Howard Johnson Inn Guatemala City, Gua

... a local saw me with my map and showed me to the Cathedral and National Palace. I guess looking back it could have been worse but I could have done without that 2 hour detour around a pretty boring part of the city. That night Geril´s uncle, Luis, took me out to the bar and club part of the town. The only offputting thing about being out in the city was the amount of police and military patrolling the streets. I was assured they weren´t looking for ...

... am three days into my language program) but I just realized that I need to be getting home for yet another great meal...though I wanted to be sure to send at least a little something out to my admirers. I hope all is well...

P.S. While I have loved every bit of Antigua so far, I cannot help but feel a little bit bad about enjoying it so much...as I think it can only be described as: ¨What Guatemala would be like if it weren´t for the Guatemalans¨.

After 24 hours we finally made it to Guatemala city (!)

Travel time 24 hours

Flights – 2 (12 hours and 2 hours)

Films – 4 (Coraline, Pink panther 2, Wild Child and Confessions of a shopaholic…. Classy)

Airline meals – 3 (Chicken and rice at what feels like 3 am anyone?)

Glasses of wine on the plane – 4 apiece (they were very small, and C******nay…)

Swine Flu Questionnaires + infra-red ...

... but when we got to the area of the mountain where lava flows down we got off our horses and started walking. The ground was black and composed completely of lava rocks. We were extremely luckily because the volcano had spewed lava about twenty minutes before we arrived so we got to see it flowing down the mountain. We climbed over the lava rocks and got right up beside the lava. We brought marshmallows ...

Antigua is a small city just outside of Guatemala City. All of the roads in the city are cobblestone. If you ever wanted to open up a shock shop, this would be the place to do it. It is very pretty with a lot of the old Spanish architecture still present. It is very well known throughout Central America for it´s Easter processions. I know it is not even close to Easter yet but there was a procession on the Sunday we were there. We saw ...

... nosey parkers shouted after me until I stopped. "Are you looking for accomodation? They´ve got some available." he said. "I think we´ll look somewhere else." I replied. He then turned to the Guatemalan lady and spoke to her in Spanish. I had assumed that he was explaining to her that we were going to look elsewhere, but when he turned back to me he said: "I´ve booked you in. Room 101." I said ok, but only if ...

We can´t believe we are Guatemala. Our mini-break in Hawaii relaxed us too much and so we arrive here a little unplanned. It kind of crept up on us. We have forgotten nearly all the spanish we learnt last time and on the plane read feverishly about how dangerous the place is. Armed robberies and the like. Paul reckons it´s because they are too small to take you on without. Luckily we have booked a ...

... for lunch at Burger King and purchased some minutes for my cell phone from a street vendor. I am the only one at Dos Lunas right now. One other guest is expected. Lorena and Hank, the proprietors, are in Holland getting married. Some of Lorena's family is looking after the hotel while she is gone. I am going to look for something to read and will probably order pizza delivery for dinner.

... that's 100%) that you donate will go directly to the project! The donation is through a 501c(3) organization which means it's tax deductible for you... and now with the match program YOUR DOLLARS ARE WORTH DOUBLE!!! What ...

... by men "representing" the bus companies and physically trying to put you in their bus. As I was on my way to Rio Dulce on the 'carretera al Atlantico' highway (a small windy road in the mountains), I decided to stop half way in the aquatic park of Rio Hondo. It was time I had some real vacation and that park was fun as you can see from the pictures. Once in Rio Dulce, I went to visit the Castillo de San Felipe, a very old fortress build to protect the town from pirates ...