The Information Super-Frog

Ms. Hollie noted that in my previous times taking her down to South Florida I'd never shown her sights from the portion of my childhood/adolescence spent in the area. We rectified that the other day, driving around the Pompano Beach, Lauderdale By The Sea, and Fort Lauderdale areas. Lauderdale-By-The-Sea passed laws discouraging new buildings more than 3 stories high, so it looks the most like it did (indeed, a rarity for this part of Florida, it even has buildings older than I am still). Most of the other areas have many highrises replacing the lower buildings of my youth. The places that tended to evoke the most positive emotions for me were book related places I'd bicycle to before I could drive: the Pompano Beach Public Library, former locations of new and used book stores.

Even in my early teens, it was common to be among buildings younger than I was. Few residents had been born here then. It never really felt like "home" to me. Nowhere other than New Orleans has. Merida, Yucatan was perhaps the next closest, and I feel could have felt like my home if I'd spent more time there; Antigua Guatemala would be next in line. Perhaps someday I'll be able to show Hollie around those places some. I imagine Merida hasn't changed too terribly since most of the tourism development has been funneled over to the Cancun area (I've never been to Cancun). Antigua I've heard has changed a good deal-- I bet they have television there now, and maybe more than two telephone lines availible for those wishing to make a call outside of town.

This area fortunately does have good food. One can actually get sandwiches that taste like something. The other day we enjoyed a meal at "Pomperdale's", which looks and tastes like an excellent authentic New York City Jewish Deli. We've also had good Italian, Chinese, Argentine, and French food in the area.

I uploaded a bunch of my photos from my time in Antigua Guatemala in 1979 - 1980 to the Wikimedia Commons.

Most of the pix alas were taken with a cheap 1970s instamatic. (If there was such a thing as an inexpensive, easy to use, non-bulky camera that actually took good quality photos back then, I didn't know about it.) Still, I got some photos of interest.

Antigua was the Spanish Colonial capital of Central America until it was hit by a series of nasty earthquakes in the 1770s. The city was ordered abandoned, and a new capital was built at what is now Guatemala City. Earthquake dammaged colonial baroque is still the dominant architecture, and the folks who stayed here practice some interesting old traditions, especially with the elaborate Holy Week festivities.

See artistic carpets meant to last less than a day! Looming volcanos! Dancing giants! A lactating fountain! Special apperance by Jesus Himself!

Thumbnail gallery (click a pic to see a larger version)