We spent our time at Rio Dulce (Sweet River) at a hostel called the Finca Tatin (recommended to us by some friends). It is a very tranquil place set right along the river and continues back into the jungle. It comes complete with a ping pong table (finding a ping pong ball that has gone astray in the jungle is impossible!), boats for rent, and hammocks out over the water. The only sounds were from the jungle and the occassional tourist boat that passed by. Our f...

The top of volcan Pacaya was a bit like what I imagine the surface of the moon would be like. Jagged, porous, weighless rocks crumbling beneath where you walk, a crater in the distance emitting smoke. Most people hike or even run away from mountains emitting smoke. We decided to pay a guide to take us towards it (perhaps Guatemalans are a lot smarter because you really only see gringos on these tours). We were a bit unsure as to whether or not we should do the to...

We hope that you all are having a fabulous Turkey Day and are enjoying all the fixin´s with the ones you love. We are currently in Antigua, Guatemala and plan to break bread today at Pollo Campecho (KFC with a little Guatemalan flavor). The following are the top 10 things we are thankful for this Thanksgiving. 1) Our family and friends. Thank you to everyone who has left us messages and emails. It is always nice to catch news from back home and hear how you ar...

Guatemala is a kaleidoscope of colors. It is a country where the indigenous peoples not only still exist, but are thriving. Amidst the colonization of the Spanish and the slow infiltration of Western tourists, the Mayan people have adapted and persisted. They´ve somehow figured out how to balance their traditional values with those of the modern world. Seeing women in traditional indigenous clothing talking on a cell phone is not an unusual sight. Market women k...

To say the Tikal mayan ruins were impressive would be an understatement. The mayans definitely went all out when they built Tikal. Set in the jungle, covering 16 km, it has ruins that tower 65 meters tall. Daunted a bit by the cost of accomidations within Tikal (think Disneyland prices), we decided to rent hammocks and stay in a palapa on the outskirts of the park and jungle. All seemed to be going well until we were awaken by unifamiliar animal sounds coming fro...