Moving on from Lake Atitlan, our bumpy dusty road led us to Antigua, another pretty colonial city. The overwhelming number of American tourists and dollar pricing meant this stop would be brief. Up and out of bed with a sparrows fart, we traipsed our way to the near summit of an active volcano - Volcano Pacaya. The 90 minute hike was steep and hot, though it only grew hotter as we reached the lava flows. We looked down from our vantage point to see the orang...

A relatively painless seven hour run from the highlands of southern Mexico to the highlands of Guatemala brought us to the town of Quetzaltenango (locally known by the Mayan name of Xela - pron Sha-la). Similar in appearance to Northampton, though admittedly under the gaze of a volcano, Xela failed in its attempts to hold us for more than an overnight rest. The following morning we passed a US style complex of cinemas, pizza restaurants and shops before rea...