Guatemala is a country full of colorful events and Antigua is at the epicenter of the most impressive festival of the year. Easter week or "Semana Santa" sees Antigua transformed into a colorful mass of street carpets, each one hand made with colored sawdust, masses of colorful flowers, petals and leaves. The street carpets are a tradition dating backto the 16th century; Antigua and Grenada are the only two cities that still continue this amazing tradition.
(Above: This alfombra or "rug" was made with sawdust. Below: Made with flowers and plants.)
The event begins on Palm Sunday, during which images of Jesus and the Holy Virgin of Sorrow are carried from their churches through the city on the shoulders of devoted followers who carry lanterns while dressed in purple robes with white waistbands.
Similar processions occur on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, replicating the final days of Christ on earth. Holy Saturday continues with other funeral processions led by the image of a sorrowful Virgin Mary, followed by numerous women dressed in black who commemorate her moments of sorrow at the side of Christ.
Easter Sunday is a time of rejoicing, with early processions through the streets. Firecrackers are heard throughout the city and masses are held in all the churches. The week-long ceremonies end that day, and residents return to their daily lives.
During our time in Antigua, we also climbed Volcano Pacaya to see molten lava. It's a highly active volcano and is the most frequently climbed one in Guatemala. It is relatively easily accessible and commonly puts on a good show. 
Its eruptive acivity ranges from minor gaseous emissions and quiet stream eruptions, to explosions powerful enough to hurl bombs up to 12 kilometers and evacuate numerous villages surrounding the area. The rocky ground was amazingly hot and could easily burn the bottom of your shoes if you stayed put in one place to long. We roasted marshmallows in "hotspots" and came within probably 100 -150ft of the lava. Here's my picture taken at night. It was a very tricky "hike" because if you fell you would be scraped up by sharp hot lava rocks.
And last but not least.......a friend and I discovered a remarkable ice cream place called Marco Polo in Antigua. Everyday we got an ice cream, so of course I had to throw in a picture. :)
Until next time,
Christine
