Sofia Somewhere

Every time I try to write about Antigua, the word beautiful pops up way too often. In aiming for simplicity, beautiful is truly a word to describe the town, and the past weekend, it was made even more beautiful with a flower festival. We walked out early on Saturday morning, but most establishments were still in the process of setting up their decorations. It was still quite nice to get a glimpse of what it would be like. Aside from private businesses decorating their facades, the municipal government also decorated some public spaces like their fountains.  We went a bit out of town for brunch, and when we walked back into town after, the streets were packed! We managed to see some beautiful displays, but didn't have the space to take photos. The next day, we headed out again in the early morning. A lot of places had taken down their decorations for the night, but we saw some that were still out, and had a more relaxing stroll taking pictures. Forever charmin...

Whenever Chis and I decide to eat out, I'm always torn. On the one hand, I love going back to our favorite restaurants or our tried-and-tested ones, but on the other hand, I also really love trying new restaurants. Over the last months we've tried some new ones, and revisited some olds one, and I've rounded up another list to add to our Antigua Eats  ( Part 1 of which is over here ). Before discovering Red Koi,  Kabuki  (6ta Avenida Norte, 14A)  was my go to Asian restaurant, albeit it was more just Japanese food. I satisfied my tempura cravings here, and a few months back tried some yakitori which was new on the menu, and liked those even better. The sushi is not the best here -- though it is still delicious -- but the other plates on their menu have made my stomach very happy. The ramen craze hit Manila several years back, but I was never a fan until I went to Japan . I don't crave it often, but every now and then, I do enjoy a good bowl of ramen . I wa...

After moving to Guatemala, the question I get asked most often is (naturally), "Why Guatemala?" At first, I wasn't specifically looking to land myself here. After leaving Spain, all I knew was that I wanted to go to another Spanish speaking country. I looked at several countries in Central and South America, and in the end, finding a job at UPAVIM pushed me in the direction of Guatemala. So it wasn't a dead-set vision of coming to Guatemala that brought me here, but over the course of my first year here, I came to love it. Traveling around Guatemala introduced me to the country's captivating culture. Living in La Esperanza and meeting so many wonderful women and children exposed me to the warmth of the Guatemalan people.  And my every day life in the city manifested Guatemala's similarity to the Philippines -- from city and provincial life to government and politics to quotidian habits; I've lost track of how many times I've said to others, "Just...

It's no secret that I love to eat. While I'm no food blogger, I enjoy trying new restaurants, as well as frequenting old restaurants but trying new dishes. Also, taking pictures of my food and then attempting to write about it. Antigua is a pretty good place for a food lover, what with the plethora of restaurants it has to offer. Moreover, because of the many expats who have settled down in Antigua, there are several good international or fusion cuisine restaurants around town. I do love Guatemalan food (posts about Guatemalan eats here and here ), but I have it everyday during the school week, so its nice to have something a little bit different on the weekends. Below is a roundup of some of my favorite restaurants in Antigua, along with a few other good ones worth trying. :) Pappy's BBQ (6ta Calle Poniente, #21) -- This was one of the first restaurants I tried in Antigua, and the first to go on my favorite list. Pappy's serves good smoked barbecue. The meat is to...