"Glorious Guatemala!" a Guatemala Travel Page by mad4travel

I must admit I found the idea of a trip to Guatemala a bit daunting. After all, most people think of it as being a country torn with strife, military juntas and death squads.
Certainly it has had its fair share of woes but things now seem to be on the up.

The country surprised me a lot. It was beautiful, colourful, warm and friendly. The food and the beer were good and the scenery in places stunning.

I went to follow along La Ruta Maya seeking out Mayan ruins in the jungle and it did not dissapoint. Tikal was magical, Quirigua atmospheric. Lake Atitlan stunning.

If you have any doubt about going don't worry. Its a great place to go and not all that many people have been there so gringos are very welcome!

Good bits

Antigua - Old capital, lovely spanish colonial architecture, good vibe.

Lake Atitlan-Beautiful lake, stunning volcanoes, interesting lakeside villages

Tikal- Be Indiana Jones in a jungle full of ruins and wildlife

Livingstone- Cruise down the Rio Dulce to the Caribbean flavours of Livingstone.

Bad Bits
Guatamala City- lots of slums on the outskirts, slightly menacing air about the central plaza. Grey stone buildings add to the oppressive atmosphere.
Nothing bad happened to us but it seemed the most likely place that it would!

This is a really nice place, too touristy for some - maybe. Hoever its an interesting place to wander around.

There are lots of brightly coloured buildings, interesting churches, interesting ruins that were never rebuilt after earthquakes.

There is also a rather large volcano on the doorstep that needs a bit of respect (escpecially as it smokes often!)