We have arrived in Guatemala, but best I take a step back and update what has happened in the last week.

We went from Mexico to Belize and decided to go straight onto to the little island paradise of Caye Caulker. I will admit now I really love traveling, but the getting to each place seems to be getting more and more gruelling, and harder on the spirit the longer the journey.

Caye Caulker was a little island paradise, white sands, hammocks galore, and reggae til you spoke fluent "yeah man"!

We spent 3 days in total on Caye Caulker and for 2 of those I was unfortunately pretty sick - something I ate or drank didn't seem to agree with me, and poor Matt played Dr while we sat in airconditioning, staring out at the beautiful weather and beaches beacuse I had to be near a bathroom!!

We met some very interesting charcters on the island and made friends with a local guy named, Deelon. He shared his life stories with us for as long as we bought the rum and cokes, we ended up hiring bikes and he took us on the "non-tourist" guide to his island home. He probably made our trip to Caye Caulker and we were pretty sad that we didn't get to say a proper goodbye the day we left as a ridiculous storm hit and we couldn't find Deelon before we had to go!

We leave Caye Caulker and do another boat then bus ride across the boarder to Guatemala. This crossing was a lot less stressful than the last and it appears in Guatemala, they don't care when you come or when you leave - everyone is welcome!

We head into Flores on our bus, then swap and get in a taxi for another 40 minute drive to our little jungle stay in the town of El Remante.

We decided to take a different approach to most here, every other backpacker stayed in Flores but we wanted to get away from it for a few nights and ended up opting for a stay in a family home in the jungle just near Tikal.

The hospitality shown to us by the family at Posada del Cerro was second to none, and it was hard not to fall in love with the little kids there. Being the same ages as my nieces and nephews back home, it kind of made me miss home for the first time but it was lovely all the same.

We headed to Tikal the largest Mayan ruins at 5:30am for a guided tour and maybe some more insight into the end of our calender.

Tikal was unreal and doing it so early was great, as it meant we missed the heat of the day and got enjoy the surrounds in all of their glory!

We would have loved to share everything we saw with you all, except the best laid plans never seem to work and our camera batteries both went flat and we got about 5 photos - I believe what was meant to be should be, and the fact Matt and I shared that experience together will be what we remember - photos or no photos!

I am completely convinced now that despite all the dooms day preachers out there that the world will not end when the clock clicks 2012, however as I have now been told by more than one very knowlegble local the Mayans were not foretelling our future, they were writing their own journey, and the end of the calender is merely that the end - an opportunity for new beginnings and a celebration of life, this a time to end all wars and accept our neighbours as we start our new journey from 1 again - we now have another 2012 years to right our wrongs and enjoy the wonders of the world! Celebrate life!

From our little jungle hideaway we do what can only be described as bloody awful trip on an overnight bus from Flores to Guatemala City which is approximately 10 hours and then get in a tiny little mini van for another 3 hours as we make the white knuckle journey through the mountains to the shores of San Pedro La Laguna on Lake Atitlan.

We decided to do Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the backpacker area of the Lake which is San Pedro before moving over and spending a full week learning Spanish in the hippie centre of San Marcos on the opposite side.

So far we have spent only one night here but we both love it!

The thing the guidebooks and other travelers for that matter leave out is that getting here is horribly scary and well pretty dangerous at this time of year, as it rains and rains hard so the roads wash away and the driver negotiates the sides of the steepest mountains I have ever seen with grace so we don't end up over the edge! (Sorry Mum - it was scary but we made it and it was worth every moment!)

While I write this entry Matt is laying in a hammock beside me as we both stare out at mountains which at present I can not see the tops of as they are so high the clouds cover them, they are hundred different colours of green and are so lush it is truly breathtaking, the lake that laps the foot of the mountains is still and glistening, and I can hear the locals chatting in the local Mayan langauge and laughing.

Life is great right now and I am so thankful we are making this journey together!

Peace xxx