I didn't think that Halloween was celebrated in Guatemala, I thought it was really just a North American thing and was actually a little sad that I would be missing it, but I was quite wrong... There were quite a few kids running about last night all dressed up in their costumes, but instead of going around collecting candy in their bags, they go around collecting quetzales (currency here) and chant something along the lines of we want money. (My spanish sucks, so I don't know exactly what they were saying, but I think it is something along that line). Anyways, [View Full Entry]

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Last saturday, after a good breakfast by the lake in Flores wondering where to head next, the owner of our hostel came with this great offer to us: he could arrange transport to the airport in Flores, flight to Guatemala City and transport from Guatemala City to Antigua for only 40US$!! After asking around a little and finding out that this wasn´t anything strange as it´s lowseason and hurricane-season and everything, we decided to take the offer. Of course the plane was a small 14 passenger local plane but the local assured us it was "segurísimo"! And so it was! Only [View Full Entry]

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Hola! So here it goes... I arrived in Guatemala City late Thursday evening and stepped outside the airport to tons of people yelling names of others they were to pick up or meet. I was quite overwhelmed, but managed to make my way over to the taxi's and went straight to the guesthouse that I wanted to stay in that night. Normally everyone says that you should get right out of Guat City once you arrive because it is unsafe, but if you arrive at night you are never to take a bus in the dark because of highway robberies that [View Full Entry]

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October 10, 2005 (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport): Shannon here. Sean and I leave for Guatemala tonight on a red-eye flight to Houston, then on to Guatemala City. We’re sitting in the airport at Sea-Tac as I write. I can’t say that I really feel all that nervous; perhaps maybe a little anxious about finding a place to sleep once we reach Guatemala City. For those that are not aware, Hurricane Stan caused some pretty severe landslides in Guatemala - in one case burying an entire village. Sean and I aren’t really sure what impact that will have on the places we in [View Full Entry]

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Well I have arrived in Guatemala. I arrived in Guatemala city yesterday around noon, I caught the first shuttle bus I saw at the airport and headed directly to Antigua. I love Antigua...it's a small town about 30000 people but with lots of cool sites. It's full of old Spanish colonial ruins. Churches that date back 500 years ago in ruins. Some still intact but a lot of them have been destroyed by the constant bombardment of earthquakes the area has had over the last 300 years. The town is situated in a valley surrounded by huge volcanoes, that makes for [View Full Entry]

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I have had a request to inform all of you of Marks most recent update. A few days ago he emailed me that life is incredible there. i did not get a ton of details but this is what he told me... he sleeps on the deck with some of his new friends at night because it is way too hot in the bunks. i guess it storms every night too but they just stay up there. he likes the boat and the crew a lot. he also said, "every view is beautiful, the diving and free-diving is awesome. i got [View Full Entry]

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Lanquin, Semuc Champey, Antigua, Proyecto Eco Quetzal. Ok, I got a long way to write. Not even sure where I left you guys the last time. Pff, I meant this blog to help other travellers, and I gave no info. Been to Semuc Champey, which I hugely recommend to you guys. Sleep at El Retiro (In Lanquin). Its not much of a local thing, more of a cocoon for Western travellers, but you meet a lot of people. Visit the caves of Semuc and its waterpools. The caves of Lanquin are nice but you wouldn´t miss much by skipping it. Caves [View Full Entry]

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Yes, I know, always been full of it...but now full of espanol...hey, this is an ordinary keyboard...@ is where it should be but no n with the bizzo!...so greetings from Antigua, the city in Guatemalam not the other one...where were we?..Lake Atitlan the huge caldera of the old volcano..320 m deep, stayed at Panajachel on the shores...lots of touristas, shop/stalls all the color of the Mayan textiles, carvings, bags, bits and bobs,,you know... Early in the morning watching a older gringo guy sipping his morning coffee, lips pursing in expectation even before his cup left the saucer...eyes sort [View Full Entry]

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As Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala, is supposed to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world, we didn't hang around for long, but we did have to stay one night there as we flew in after dark. Our guesthouse was fortified like an Iraqi police station, which made us think all the hype might just be true! In the morning we hastily sped off for the beautiful old town of Antigua. Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage site and hears how they describe it "Antigua, the capital of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala, was founded in the early [View Full Entry]

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Antigua is a small town surrounded by volcanoes (one of them Guate's only active one!) and mountains scattered witn Maya villages. Life goes on slowly in Antigua, Maya women come down from the hills early in the morning to say a quick prayer in the yellow church by the plaza before heading for a long day at the market, and we creep out of our room (that's the one with the huge mouldy patch on the roof) and head to one of Antiguas many laid back cafes to start the day with a traditional breakfast: eggs, fried platains, black beans and [View Full Entry]

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