Guatemala...Antigua

Antigua is a small city in the southern-central part of Guatemala that's surrounded by volcanoes. It's not too far from Guatemala city in distance but a world away in terms of architecture, culture and safety. It suffered a devastating earthquake in 1773, which destroyed many of the buildings and put an end to its 200 year reign as the country's capital. Today it's a bustling little city, very pretty and full of Maya faces. In fact 60% of the population are of Maya descent.

This was one of the last stops on our filming trip.

Nighttime over Antigua with the Volcan Agua peeping out
of the clouds behind the city.

The cobbled streets and colonial
architecture give a very pleasant atmosphere.

One of the churches that survived the earthquake.

City Hall...nicer than Chard's!

Fuego volcano erupts clouds of ash every
minute. The last major eruption took place
in June 2018 and killed over 2000 people!

We've come here to see a very special reptile. To do so we must take a short 15 minute ride to Finca el Pilar, a private nature reserve on the edge of the cloud forest just outside the city. There's also a rare hummingbird here too but first that reptile...

Tropidodipsas fischeri
A harmless 'snail sucker'

Tropidodipsas fischeri
A harmless 'snail sucker'

 No, this isn't the reptile we've come to see.We have to climb higher into the cloud forest itself to find what we are looking for.

The cloud forest of Finca el Pilar

Such a dramatic landscape should be host
to a dramatic reptile...

 At last we find one. Abronia vasconcelosii or Bocourt's Arboreal Aligator Lizard. What an amazing little creature - straight out of a dinosaur book.

Enjoying the moment.

Abronia vasconcelosii

Abronia vasconcelosii

Abronia vasconcelosii

This incredible lizard spends most of it's time up in the trees hunting insects and it can perform a very special trick that only members of the Abronia family can...

Nigel with the Abronia.

It has a prehensile tail which it uses to hang from branches, amazing!

Just when we think everything is going to plan, it rains. Boy does it rain! We retreat to the hotel and wait it out. But it doesn't stop and in a matter of hours we have to change our plans and arrange everything set for the following 3 days in reverse order. Packing everything up, we set off on the long drive to Sibinal near the border with Chiapas, Mexico. The hummer will have to wait.