I got here to the town of Panajachel yesterday and immediately found a cute hotel and fell asleep. I had an tiring day on a series of chicken buses getting here. It wasn't bad, just long. After a long nap I looked around the town which isn't much to speak of. It's a gringo tourist town with booth after booth lining the streets with Mayan, Mexican, and Caribbean tourist kitsch, hotels, restaurants and travel agencies. I can eat well here with many of the restaurants serving Plato Vegetariana Tipico (including tofu), but it's not Guatemalan food by any means. The lake itself is breath taking and I understand why so many Americans wound up moving here and then telling their friends. The lake is a collapsed volcano crater filled with water. The surroundings are beautiful. Today ... read more

Last night I woke up and felt my bed shake a bit. I asked about it and it was a small earthquake. It was nothing of consequence for those that have felt them in California and places like that, but enough to remind me of the forces of the earth that control a lot of the history here. The other student staying in my house was asleep and didn't believe me when I asked about it. Apparently, last year Xela experienced about 100 earthquakes. Most of them are so small people don't even know they occured... and tomorrow I will climb a volcano that is connected with the whole amazing system of underground turmoil. Today I finished two weeks of intensive Spanish school. What a great experience! I wish I had two more weeks. I might ... read more

Well, the school has kept me pretty busy. I study during the day and and then there is some sort of activity in the evening, such as watching a movie in Spanish, going to a museum, going to the baths (I'll explain). The best school activity so far was going to the hot baths about a 20 minute ride on the "chicken bus" (see photo) which was an adventure in itself. The baths are hot volcanic spring water in a rather large tub. I'm not sure how the Mayan people use it, but we put on our swimsuits and used it like a hot tub. It felt wonderful because it´s the only hot water I've been in since the States. I absorbed the heat like a rock in the sun and enjoyed every minute of it. ... read more

I´m here in Antigua finally a day late after the airline saw fit to send me my luggage. I had to fuss a bit but I got it last night and hauled out this morning in a shuttle here. OH, MY GOD! THIS PLACE IS BEAUTIFUL! Antigua is a colonial town in the central highlands of Guatemala. There are cobblestone streets, colonial style churches some of wich were destroyed by earthquakes a couple of hundred years ago. There is a strong presence of tradionally dressed Mayan women selling things... and for good reason, is crawling with the backpacking tourists. Still, the tourists surprisingly don´t ruin things here. I saw Guatemalan tourists as well. The climate is almost perfect with a little sunshine and warmth in the morning, and when that gets almost uncomfortable things cool off ... read more

I have now had several people warn me about the dangers of Guatemala. The guidebooks themselves tell me I can get robbed at gunpoint and that rape and beatings have occured. I want everyone to know that I am now properly nervous, and thanks for the warning. I will be carefull. I'm still going. Keep your eyes open for my updates!... read more