Antigua....you stole our hearts.

We made it home from Antigua despite the airport having been closed due to Volcano Fuego erupting. I have to give an unsolicited 3 cheers to Aeromexico. We were pleasantly surprised by their plush leather seats, edible food, and free booze..heck, the planes even still had a "new plane smell".

The hardest part of navigating Antigua was trying to calculate what we were spending. Just as I thought I had figured out the cost, I was wrong. I kept figuring out costs in pesos, not quetzals, which is a huge difference when one US dollar buys you 18 pesos but only 7 quetzals.

Yes, I know Antigua is a tourist city and should cost more, but still...we lived in San Miguel De Allende all summer and it wasn't nearly as expensive. When purchasing something, the denomination was always correct.... 15 for a beer, 30 for a meal, but with the different currency and exchange rate our trip was a bit more expensive than anticipated. 

If we had done things differently, I think we would have split our trip (and possibly added some days) between Antigua and Quetzaltenango. We didn't need so much time in one spot and it would have been nice to see a town less "touristy". Maybe next time. 

Fantastic rooftop view from the Cafe Sky

My kids didn't even notice this fountain ( I guess most tourist giggle at it).  Apparently our girls have gotten used to living in the tropic on a boat with a topless mom who's trying not to sweat to death. Another day, another boob.

View of Antigua from Cerro de la Cruz

If you go....

You must hike up to Cerro de la Cruz for a view!

If you're like us, you like cheap, cold beer. In Mexico, it's a daily occurrence to find beer under $1, not so much in Antigua. The cheapest beer we found was during happy hour at Frank and Fre for roughly $1.30. Not only do they offer cheap beer, it's also a hostel complete with a rooftop bar.

Looking for a rooftop bar with a sunset view? Check out Cafe Sky and head straight up towards the roof. Just kitty corner to Frank and Fre, Cafe Sky doesn't have the cheapest beers in town, but their rooftop bar/restaurant offers a better view. 

Speaking of beer (starting to sense a theme?) who doesn't LOVE an Irish Pub? Reilly's is a great place in the middle of town with drink specials till 7pm.  Confused by all the beer suggestions? You must be new to the blog, welcome. We love beer... hell, we even beg for it...check out the Buy us a Beer button at the top of our blog.

What made our trip extra special was staying with a host family. As with everywhere we've stayed (besides our boat) during the past year, when searching for fun, funky or authentic places to stay we use airbnb.com.  You too can stay in a comfortable house with 3 homemade meals a day for $60 USD a night.