When you think of visiting La Antigua, usually you think of culture, art, ruins and monuments, or maybe you think about international cuisine and nightlife. But if you’ve ever thought that La Antigua is a place for new beginnings, for adventure, and for bringing ideas together, then this is the article for you.
Just steps from Parque Central (in the spot called El Barrio, the building where Ocelot, Lava, Bullseye and Vudú are located), you’ll find the perfect place to have pictures made on your body with ink. Yes, I’m talking about getting a tattoo at Graveyard Tattoo.
If you have something that’s very meaningful to you that you want inked on your body, thanks to the skill and artistry of Rubén Barahona, Javier Natareno, and their apprentice and piercer Sergio Rodríguez, this can become a reality.
I couldn’t write an article about something so personal and permanent without clearing up my own doubts and then trying it myself. Initially, one of the most important things to take into account before getting a tattoo is your relationship with the tattoo artist, that is, how you feel about the person who’s going to tattoo you and the equipment that will be used.
At Graveyard, all the equipment that’s used is sterilized for each customer, and the needles and everything else that comes in contact with your skin is used only once. That calmed my concerns on the subject of health.
I can tell you that “clicking” with your tattoo artist will result in a tattoo that you like, that’s well done, and that reflects what you had in mind. The style of your tattoo is a very important issue – so you should choose a tattoo artist who’s skilled at creating the kind of tattoo that you want; in the case of the guys at Graveyard, although they do tattoos in many different styles, realism and portraits are their specialty.
This is why – even when you want to have a tattoo done right now – it’s very important to talk about what you want, schedule an appointment that allows you to arrive at the perfect design, and set aside the necessary time so that the result is exactly what you were hoping for.
And the question that everyone asks: Does it hurt? Of course it hurts. I’m not going to lie to you, but I also can’t quite define exactly what kind of pain it is. I think that much of the pain depends on your attitude, on who’s doing the tattoo and their experience and technique, as well as what kind of equipment is used – plus, of course, the area of the body where you’re getting the tattoo.
I have to say that I was expecting a lot more pain, but thanks to the team at Graveyard Tattoo and their experience and skill, it wasn’t that bad. I also know that it’s the only tattoo studio in Guatemala that works under US standards against bloodborne pathogens, and that makes the difference.
All the things that I’ve mentioned are probably what made the experience of getting my first tattoo remarkably enjoyable – so enjoyable, in fact, that it now seems that having only one tattoo is not going to be enough. Yes, that thing about how getting tattoos is addictive really does seem to be true.
Obviously I’m going to go back to Graveyard Tattoo for my next one.
