Labyrinth (not the movie from the 1980s…)

Yesterday I went to Antigua with my Spanish class, and I have to say, that it is gorgeous…I would totally consider becoming an Ex-Pat in Antigua. There is a law that says all buildings in Antigua must be constructed in a colonial style, thus, everything has a colonial air to it—even McDonald’s! Seriously, the McDonald’s in Antigua is the most beautiful McDonald’s I have ever seen. It is pretty fancy. (And no, I am not advertising McDonald’s. I’ll have you all know that I DID NOT buy any food there!) First of all, this McDonald’s is HUGE. You step inside, and it just keeps going to a back part, that is like a huge courtyard with a beautiful fountain in the middle surrounded by green trees and benches. There is an outdoor patio near the courtyard with comfy armchairs and even some desktop computers for internet (there is free WIFI, too!) Ok, I’ll stop talking about McDonald’s now…

The streets of Antigua are cobblestone, and the building are brilliantly painted with bright yellows, greens, blues, and any other color imaginable. There is a central park, with a huge fountain, and an old cathedral in the background. Although beautiful, Antigua’s bright, cobble-stone streets all look alike, and thus, they do not help my already lacking sense of direction…I think I will often get lost here, but that is fine with me! Antigua also has a central market, which is even MORE confusing that the streets of Antigua. This market is a labyrinth; you could go around for hours and find millions of different products, from cow intestines to soap, and just entrench yourself further in the maze. This will be a problem for me, too. Oh, well… All part of the adventure, right?