My recent Guatemala trip
Mar 25th, 2006, 04:40 AM
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My recent Guatemala trip
Hi:
Just recently returned from Guatemala and will give a brief summary:
My purpose in going to Guatemala was to study Spanish in Antigua for a week but yet be able to see some of the country as well. I have traveled to 5/6 other Latin countries and have studied Spanish in a couple of other schools Each time for a week.
I flew to Guatemala City (GUA) on a Fri. nite and was met my the school driver who drove me an hour to Antigua where I checked in with a family which was classifed as a 1 br B&B. Great family and great house!
On Sat at 4 a.m. a van came to my house with some other students and drove me back to GUA where we caught Tikal Jets to Tikal. We flew to Flores and were met by a guide and some other tourists and were driven about 1- 1/2 hours to the ruins in Tikal where we checked into the Jungle Inn. Jungle Lodge was very nice and exceeded my expectations. All meals were taken in the dining room there and the quality of food and cleanliness was great!
We had a guide that took us on a 4 hour hike through the ruins which I must say are absolutely fantastic!! Incredible. When the hike ended it was about 2 p.m. in the afternoon and we had lunch in the Jungle Inn then rest or just walking around for the afternoon. Around 7 p.m., the group met up for dinner in the dining room.
Since we were not leaving Tikal until 2 p.m. on Sunday I had about 5 hours the next a.m. to visit the musuem (which I recommend) and then go back into the park and climb many of the pyramids in the cool mornings. It is a wonderful hike through the park. The history of this area is incredible! The musuem is not to be missed. While small, it has a lot of info about Tikal.
We left at 2 p.m. to go back to Flores for the 5 p.m. flight back to GUA. Our driver met us at the GUA airport and then took us back to Antigua where I arrived around 7 p.m.
Since my B&B only provided breakfast, it was up to me to take my meals in Antigua. I went downtown on Sun. nite and ran into some of the people that were on the tour and had dinner with them.
On Monday, I started 1 on 1 Spanish classes at the PLFM school which is really a great school. It is 1 on 1 instruction for 7 hours a day. It really helped polish off a lot of my skills. I can speak a little Spanish but by no means am fluent. School was about a 8 block pleasant walk every morning. Lots of photo opps along the way. A large volcano looms over the city and is very impressive to look at in the a.m.
Antigua is a great city and there were a lot of European tourists there as well as a fair amount of Americans. The shopping is fantastic. Actually quite overwhelming.
I walked everyplace and felt very safe there. Even at night after getting used to the dark streets I was ok but I think a person should always be cautious/aware. My house was about 4 block from El Centro.
I found the food in Antigua to be of excellent quality with many restuarants to choose from. Most lunches and dinners ran from $4 to $12. Plenty of internet cafes to call home using VOIP on the computers or send messages via e-mail.
I had my laundry done at a laundry near the school. I have found it better to take only carry on luggage and have my laundry done while I am in these places.
during my stay I met many nice people, many students, and the business owners were all very nice people.
Mid week I went to Chichicastenango with a day trip with the school. The school sends a teacher along with you so you don't miss any learning opportunities. I really liked that because it keeps you speaking Spanish the entire time and you really get some good conversation. Chichi is a fantastic place with an incredible market. Having a teacher with you helps you navigate the market better and receive some recommendations about bargaining, etc. After 2 hours in Chichi, we continued our tour to.........I'll break it into another message so this doesn't become too long
Just recently returned from Guatemala and will give a brief summary:
My purpose in going to Guatemala was to study Spanish in Antigua for a week but yet be able to see some of the country as well. I have traveled to 5/6 other Latin countries and have studied Spanish in a couple of other schools Each time for a week.
I flew to Guatemala City (GUA) on a Fri. nite and was met my the school driver who drove me an hour to Antigua where I checked in with a family which was classifed as a 1 br B&B. Great family and great house!
On Sat at 4 a.m. a van came to my house with some other students and drove me back to GUA where we caught Tikal Jets to Tikal. We flew to Flores and were met by a guide and some other tourists and were driven about 1- 1/2 hours to the ruins in Tikal where we checked into the Jungle Inn. Jungle Lodge was very nice and exceeded my expectations. All meals were taken in the dining room there and the quality of food and cleanliness was great!
We had a guide that took us on a 4 hour hike through the ruins which I must say are absolutely fantastic!! Incredible. When the hike ended it was about 2 p.m. in the afternoon and we had lunch in the Jungle Inn then rest or just walking around for the afternoon. Around 7 p.m., the group met up for dinner in the dining room.
