Feb 9 - Guatemala

Sam is in the country of Guatemala. It is in Central America. Today he saw three volcanos, banana trees, and fields of sugar cane when he was on the tour bus. The pictures he is sharing are from the town of Antigua, Guatemala. It used to be the capital of the country. But they had several earthquakes throughout the years and got tired of rebuilding the town. So the people left the town and established their capital in Guatemala City. But some of the people wanted to go back to Antigua.  The city is a national treasure and there cannot be new buildings built in the town center. There are many ruins that can be seen around town.  Sam ate lunch at an old building that had been restored in part and is now used as a hotel and restaurant as well as a historical site. This picture is of one of the ruins of an old church.

 

Here is Sam near the ruins.

Another interesting stop that Sam enjoyed was the jade factory and museum. Here Sam is sitting next to a display of jade.

This is a harpsichord made of jade. The harpsichord is the national instrument of Guatemala.