San Ignacio: Navigating Sacred Maya Caves

We greeted our arrival in Belize with a wave of relief.  The journey from Flores proved to be quicker, easier and less bumpy than expected (they had paved large chunks of the 25km stretch of gravel road).  The border guards welcomed us in perfect English, inquiring after our plans, wishing us a quick return to health and offering friendly advice. The hostel we checked into in San Ignacio was run by an elderly gentleman with 21 grandchildren, a fascination with birds, and a willingness to take us to any of the numerous Maya ruins in the vicinity, to arrange any other excursions we may wish and even to offer American bought Tums for any indigestion problems we may have.

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Guatemala: Cost Breakdown

Guatemala is one of the cheapest countries in Central America, whether it’d be food, accommodation or even the various sights and tours. Yes, you will pay $20US to get into Tikal, but places like this often cost a lot more to get into. If on a budget, this is definitively a great destination.

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Tikal: An Ancient Maya City

Located deep in the Guatemalan rainforest and spread over nearly 500 square kilometers, Tikal is an impressive sight to see.  It used to be one of the main Maya city states, with a population of over 100,000.  Today, only a small portion has been excavated with the majority of the complex still consisting of green, tree-covered mounds.  It is by far the most impressive Maya site I have seen so far and seemed a bit reminiscent of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, simply based on its size and the fact that it’s spread out throughout the jungle.  However, Maya construction stops a long way short of what the Cambodian did in Angkor Wat.

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Semuc Champey: Cascading Pools

Hard to reach, but incredibly rewarding when you get there, Semuc Champey is a magical place.  It is a 300 meter stretch of a river where a natural limestone bridge consisting of numerous pools has been formed.  Most of the water flows below this bridge, but a decent bit of it fills the pools and offers an amazing place for swimming and chilling.  It was very reminiscent of Plitvice Lake National Park in Croatia, just on a smaller scale and more enjoyable since you could take a dunk in these fantastic pools.

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Bikinis with Legs: Yet Another Random Theft

I guess generally when you think of bikinis you also think of legs – nice long straight legs protruding from them. Yet that is not what I’m referring to here.  Instead I think that the bikini bottoms grew legs and walked away while illuminating their path with my favorite headlamp.

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Los Tumulos: the Obsession with Sleeping Policemen

They come in all shapes and sizes.  Some are fat, others have really protruding bellies.  Some have decayed a bit with age and are crumbling around the edges.  Still others are double-breasted.  A few are quite bright but most tend to be quite grey and blend in with the surrounding.  Central America, and Guatemala especially, seems to be obsessed with sleeping policemen. They appear everywhere, whether it’s on a dirt road or on a highway.  Sometimes they appear from nowhere, other times they prefer to stay in groups and slow your progress every 100 meters.  Their most common characteristic is that they are insanely annoying.

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Chichicastenango: Market Day

Chichi, as this town is affectionately called, turns into a chaotic mass of stalls, goods and people two times per week.  The main square disappears and if you climb onto the stairs of the church, all you will see are the endless tarp or tin roofs of all the stalls.  We were warned that this market, famed as being one of the largest in Central America, is very much a tourist affair.  However, depending on what you want from such an experience, you do not have to leave disappointed.

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Volcano San Pedro

The 3020m high summit of this extinct volcano was our goal on our second day in San Pedro.  The ascent was to start at 6am with a hike up to the entrance to the National Reserve.  However, as Antonio, our elderly guide showed up to pick us up, he recommended taking a tuk-tuk these 4km so that we would at least have some nice views before the rising sun disappeared behind the prevailing clouds.

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Volcano-Ringed Lago de Atitlan

A number of weeks back I described Isla de Ometepe in Nicaragua as a fairytale setting that could easily have played host to either Shrek or Lord of the Rings.  Lago de Atitlan, although completely different in appearance, could easily compete with Ometepe for that distinction.  It is a beautiful lake set amongst gorgeous green mountains and ringed by what seems like an endless number of volcanoes.  Little towns and villages dot its shores, coffee plantations climb the sides of the mountains whose peaks are often covered by clouds.  It is a truly magical setting.

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Antigua: The Chaos of Municipal Markets

One of my favorite activities to do when traveling is to visit the municipal markets.  Not the tourist stands, but rather the place where all the locals go to buy their vegetables, meat, fish, clothes, toiletries and anything else that they might need.  The chaos of these spots is unforgettable.

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