Blogs from Capital Region, Guatemala, Central America Caribbean - page 113

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 go on. So I went to the guesthouse and left the next afternoon for Antigua. I walked aroung Guat City in the morning a bit with this girl I met from San Francisco, it wasn't ... read more

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 great views. The people here are pretty warm but I am really frustrated with trying to talk to them. I really wish I had taken Spanish lessons before I came. There are however a lot ... read more

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 of glazed over, gazing blankly out at the street scene...wondering what to do with another day in Panajachel.... Don't fret gentle blogfollowers if you can't find some of these destinations....we also have difficulty finding them sometimes!...just get a ... read more

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 16th century. Built 1,500 m above sea-level, in an earthquake-prone region, it was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1773 but its principal monuments are still preserved as ruins. In the space of under three ... read more

I got to Antigua in one piece after a little excitement in the shuttle van. (see photo) Once I got here and checked into a hotel, I went out looking for a chicken bus to a macadamia finca (plantation) that I wanted to see last time I was here but was too afraid to ride the bus by myself. I got there and enjoyed a tour af the farm. This was a tour that most of you would have liked. We toured the plantation which is totally organic and is beginning to rival Hawaii in the monopoly of the macadamia market. After going through the tour they offered samples of the nuts in different forms such as plain, chocolate covered and in oils for the skin and face. They gave me a 100% macadamia oil facial ... read more