Guatemala City the country's capitol is by far the largest town in the country. The city is located in a large valley dominated by the Agua Volcano. Guatemala City is rapidly becoming the biggest town of Central America, excluding Mexico of course, with a population of more than 2 million inhabitants. When you are there you do not have the impression that it is such a big place. It is split in about 20 Zonas, but they do not run in an orderly fashion. A local Guatemalan mentioned that their city is like a broken dish, as the 20 pieces just fell randomly everywhere, so don't be surprised if you are riding in Zona 3 and suddenly you are in Zona 9, there is no logical order. Taxis are pretty inexpensive, though traffic can be hectic at times. There are only a few high rise buildings, in Zona 10, mostly, sort of their "Wall Street," ...this is where the Marriott is located. Guatemala City is sort of like the country's hub. The modern international airport is very easy to get in and out of, and from here you can get transportation to virtually anywhere in the country. There are the so called "chicken buses", which are recycled school buses from the States, which are privately owned and provide excellent photo opportunities since you'll never really see such "hoopdie" busses anywhere else in the world! All of the busses seemed to be named after strippers, "Roxanna," "Carolina," "Big Momma," etc... Anyway, there are plenty of good restaurants around Guatemala City, however, we really only ventured out in Zona 10 via taxi. Everyone will say "don't walk alone at night or during the day," as crime is pretty high. By the looks of it through a taxi window, I didn't get that impression that as soon as you stepped out of the hotel you would be mugged, but why take the risk? Two excellent restaurant suggestions if you go are Ambia and Mansion del Sur, where my friend Michael polished off three crocks of hot cheese at dinner! Yummy!
When traveling to Guatemala, an absolute must is to go to the town of Antigua which is no more than a 45 minute ride out of town. As you drive, you'll pass massive amounts of billboards along the streets, chicken bus terminals with hundreds of people milling about, cars backfiring and spewing out big chunks of black smoke, and the occasional super-sized pick-up truck filled with 8 "Federales" (police) in the back, toting their automatic rifles in plain view to make their presence felt. It's a "colorful" drive let's say, but it's always good to see how other parts of the world live! You'll see things (e.g., homeless, shanty towns) that you're not going to drive past...even in the seediest spots of the Jersey Turnpike!
Antigua - a UNESCO city littered with photo opportunities with vibrant hues of red, yellow, pink, and blue buildings amongst 1500s-era Colonial architecture that dots every street corner. During the dry season you can see clear blue skies with the ominous volcanoes staring down at you just off in the distance. I came to the city three times and was finally able to get a somewhat "ok" shot of the volcano just beyond Antigua. I can only imagine what it must look like on a crystal clear day. Since the town is surrounded by volcanoes, it obviously was impacted over the years along with earthquakes that destroyed many of the cities cathedrals. We toured 3 or 4 churches, one of which was Antigua's version of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome - unfortunately it's been in shambles for hundreds of years. As you walk along the cobblestone streets, you'll notice the slower pace of life that surrounds you. Store keepers accustomed to seeing the Gringo tourists.... openly invite "their new best friend" into their shop where they will explain how their family made "one-of-a-kind," hand-woven products. Of course, walk a few stores down the street and you'll see how "one-of-a-kind" they really are. Bargaining is an absolute must and you won't be harassed if you walk away. It's actually a good "practicing ground" for other cities that you'll visit in Guatemala - namely up by Lake Atitlan, where the townspeople are very desperate and they won't let you leave without buying something. If you're into handicrafts, pottery, and anything woven...you're in luck. Otherwise, you won't find much. Antigua is a great half day trip, and if you're short on time...try to get there, as Guatemala City itself doesn't lend itself to many picture taking opportunities.
One day we ventured up to Lake Atitlan, which apparently is supposed to rival Lake Como in Italy. Unfortunately, the cloud cover prevented us from really seeing the real beauty that this enormous lake has to offer. Nonetheless, it's a full day tour, of which the ride isn't that much fun. The Pan-American highway, which by the way goes from the southern tip of Chile all the way up to Alaska (if you ever care to drive it), is always in a state of construction. Like life in any Latin countries, you have to take things in stride...so when the highway decides to close down for 45 minutes while they do some work on the side of the road, well...you just have to sit there and wait. So, if you go...you can't be in a rush. When you arrive up to the lake area, you'll encounter a lot of hippies - apparently it's a huge haven for them. We took a boat ride on the lake to visit a few different lakeside towns that are in pretty bad shape. Here's where you'll walk through villages where they won't let you leave without buying something if you seem to indicate any interest in their products. Again...you'll see churches, cobblestone streets, and lots of vendors peddling their goods. Worth the trip? Not during the rainy season which starts in May...I'd probably like to visit it again in the winter when the weather is crystal clear so the view would be worth the day-long trip.
Finally, life's "top 10" is to visit the active volcano of Picaya. Only 45 minutes out of town, you'll come to the base of the volcano where you pay the entrance fee and then negotiate with the local guides who take you up the volcano. Immediately as you exit the car, you're approached by the "stick peddlers" as I call them, who sell you a walking stick for a few bucks. Buy it...it's worth it, as you'll need something to steady yourself as you walk on the lava rocks. Ok...so you have two options - hike it or take the horse. For $10, take the horse up and walk back down. The hills are very steep, it's hot and humid, and if you're not dressed for it, then you'll quickly wish you took the horse. Luckily the horse jockey 12 year-olds follow most people up because they know 99 percent of the time you'll give up only after 10 minutes. It may seem easy at first; however, the altitude (a little over a mile up) also impacts your breathing, so you get winded much easier. Fast forward 90 minutes later and you're at the base of the volcano peak which is looming over you. You look around and you see nothing but black lava rock, steam, and rivers of slowing moving and bubbling magma! Now...you're in Guatemala...not the States. There's no waiver forms to sign, no ropes to hold you back...instead, the tour guide says, "follow me." We start walking on the lava rocks until we get right up close to the magma rivers that are bubbling out. Every once in a while you have to look around to see where the next lava "burp" might be coming from! Well, you can only get so close...I'd say five feet away before you feel like you're going to incinerate. The lava is 5000 degrees, and it's something that you're really not going to want to test. The searing heat hits you right in the face when you try to get up close (of course I did a few times). You can do all sorts of little science experiments up there, like stick your walking stick into the lava to watch it catch fire...throw rocks into the lava only to watch them instantly gel with the magma. The cooled volcanic rock is razor sharp and you have to take it slow and steady as your path out of there is anything but linear. The heat, volcanic gasses, steam, and the entire experience can be a bit overwhelming...so bring lots of water, dress appropriately, and prepare for endless pictures for one of life's top 10 things to do. Definitely an adventure! I've put together a variety of photos from Guatemala, Antigua, Volcano Picaya, and Lake Atitlan below. Enjoy!
More thumbnails ...
1 vote 