Since we were not leaving Tikal until 2 p.m. on Sunday I had about 5 hours the next a.m. to visit the musuem (which I recommend) and then go back into the park and climb many of the pyramids in the cool mornings. It is a wonderful hike through the park. The history of this area is incredible! The musuem is not to be missed. While small, it has a lot of info about Tikal.
We left at 2 p.m. to go back to Flores for the 5 p.m. flight back to GUA. Our driver met us at the GUA airport and then took us back to Antigua where I arrived around 7 p.m.
Since my B&B only provided breakfast, it was up to me to take my meals in Antigua. I went downtown on Sun. nite and ran into some of the people that were on the tour and had dinner with them.
On Monday, I started 1 on 1 Spanish classes at the PLFM school which is really a great school. It is 1 on 1 instruction for 7 hours a day. It really helped polish off a lot of my skills. I can speak a little Spanish but by no means am fluent. School was about a 8 block pleasant walk every morning. Lots of photo opps along the way. A large volcano looms over the city and is very impressive to look at in the a.m.
Antigua is a great city and there were a lot of European tourists there as well as a fair amount of Americans. The shopping is fantastic. Actually quite overwhelming.
I walked everyplace and felt very safe there. Even at night after getting used to the dark streets I was ok but I think a person should always be cautious/aware. My house was about 4 block from El Centro.
I found the food in Antigua to be of excellent quality with many restuarants to choose from. Most lunches and dinners ran from $4 to $12. Plenty of internet cafes to call home using VOIP on the computers or send messages via e-mail.
I had my laundry done at a laundry near the school. I have found it better to take only carry on luggage and have my laundry done while I am in these places.
during my stay I met many nice people, many students, and the business owners were all very nice people.
Mid week I went to Chichicastenango with a day trip with the school. The school sends a teacher along with you so you don't miss any learning opportunities. I really liked that because it keeps you speaking Spanish the entire time and you really get some good conversation. Chichi is a fantastic place with an incredible market. Having a teacher with you helps you navigate the market better and receive some recommendations about bargaining, etc. After 2 hours in Chichi, we continued our tour to.........I'll break it into another message so this doesn't become too long
Mar 25th, 2006, 08:25 AM
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More Guatemala......
We continued our tour from Chichi to Lake Atitlan and Panajachal which both were very beautiful and quite a pleasant drive through the country and the mountains. The day trip was about 11 hours, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and then back to school for the enxt day.
Another day I got a guide and went to San Andres to witness a Maximon ceremony which is kind of a cross between worshipping a false god (actually a statue or dummy) and a little shaman thrown in for good luck. This was an incredible experience and is certainly part of the Guatemala culture with certain groups of people.
There are many other things to do around Antigua. Many travel agencies in town where you can book side trips or if you are attending Spanish school, most of the schools will have a program of side trips as well.
The nights and mornings were cool and the days just slightly warm.
I thought the airport in Guatemala City was nice. On departure there are plenty of shops in the departure area where you can spend all of your left over money.
If you have any questons, let me know and I will try to answer.
We continued our tour from Chichi to Lake Atitlan and Panajachal which both were very beautiful and quite a pleasant drive through the country and the mountains. The day trip was about 11 hours, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and then back to school for the enxt day.
Another day I got a guide and went to San Andres to witness a Maximon ceremony which is kind of a cross between worshipping a false god (actually a statue or dummy) and a little shaman thrown in for good luck. This was an incredible experience and is certainly part of the Guatemala culture with certain groups of people.
There are many other things to do around Antigua. Many travel agencies in town where you can book side trips or if you are attending Spanish school, most of the schools will have a program of side trips as well.
The nights and mornings were cool and the days just slightly warm.
I thought the airport in Guatemala City was nice. On departure there are plenty of shops in the departure area where you can spend all of your left over money.
If you have any questons, let me know and I will try to answer.
Mar 25th, 2006, 10:56 AM
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Isn't that Maximon thing fascinating. We recently (Feb) visited him in Santiago de Atitlan at the house he was staying in at the time. They keep a cigarette lit in his mouth all the time and people bring him liquor and tobacco products as an honor. They are very serious about it and gave some people a hard time about laughing not long ago.
Thanks for your report. Interesting reading about the spanish school. Sounds like one to put on my list.
Thanks for your report. Interesting reading about the spanish school. Sounds like one to put on my list.
Mar 25th, 2006, 11:46 AM
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Suzie2:
Yes, it was one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. Amazing so many people believe in him. The wall was full of plaques that people had paid for to pay tribute to the good things he had done for them. It was really kind of spooky to be in the middle of all of it. I was the only tourist there. My guide didn't really like to be there. I found it fascinating.
