| Location: | Antigua Guate |
| Mileage: | 9,700 |
Chichi is as delightful as ever and the riders wander through the Sunday market, but our departure the next day is delayed by the start of Independence Day parades closed the main road out of town. So we chill and watch the bands and dancers go by. It’s only 75 miles to Antigua anyway.
The main road is good. It’s been extended to dual carriageway and has perfect bends, but they are still working on it in places and you can find yourself back on the gravel. Antigua is beautiful. Lines of pastel coloured colonial houses, narrow cobbled streets all against a volcanic backdrop. We have two days rest here. The first day is spent joining in even more parades. The whole town is out waving flags, dancing, running the streets with flaming torches. It's a group evening meal tonight, which degenerates into a lining up shots of "Aguadiente de Guatemala" - the local firewater. At US$1 a bottle, it just couldn't be ignored!
Today some are nursing hangovers, the more energetic are climbing the volcano and others are just relaxing and getting done the jobs of the trip – laundry, emails, post. Honduras tomorrow.
