Panza Verde Futbol by Zipline

La Antigua GFC is a prestigious club de futbol in the city.  GFC stands for Guatemala Futbol Club.  This league offers the highest level of professional competition in Guatemala.  Futbol in Latin America means soccer.   And soccer is a big deal in this part of the world.  La Antigua GFC are proud league champions for the past 2 seasons.  As with the NHL or the MLB, the teams attract the best players from other soccer-crazed countries.  The local team has players from Guatemala, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, and the USA.  Locals will proudly tell you that one of their players had previously played with Beckham on the L.A. Galaxy.  Both goalkeepers on the team are from Costa Rica.

The funny thing about La Antigua GFC is their nickname.  Panza Verde.  Green Belly.   Locals (antiguenos) are known as las panzas verdes because they eat so many avocados.  The team mascot is an avocado.

Our family watched an exciting game at estadio pensativo in Antigua Guatemala last Sunday.

Being a Sunday, our family had attended a bilingual church - iglesia del camino, and had attended the 9:00 service (First time for church in English since Moncton in September).  After church, we walked across the street for crepes at Luna de Miel and enjoyed Sunday Brunch before the game.   Luna de Miel is owned by a young man from Marseille who has been serving up haute French cuisine at Guatemalan prices since 2006.  We all had savoury crepes with chicken, bacon, spinach, and cream, and desert crepes with nutella and banana or white chocolate, peaches, and coconut ice cream flambe with orange liquer.  Thus satisfied, we headed off to the game.

By the time we bought tickets and cleared security the game was underway.   Drums pounding, horns blaring, and fans cheering we walked into our 4th row 30 yard line seats (in the shade).  The rivals were from the nearby city of Esquintla.  The wooden score board showed 1-0.  Oh no, I thought...it's soccer, half the games end with a score of 1-0, what if we missed the only goal?

The first half saw Antigua score on a penalty kick after their striker was tripped in the zone.  The goal was announced and play continued for some time before I asked a local fan why the scoreboard still showed 1-0.  It turns out that no one had removed the score from a previous game. The penalty kick was the first goal, and the correct score was 1-0 Antigua at the end of 45 minutes.

Lucky for us, most of the action was right in front of us near the Esquintla net in the second half.  The highlight of the game was a corner kick that made it 2-0 for Antigua.  Following the corner kick, one player hit the ball with his head to pass it to his team mate.  The second player did a high-over-the-head-backwards "bicycle kick" for the goal.  The fans erupted with applause.  A beautiful goal like this gets played over and over again on highlight reels.  It's the equivalent of an 80 yard punt return in American Football or an Encarnacion Grand Slam at the Toronto Blue Jays.  So fun!!

There were a couple of close calls.  A Panza Verde striker shot a crazy hard kick off the post from 35 yards out.  Another player kicked a crazy hard shot into the stands - at the 4th row on the 30 yard line.  I ducked, Grandma Bev ducked, and the ball struck a man's arm spilling his drink and chips directly behind and between us in row 5.  Grandpa thought that the ball had hit Grandma in the head and was holding her and checking to see if she was alright.  This made everyone else assume that Grandma had been hit too.  She wasn't though and her glasses were intact.

The game continued with Antigua scoring again to make it 3-0, and Esquintla scoring a single point in the final few minutes to make it a 3-1 home team victory.  Hurray for the league champion Panza Verdes!

Team photo op: stock photo


A great of view of play in corner


Fans and Bands in the Stands.
Latinos love noise at games!


Check out the Maple Leaf on the Panza Verde Home Jersey!
There is a private Canadian school in Antigua.  The school is one of the teams' sponsors.  I wonder if our kids could attend this school??


Stock photo - the bicycle kick!
Such a fun game!


Another maple leaf on an end zone poster.
Love the Canadian connection to this team.