Yes, it was one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. Amazing so many people believe in him. The wall was full of plaques that people had paid for to pay tribute to the good things he had done for them. It was really kind of spooky to be in the middle of all of it. I was the only tourist there. My guide didn't really like to be there. I found it fascinating.
Mar 25th, 2006, 06:33 PM
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Enjoyed reading your posts, Steve. You summed all of your e-mail messages up very concisely!
We are in the OKC area this weekend for our daughter's birthday. Every time after we get here I think of you and Carol and that we should get together sometime. It always seems like we are on the go every second with not much time to spare! But I wanted to tell you that I heard from someone (besides you) who thinks Restaurant San Marcos is very good. We'll see you there one of these days!
We ate at Nonna's today in Bricktown--been there?
We are in the OKC area this weekend for our daughter's birthday. Every time after we get here I think of you and Carol and that we should get together sometime. It always seems like we are on the go every second with not much time to spare! But I wanted to tell you that I heard from someone (besides you) who thinks Restaurant San Marcos is very good. We'll see you there one of these days!
We ate at Nonna's today in Bricktown--been there?
Apr 4th, 2006, 12:37 PM
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Your post on Guatemala was very interesting! We're planning to go in 3 weeks. Did you get sick at all from the food? You said you felt safe - were you most times with a group? Any recommendations on how much haggling you did, and where to get souvenirs/crafts/jewelry at reasonable prices? Which tour agencies did you deal with that would be reasonable? (though it sounds like you did a package deal) Thanks!
Apr 10th, 2006, 07:35 PM
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Aventura:
No, I did not get sick from the food. I am somewhat careful about where I eat and usually only drink bottled water, keep my hands washed with soap and never have any problems. Yes, I felt reasonably safe. I was sometimes with other students and many times by myself. Like any city, just a good idea to always be a little cautious. I can't really recommend a tour agency since all of my side trips were arranged through the school. As far as haggling: I probably did not do a very good job. Just tried to decide what I wanted to pay and if the price was right, I paid it. But, I found out very quickly the price they sell for is always lower than the initial asking price. Guatemala is a shoppers paradise and there is plenty of stuff to buy just about any place you go in the country. The market in Chichicastengo was one of my favorites-even though it is a little touristy. Hope that helps.
No, I did not get sick from the food. I am somewhat careful about where I eat and usually only drink bottled water, keep my hands washed with soap and never have any problems. Yes, I felt reasonably safe. I was sometimes with other students and many times by myself. Like any city, just a good idea to always be a little cautious. I can't really recommend a tour agency since all of my side trips were arranged through the school. As far as haggling: I probably did not do a very good job. Just tried to decide what I wanted to pay and if the price was right, I paid it. But, I found out very quickly the price they sell for is always lower than the initial asking price. Guatemala is a shoppers paradise and there is plenty of stuff to buy just about any place you go in the country. The market in Chichicastengo was one of my favorites-even though it is a little touristy. Hope that helps.
Apr 12th, 2006, 07:51 AM
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Aventura,
We used Turansa for our trip. They were always on time and very good drivers. Mostly used them for transportation between areas but we did use them for a day to take us to a market outside of Panajachel. We were the only tourists there and it got a little uncomfortable because we were followed constantly.
We went to Solola. Did get some great buys. Feel free to haggle away at the markets. Chichicastenango sounds like a good place to go. More tourists there so you might not be chased around so much. Places like Panajachel you can also bargain but not quite as much. They do have more overhead in the stores. We did get some good buys in Santiago de Atitlan in the stores heading down to the lake.
Have a great time. We can't wait to get back. Will definitely use Turansa again. We rented a car in the Tikal area which came in really handy.
We used Turansa for our trip. They were always on time and very good drivers. Mostly used them for transportation between areas but we did use them for a day to take us to a market outside of Panajachel. We were the only tourists there and it got a little uncomfortable because we were followed constantly.
We went to Solola. Did get some great buys. Feel free to haggle away at the markets. Chichicastenango sounds like a good place to go. More tourists there so you might not be chased around so much. Places like Panajachel you can also bargain but not quite as much. They do have more overhead in the stores. We did get some good buys in Santiago de Atitlan in the stores heading down to the lake.
Have a great time. We can't wait to get back. Will definitely use Turansa again. We rented a car in the Tikal area which came in really handy.
Apr 20th, 2006, 06:31 AM
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Thanks Suzie2 and Nonstop. We'll do Tikal, Atitlan, Antigua, Esquipulas, Chiquimula (overnight), Livingston/Puerto Barrios, then back to Guatemala City. Let's see what adventures we find. Can't wait to go this weekend!
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