Patrick Dowd

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. (more…)

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 (more…)

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.

Las Gruatas de Marias was a wild cave experience. An underground river flows through (more…)

Lago de Atitlán is a gorgeous location, a large deep lake surrounded by three volcanoes. There are many small settlements around the lake, all accessible by water taxi and some by road. At 5,000 feet, it’s cool and comfortable. Unfortunately, crime appears to be rampant everywhere. The guide books are full of warnings; I received a warning on this website from Fritz; and travelers as far way as Costa Rica warned me about Guatemala. Upon arrival, I had fresh reports of theft and robbery. I spoke directly with people who had problems with large amounts of money being stolen. I had my drug store reading glasses stolen after leaving them unattended for five minutes; I challenged the woman with her baby that was the only one there, but she denied it. The night before, a young woman had been robbed with an exacto knife at her throat; (more…)

The Spanish built La Antigua. An earlier settlement was totally destroyed by volcanoes. The present location was also destroyed by volcanoes and earthquakes. At one point, the Spanish ordered the people to evacuate, but they refused and rebuilt the city, sort of. Ruins are in abundance everywhere, old ruins.

La Antigua is a fun town to walk around in; there are lots of good restaurants. The central plaza has an unusual fountain where water squirts from women’s breasts. Volcanoes surround the city. At breakfast, a huge plume of smoke hissed from one of them.

I went on an excursion to Volcán Picaya and hiked up to the lava fields. (more…)