Hotel Meson de Maria Antigua Guatemala

Behold - A random listing of factoids we've learned in Antigua in Month 1:<br><br><br>- Historically, Guatemala has a major earthquake every 20 to 30 years. As the last one was in 1976, we are due any minute...<br><br>- Order a soda at a tienda (general store) and you will receive it in a clear plastic bag wrapped around a small straw. Hope you are thirsty because you can't put it down. (I'm holding a soda bag in the photo with all the ducks and chickens on ...

We headed back to Antigua for 2 nights as we have to take a flight from Guatemala City to Panama in order to get the boat from Panama to Columbia.<br><br>Not much to report on really apart from WE CAUGHT BED BUG BITES FROM THE JUNGLE PARTY. Do not stay here!!<br><br>After the first night, we move to the hotel that we stayed in before in Antigua with a private bathroom.....lovely jubbly.

... regularly took some very short breaks, I started sounding like a steam train and had a rattling breathing. Consequently, the continuous offers for &#8220;taxis&#8221; &#8211; aka horses &#8211; sounded more and more appealing, and finally I gave it. It really felt like a defeat as none of the others in our group seemed to have similar problems. On the other hand, they probably had not been suffering from an annoying and inhibiting cold for 4 weeks!<br><br>Once on ...

... incredible experience.<br><br><br>So that's Latin America so far. From here Bek and I will head north to Mexico for a month or so before slowly making our way back home. This will probably be my last entry unless anything else comes to mind. I'll conclude our trip of the developing world when we're back and the Internet is free!<br><br><br>We hope you enjoy the pics.<br><br><br>Muchos gracias<br><br><br>Ryan and Bek<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br><br>

... close to one flow, after looking and taking pictures I noticed a funny smell and looked down to see that some of the rock touching my shoes had caused them to melt a bit. Not too much damage and an interesting scar at the least. After having some food and resting we then all went back down the mountain, this time we had more fun chatting as we went.<br><br>After we got back to Antigua I found that Cal had visited my hostel that morning and left a message so that afternoon ...

... north of Coban is the church El Calvario which is reached via an ornate and impressive staircase that instead of stations of the cross has Mayan shrines where locals burn candles, leave money, flowers, herbs and other offerings. The whole place is eerie and somewhat spooky with incense smelling fires sending thick smoke across ancient graves and tombs, but the views of the city are impressive and it is worth a visit.<br><br>So Far<br><br>I&#8217;m having a great ...

... is always an excited (even if sometimes timid) "SI!" As I left the site today, the new teacher was headed out accompanied by the Community Development Committee to visit the families who had not been sending their kids to school in the past (when El Zapote did not have ...

... Stopped at a great bakery for some real "snacks" and enjoyed sitting in garden of San Pedro Hotel to rest and listen to marimba band. (water filled gourds that make a sound when hit - like a xylophone). Oh Yeah,m the scarlet macaws were sitting in their respective stands bopping to the music!<br>

Jon´s going off to climb Volcan Pacayan in an hour and still insisting he´s going to surf school tomorrow. I´ll go to Panajachal for the weekend and visit the market in Chichi on Sunday. We had to move from Cristina´s this morning as a tour group was coming, so we´re in the hotel next door. Bigger room, but no TV and not as nice ...

... including their clothing. Having a party of 6 was some insurance and the all were smart and fit was a help too. The traffic in Guatemala is far worse that in Mexico, Te roads are far worse too. The transition from Mx has helped us adapt easier. We would have been very frightened to just have been plopped into this country and on the roads. The roads to the lake were very bad and busy. The further we got from the boarder the ...