A Walk to the Market by Zipline

Antigua is a city best explored by walking.  Beyond the cobblestone streets, markets, street vendors, churches and ruins, there are mysteries to be discovered in expansive courtyards which lie behind a single antique wooden door.   Our condo near the edge of town is only 1.5 km from the center of town and the major landmarks such iglesia la Merced, Santa Catalina arch, parque central, and the municipal market - but the journey can take 15 minutes or 1.5 hours depending on how many doorways one peeks into along the way.  Here is a collection of photos from some of our walks in this beautiful city:

Clay Pots by Exotic Chicken

This morning we went to a  tiny museum and saw some broken
clay pots. Archaeologists study clay pots to see how long societies lasted.  Mayan clay pots did not have glazes.  Spanish pots had  glazes because Arab countries discovered glazes and influenced Spain.   Glazed clay pots in Mexico and Guatemala means that the Spanish came here and introduced glazes to the Mayan people.  

We moved...to Antigua, Guatemala - and I might just stay here forever (by Twy's Twavels)

A few photos to speak a couple million words...

Thankfully...we were able to catch the airplane from Costa Rica, land in El Salvador and then board a smaller plane to Guatemala City (there were some - about 58 - tense minutes sitting on the floor in the San Jose airport waiting to see if the smaller plane would have enough room for us.  We sort of had to catch that plane - as Arden's parents were waiting for us at the airport with the shuttle driver to take us the rest of the way to our condo that afternoon/evening.)  

We were very happy with the service on Avianca - hot and cheesy sandwiches and any drink of your choice on the first 1 hr leg and then kids colouring books on the second flight.  (Also, I was extremely thankful that my travel agent - aka. Husband - found that the 2 hr flight was actually cheaper than the 3 DAY bus ride across several countries, borders and some less-than-safe cities.  I'll make sure he gets a few extra of the Britt chocolate coffee beans that I have safely hidden away for safe keeping 😋 - oh, I will miss those!) 

The view of Antigua from the hill behind our condo complex (your heart is pounding in your ears about 1.3 minutes after starting the ascent).

First things first...food at the market - have to stock the shelves again.  Fresh fruit (strawberries at $1.00 per pound)...flowers ($3 a dozen) and anything else you may desire are all under one roof.

And this is how we weighed the strawberries...simple machines!

The Boy asked for 4 pet fish - he was so excited...$2.75 and 6 weeks of hoping we don't drink out of the wrong cup on the table - priceless!

I think the names have been chosen: Pumpkin, Spice, Zip and Strudel.  (We plan to get an aquarium full of fish when we get home...so this is a little taste preparation for the future.) 

Tostadas...the original nachos - are the treat of choice in the market.  

All 4 for $1.40 or so.

Interesting frijoles being sold...Maelle thinks they'd make a fun art project.

The Puerta Santa 'Holy Door' of the Merced Church...kind of think the history of an 800 year old church is incredible.

The rabbit trail story behind this photo: We had netflix at our previous condo in Costa Rica - and we have it again here.  I am after-the-kids-are-in-bed glad to get to continue to watch an episode a night of 'Call the Midwife'...and this roof-top mosaic in the Merced Church is for Ramon Nonato - patron saint of the pregnant woman.  The midwives on this series work at Nonnatus house - a religious order...so that makes much more sense now.  I love how learning can be so much fun...even as a grey-haired adult!

We saw a morning without clouds...took the condo shuttle bus to the arch to snap some photos of the iconic Antigua landmark.

The view of the arch towards the Merced church.

Us...together - great to have Grandparents who can snap one or two photos.

Muebles...oversized.

A few photos of doors...enjoying the Spanish Colonial style of architecture.

My Girl with owls...still celebrating her 7th owl-themed birthday!

Pepian...a local and incredibly flavourful soup.

Grandma and the joy of making rainbow jello...the kids are loving being able to say this line: "I'm going to Grandma and Grandpa's house!".

Celebrating Meritt's 11th birthday (again) with tres-leches cake in chocolate and vanilla!  Thankfully, Grandma was able to buy him several pairs of socks (which he desperately needed and I asked if she could bring) - which Arden dutifully informed her has now moved her into the Grandma Marie Penner-category of Grandparenting.  We all had a laugh as we remembered the cute underwear that she gave a red-faced 13 year old girl one Christmas.

Photos of our condo complex...it is a place I may never want to leave...

Thinking of my Grandma Reimer as her favourite flower is the calla lily.

The Mayan aqua ducts run through this unique property - this is a cistern from decades ago.