Semana Santa, Holy Week, is the week of easter, starting on Palma Sunday and ending on Easter. In Guatemala the main event is Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified. The main events of the week our large processions. Diffrent Chuches in and around Antigua organize the processions where hundreds of men and woman carry floats depicting Jesus and Mary. The processions last 8 to ten hours and people switch off carring the floats which weigh several tons. On firday morning, like 2am to 4am roman soliders parade the town and the first procession starts at 4am. For the goof friday processions and after people make elaborate carpets of colored saw dust, pines, flowers, and sometimes household objects which are promptly destroyed by the procession. Holy Week is a major tourist event for Antigua, a tourist city, and by friday the streets were packed. It was quite fun and something special to see, but I have to admit after the 4th procession I was ready for something new.
More spectacular is the fact that I ran into my supervising attorney from my days as a paralegal just a few doors down from my hostel.
Many travellers I have met have a low opinion of Antigua because it is very touristy and its colonial facades lack the scruffy authenticness of some other towns. I can not share their sentiment. It may be a little bit make belive but it is a very relaxing place to pass a couple of days. And as inauthentic as some aspects of the city may be other places share and celebrate the feelings and culture that make Guatemala a wonderful place to visit. The market in Antigua is my favorite. The prices are anything but touristy, and it is massive for the size of the city.
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