Background: The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created some 1 million refugees.
June 29th 2008Central America Caribbean » Guatemala » Coban » Semuc Champey Back to internet so time for an update on whats been happening.
Leaving Flores our 5 hour directo bus turned out to be anything but. After 5 hours we pulled into a larger than expected town but we ... 10 photos[full story]
April 29th 2008Central America Caribbean » Guatemala » Coban » Semuc Champey Last weekend we went to Paradise, otherwise known as Semuc Champey. It is a series of limestone pools set atop a cave where the river flows through. The water is crystal blue/green, with tiny fish swi ... 17 photos[full story]
March 4th 2008Central America Caribbean » Guatemala » Coban » Semuc Champey Sometimes its good to have a little something go wrong now and then. It reminds you that you are not invinceble. After leaving Tikal and Flores behind me and Barton took off for Coban, on our way to ... [full story]
February 8th 2008Central America Caribbean » Guatemala » Coban » Semuc Champey Catching the 6 am lift from Casa Luna, we squeezed onto a crowded microbus with no other gringos and wound speedily through the narrow, pre-dawn streets of Coban.
Once again, the leg room proved t ... [full story]
February 8th 2008Central America Caribbean » Guatemala » Coban The past few days have been slightly wacky. Im sitting in an internet cafe, outside of a hotel in Coban a city in the Alta Verapaz highlands. We were planning to leave Coban today, but there are no ... [full story]
February 4th 2008Central America Caribbean » Guatemala » Coban After a quick overnight stop in Flores, near Tikal in northern Guatemala we made our way towards what I´d heard was the most beautiful place in Guatemala: Semuc Champey.
We were lucky enough to mee ... [full story]
January 31st 2008Central America Caribbean » Guatemala » Coban The Lonely Planet guidebook contains a list of all the dangerous and annoyances which await you on the way: Starting from jetleg, through malaria and diarrea, and finally being robbed.
All - but the ... [full story]
January 18th 2008Central America Caribbean » Guatemala » Coban
"The way from X to Y is now much easier, due to a newly-paved asphalt road" (a common sentence from Guatemala´s Lonely Planet).
Good - , you narrow-minded egoist guidebooks´writer? Surely not for c ... [full story]
January 18th 2008Central America Caribbean » Guatemala » Coban The slow noisy buses, the driver´s accessory gut hung out of the bus through the always-open bus door, most of his body in the air, outside the bus; The amazing dramatic mountainous scenery of green s ... [full story]
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