Welcome, Visitors

Posted on June 19, 2008
Filed Under Tech | 4 Comments

Thanks to all of you for visiting my website. During my Central America trip, usage soared. During April, I had over 35,000 hits with an average of over 100 visits per day. During three months, I had over 65,000 pages served. Here is the chart as of June 19.

Increased visitors rent a car bulgaria

I hope the reason for the increased usage is interest in my photos, blogs and Central America. Before I left, I also submitted my website to Google and Yahoo, so I am sure that hoped.

Guatemala City

Posted on May 29, 2008
Filed Under Guatemala | Leave a Comment

Time to finish the story. From Tikal, I flew to Guatemala City to catch my flight to the States. After nine weeks on the road, I am tired and ready to go home. I have mosquito, ant and spider bites all over my body. I have slipped and fallen several times in the jungle and have a variety of bumps, bruises, scrapes and sore fingers. I am thinking defensively. Guatemala City is known as a tough city. Just let me home without being mugged.

I visited the city center (Parque Central) and the main cathedral. The fence around the cathedral ???????? has stone pillars inscribed with names. The names are listed by province. “Executed.” “Disappeared.” “Tortured.”

We buy a hammock and bedspread at the underground artisan market (it is literally underground) and take our last bus in Central America, the 101, back to the hotel. We

Tikal

Posted on April 28, 2008
Filed Under Central America, Guatemala | 1 Comment

Tikal is generally regarded as Guatemala’s number one tourist attraction. It is well worth visiting. After visiting several other Mayan sites, I was pleasantly surprised by the dense, rich jungle here. The ruins themselves are large and numerous. It’s fun to climb on the pyramids above the tree canopy and see the birds and distant mountains. I visited the site on two sequential days. The jungle is interesting to hike and full of wildlife, including anteaters (coati) and a unique species of turkey. Read more

Making Chocolate

Posted on April 26, 2008
Filed Under Central America, Guatemala | Leave a Comment

I visited a local indigenous family and watched them make chocolate. The Q’eachi’ people harvest the cacao tree and make chocolate to eat and sell to tourists. We bought some chocolate from one family and asked them how they made the chocolate. It was difficult to communicate because only the younger students speak Spanish. But we did receive an invitation for 7 a.m. the following morning.

The key ingredient, cacao, is a fruit that grows on trees. The gourd is about eight inches long. The nuts inside are white, about one-inch long and Read more

Semuc Champey

Posted on April 24, 2008
Filed Under Central America, Guatemala | 2 Comments

Semuc Champey is often regarded as the finest natural attraction in Guatemala. It did not disappoint. I swam in the pools, floated down the river, visited a cave and watched indigenous people make chocolate.

The Rio Cahabon flows through limestone and creates an underground tunnel. Above is a natural bridge containing numerous turquoise, crystal-clear pools. A gushing waterfall and birds-eye viewpoint complete the magic. The pools are ideal for swimming; I spent many hours there. Below the waterfall, you can tube down the river through the rapids.