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Published: December 12th 2008
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We've not updated for a while due to being sooooo busy so we'll make this one a short update so not to bore anyone too much!
So First stop in Guatemala was Lake Atitlain and the hippy town of Panajachel, we liked it here, and we understood why so many people just stayed, the lake is amazing!! So Gorgeous!
We spant the fisrt day checking out the town and the surrounding lake and then the 2nd day we decided to make up a tour! We thought we were getting a good deal with this guy and his boat, he was going to take us to the thermal waters to swim and then to the little town of Santa Elia.
So off we set. And 20 minutes later our boat guy said "hot, get out and swim!"
Hot my ass! These so called thermal waters were freezing and after a 10 minute search we finally found a trickle of hot coming from a ock, so we paddled in it! At least the setting was amazing! Next stop the little town of Santa Elia, which was deserted except for a few children throwing firecrackers at us! As we had been warned two tourists
had been killed here recently due to the locals thinking they were trying to steal the children we were slightly nervous but we enjoyed the day all the same!
That evening over dinner we were harrassed by street children and so Luke fed thm our tea, while I fed the banana bread we´d bought for breakfast to the scruffy dodgs I love so much!
We moved on again, this time to Antigua!
Antigua is a cute little town, that feels so quiet. We went to the Museo de Santiago (apparently the most important in Guatemala) which was throughly boring to be honest and we went to the ruins of the cathedral which is beautiful, then on the 2nd day the Bamba bus (also known as the Shit bus to all we´ve met) picked us up for our trip to the Pacaya Volcano!
It is known to be quite dangerous (apperently) so our group was given a guard who woulld escort us, even though he was younger than most college students and smaller than a 12 year old this guy was going to keep us out of danger!
We climbed for about two hours through thick forest and on the side
of a mountain and finally we reached volcanic rock, whic we all struggled to climb in the increasing winds! Finally reaching the top at sunset, Luke got some amazing photos of the lava and of Guatemala city below during sunset before we started the desecnt.
By now it was pitch black and each armed wth a tiny torch we struggled down the side of a volcano, they obviously have no concept of health and safety in this country what so ever!
Finally at the bottom, covered in cuts and bruises from the many falls we made it back alive at about 10pm! Well worth it!!
Again we moved on, this time heading for the town of Lanquin! As many of you know for some crazy reason we booked our buses in England thinking it would be easier and so far we have had nothing but trouble with the BAMBA BUS so as a reccommendation to anyon who will visit here in the future, don´t bother, all they do is book you on the same bus all the other people book only at twice the price and most of the time they get it very wrong! Just like here.
We had
booked to go to Lanquin to stay in an eco lodge nexet to some famous caves and limestone pools, only the bus wouldn´t take us and left us in Coban (a.k.a Hell!)
We were stuck in a horrid town where even the washing machine shop had 2 armed guards on the door! Needlss to say we booked staright out of there! Only we had to miss Lanquin now because of our time schedule!
So on we moved to Flores, which is a little island on a lake. It was gorgeous, and we booked a nice hotel over looking the lake.
We spent the first day taking a look round the island befre getting an early night ready for day 2!
At 3.30am we got up and ready and were picked up at 4ish. Heading for the most famous Mayan ruins of Tikal, we arived roughly at 6am.
Our guide Luis has starred on Survivor in America and Guatemala and if anyone know everything about the jungle he did!
He found us some wild baby crocodiles and then took us into the jungle and woke up the Howler monkeys, which make such horrific noise i felt like we were in Jurrasic
park!
We saw Toucans, spider monkeys, Turantula´s, 42 species of Central American birds and of course the ruins!
We have one word......... BRILIANT!!!!!!!!!
Tikal is the most amazing place, and I really think having a guide and going so early was the best thing to do!
And so yet again the adventure of one place is over, we both just wish we'd had longer to see more. Next stop......................................Belize!
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