I have recently returned from Guatemala. Because of warnings from several sources about safety and health issues in that country, I went with some trepidation and I am happy to report that I felt perfectly safe and stayed very healthy the whole time. At the better restaurants and hotels one can even drink water, enjoy ice cubes, and eat salads with no bad results. Major roads are well patrolled and there is plenty of security at the major tourist destinations.
Guatemala is an interesting country to visit with its Mayan and Spanish colonial cultures. We flew north to the lowlands to see Tikal, a very large site with amazing pyramids and temples looming above jungle clearings, also a bird-lover's paradise. A highlight of the southern highlands, altitude similar to Denver's, is Lake Atitlan, surrounded by volcanoes and described by Aldous Huxley as prettier than Como. Around the lake there is a combination of the occasional luxurious hotel and gardens and Mayan fishing villages and market towns where wonderful textiles and ceramics are made and sold along with the bounty of the fertile land. Antigua, the colonial capital, is a charming small city with colonial buildings and cobblestone streets. At Eastertime, when I was there, it is one big festival with numerous long and elaborate religious processions winding through narrow streets elaborately carpeted with flower petals and colored sawdust. Except in the jungle, the climate is mild year round.
Guatemala
I have recently returned from Guatemala. Because of warnings from several sources about safety and health issues in that country, I went with some trepidation and I am happy to report that I felt perfectly safe and stayed very healthy the whole time. At the better restaurants and hotels one can even drink water, enjoy ice cubes, and eat salads with no bad results. Major roads are well patrolled and there is plenty of security at the major tourist destinations.
Guatemala is an interesting country to visit with its Mayan and Spanish colonial cultures. We flew north to the lowlands to see Tikal, a very large site with amazing pyramids and temples looming above jungle clearings, also a bird-lover's paradise. A highlight of the southern highlands, altitude similar to Denver's, is Lake Atitlan, surrounded by volcanoes and described by Aldous Huxley as prettier than Como. Around the lake there is a combination of the occasional luxurious hotel and gardens and Mayan fishing villages and market towns where wonderful textiles and ceramics are made and sold along with the bounty of the fertile land. Antigua, the colonial capital, is a charming small city with colonial buildings and cobblestone streets. At Eastertime, when I was there, it is one big festival with numerous long and elaborate religious processions winding through narrow streets elaborately carpeted with flower petals and colored sawdust. Except in the jungle, the climate is mild year round.