. One morning we went for a private boat paddle along the mangrove trees, looking at the wildlife, mostly birds. No alligators. It was very peaceful and lovely. Late one afternoon we watched as a crowd gathered for a baby turtle race to the ocean, organized by the turtle sanctuary next door. Both evenings, we walked to Jonny's Place, a much more lively, party spot down the beach, for drinks with our van mates. Mostly we rocked in the hammock on our little porch or lounged around the pool. The ocean was ferocious with huge waves pounding against the shore so we didn't swim there. The pools, I must say, were a bit dubious looking in color but we did cool off in them a few times.
Back in Antigua
The van ride back to Antigua on Monday afternoon was quiet. Most everyone had already left on Sunday. Apparently, Montericco is becoming a popular weekend spot for middle class Guatemala City families. But this is the slow season. We were the only guests at the Pez de Oro on Monday, and just one other couple shared the van. It was a fast ride that had us holding our breath as we passed slower moving vehicles on winding roads. I'm guessing that the driver got his training as a chicken bus driver. But we made it safely.
We began our trip with a 40 minute van ride around the bumpy, cobblestone streets of Antigua, picking up 8 other passengers, all in their 20s' and early 30's, from all parts of the world. They included 3 Sarah's (from Canada and Britain), plus a guy from Norway, and our first Bulgarian, a delightful young woman who has traveled extensively in her job for a Munich travel agency.
sunset over the Pacific
As we emerged from our small city, we were treated to the sight of the 3 volcanoes that surround us here. It quickly became clear that we had left behind the relative sophistication of Antigua when we encountered men trudging along the highway, each bent under a load of sticks for firewood, or mules laden with great bundles of grasses of some sort. As we descended from the mountains, where Antigua is located at 5000 ft. to the coastal plain at sea level, the temperature rose and the crops changed to sugar cane with occasional fields full of white Brahma bulls. We began seeing houses with thatched roofs and the whole atmosphere seemed slower and more sultry.
Suddenly the road ended, literally, at the dock of a tiny river town. Our little band of travelers waited while the van driver conversed with the horde of hustlers that were vying to take us down the river to Montericco. We, of course, had not known that the trip would entail a boat ride and another fee, but such is travel in this part of the world. It was a very small fee (60 cents/5 Quetzales) to take the public boat, so we all opted for that and hopped on with a bunch of locals. The boat wound its way down the flat river, bordered by mangroves or vast grassy areas. Majestic white egrets were occasionally startled from a high perch or could be seen hiding among the shelter of the mangroves. It felt like what we imagine southeast Asia to be like.
We were greeted in the small village of Montericco by another group of hustlers but we had been warned by our Antigua host, Jose, not to talk to them, as they might very well try to charge a fee. We did our best to ignore them as we got our bearings and made our way to our little beach resort, about a 1/2 mile away. The main street of Montericco was paved but side streets were dusty and hot. Chickens roamed around, laundry hung from fences, a big old pig ambled down the street, people were cooking outside. It was pretty relaxed! We were ready for a cold Moza when we arrived.
The Pez de Oro had been recommended by Jose, and it turned out to be just as delightful as he had said. It consisted of 18 small, colorful cabanas with thatched roofs, 2 small swimming pools, palm trees, brick walkways, with a restaurant looking out over the black volcanic sand to the blue, blue ocean. It was very charming! (You can google it to see for yourself.) We spent the next three days there, indulging ourselves in warmth and good food. One morning we went for a private boat paddle along the mangrove trees, looking at the wildlife, mostly birds. No alligators. It was very peaceful and lovely. Late one afternoon we watched as a crowd gathered for a baby turtle race to the ocean, organized by the turtle sanctuary next door. Both evenings, we walked to Jonny's Place, a much more lively, party spot down the beach, for drinks with our van mates. Mostly we rocked in the hammock on our little porch or lounged around the pool. The ocean was ferocious with huge waves pounding against the shore so we didn't swim there. The pools, I must say, were a bit dubious looking in color but we did cool off in them a few times.
The van ride back to Antigua on Monday afternoon was quiet. Most everyone had already left on Sunday. Apparently, Montericco is becoming a popular weekend spot for middle class Guatemala City families. But this is the slow season. We were the only guests at the Pez de Oro on Monday, and just one other couple shared the van. It was a fast ride that had us holding our breath as we passed slower moving vehicles on winding roads. I'm guessing that the driver got his training as a chicken bus driver. But we made it safely.
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