This Travel Life

About Us | Our Journeys | Blog | Photos | Top 10s |

round-the-world in 2005

previous country : index : next country

Guatemala

Mar 13 - Mar 22, 2005

The unexpected highlight of our Central American trip, Guatemala is a colourful and diverse natural wonderland.

What's up purple people?

13 Mar 2005 - Another country

We took the easy option today and took the tourist bus across the border, into Guatemala. They do all the paperwork so it saved us some potential hassles. It looked pretty simple anyway. It also saved us a couple of bus changes, so worked out much quicker. This nearly came undone as we got a flat tyre, but the driver made the quickest tyre change we have ever seen and we did not lose much time. We were headed to Antigua, the old capital. Arriving on a Sunday in Lent was a bonus, as the place was unbelievably busy. There was a huge parade, with a sea of people dressed in purple carrying huge statues of Jesus and Mary. Ahead of them locals were laying down beds of grass and flowers, and incense was choking the streets. We discovered a food market and ended up sampling a wide range of local cuisine. It was great to see them actually making the food, as we knew it was hot and freshly made. What an introduction to this city.

Lake pier

14 Mar 2005 - Reillys everywhere

Antigua is as wonderful place, another colonial town that is very popular with the tourists. This morning was much calmer after the parades of last night. We visited many of the featured landmarks and churches that are in ruins after the earthquakes of the 18th century. We stumbled across Reilly´s bar and of course had to stop in for a beer and a bite! From here we bused to Panajachel (Pana to the locals), an ex-hippie hang out from the seventies. Lots of tourists again but like us they are here for the beautiful lake (Lago de Antitlan). It is 10 km across and surrounded by mountains which run steeply down to the water´s edge. We shared a cold beer with a New Yorker while watching the sun set over the water.

colourful Guatemalan blankets

15 Mar 2005 - Colourful embroidery

We caught a ferry to the next village along the lake. We hiked for four hours up and down along a narrow and often vague path (the yak track we called it) following the lakes edge through a few quiet villages. We caught a ferry back to Pana to relieve our weary legs. This area is interesting as the indigenous culture is more obvious than elsewhere in Central America. The local people dress in very brightly coloured embroidered clothing. They try and sell similarly coloured clothing and other knickknacks everywhere. We spent this evening browsing the many shops.

Colored gravestones

16 Mar 2005 - Roller coaster ride

We moved on early to Chichicastenango (Chi-chi), a mountain town famed for it’s huge and colourful local markets. Our bus driver must have been an ex-formula one racing car driver, as he was hooning around the corners. We felt like we were on a roller-coaster ride. We arrived the day before, so we could watch the usually sleepy town transform for it’s market day. There is not much else to see in town. We hired a guide to take us up a hill to show us a pile of rocks which is a Mayan shire, where they sometimes sacrifice chickens.

Clare Shopping

17 Mar 2005 - To market, to market

The town looks so different in the morning, the stalls selling everything from food, clothing, masks, embroidery, and chickens, filled the streets. We explored and got lost in the hectic alleyways and only purchased one thing - a skirt for Clare. Bargaining is not our forte, but we did get the price down to a reasonable amount. We did not hang around too long, as we had to head back to Guatemala city, then north to a place called Biotopo de Quetzal, were we hope to spy the elusive and resplendent Quetzal, the national bird (and currency) of Guatemala. Unfortunately, as we arrived it was raining and dark. We were dropped off in front of the hotel, but on Rob’s wrong advice we walked about a kilometre in the rain, packs and all, looking for it. Back at the hotel, we struggled to communicate but finally got a room and a good feed. We hope it stops raining so we can go hiking tomorrow.

spider web

18 Mar 2005 - Quetzal hunting

We woke early, and it was still misty but not really raining. After another ‘tipico’ breakfast we walked up the road to Biotopo. In the park we heard loads of bird sounds, saw a few small non-distinct birds, but not the resplendent quetzal! The cloud forest was very lush and the walk was very beautiful. At lunch time we hailed a minibus on the main road to Coban. It was an already very packed bus, and they kept letting people on. The maximum head count was 22 in the 12 seater. We could not find the next bus stop so a friendly local guided us to his friend's minivan, which was another tight squeeze to Lanquin. What a paradise. A majestic view of the crystal clear water river from the hammock on the balcony of our bamboo and straw hut. Tranquility at its finest, we could stay here for ever - except for all the other tourists!

Semuk Champey

19 Mar 2005 - A killer hike

Breakfast at the hotel was of the western style. We waited for a tour bus to come but it never arrived, so we made our own way - a two hour trek - to what the locals call the eighth wonder of the world, Semuc Champey. A very hard walk but with the finest reward, the most beautiful steps of turquoise cascading rock pools, next to a raging river that flows underground through a sort of natural rock bridge. We also hiked for a half hour directly up the side of the hill to a lookout, for a birds eye view of this natural wonder. We swam for a while before hitching a ride back to town on the back of a truck for 50 cents. After talking to others we decided to stay an extra day here so we can explore some more around this area.

Hanging out!

20 Mar 2005 - Caving by candle light

We were pretty tired after our big trek yesterday, so we awoke slowly. We went into town for another typical breakfast meal, and to get some supplies for our caving trip. A bus to a cave next to Semuc Champey, we were handed a candle each and told to get our bathers on to enter the cave. We waded though water, swam through rivers running through the caves, scrambled up a water falls, down cliffs, and all while trying to keep our candles alight! Almost 2 hours of awesome caving. A quick visit to the pools again for a swim and some lunch - we just had to visit this beautiful place again. A fairly lazy afternoon in the hammock, I suppose we should move on again tomorrow.

Hut

21 Mar 2005 - Crowded Buses

Eleven hours of travel, including four separate but equally crowded buses, and even a river crossing to get to El Remate, near the spectacular Mayan ruins of Tikal. For our final trip in a minibus, we paid too much, which Clare took offence to and, told him so in no uncertain terms! Luckily he did not understand English. We are staying in another laid back place overlooking a lake. Barbecue chicken seems like the staple food around here.

Mayan ruins

22 Mar 2005 - Tikal

We took the 5.30am shuttle to the ruins in time for us to have breakfast and enter the park at 7am. At this time there are only a few other tourists, and more wildlife to see. Tikal is famous for its towering temples set amongst the jungle. It was extremely hot, and we seemed to be buying drinks continually to stay hydrated. We also felt obliged to climb every temple steps, but all gave fantastic views. When we returned to El Remate, we had a relaxing swim in the lake and watched the sun set over the water. Our dinner was oh so romantic, on a roof top under the stars and moonlight on the edge of the lake.

 

next we cross over the border into Belize.

previous country : index : next country