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Dealing with violence in Guatemala City – one of the murder capitals of the world
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 8 November 2009
Deportees who arrive in Guatemala City have to learn how to deal with the urban violence, especially gangs, guns, kidnapping, and extortionists. Depending on whose statistics you believe, Guatemala is either the second or fourth most dangerous country in Latin America, and among the top ten homicide capitals of the world. Although the Peace Accords were signed in 1996, ending the decades-long civil war, homicides have been on the rise since the end of the twentieth century in Guatemala City.
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Sipacate’s beauty, despite the rain
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 7 November 2009
We met Carlos on the boat ride from San Pedro to Santiago de Atitlan. A tall man with a big, bushy, white beard, he was hard to miss. Carlos, a Guatemalan American retired mathemetician in his sixties, was planning to go to Sipacate with some friends of his. We had not made up our mind if we would stay in Santiago de Atitlan or keep on moving. Nando played some music on the boat and chatted with Carlos most of the 45 minute trip across the lake. Once we got to Santiago de Atitlan, Carlos invited us to have a beer with him.
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Celebrating el Dia de Los Muertos in Todos Santos
Blog: Nono in Guatemala - 6 November 2009
In Guatemala, there is a big celebration on the 1st of November. One of the place to go for this occasion is Todos Santos, a small village in the Cuchumatanes mountains in the north west of Guatemala. They have kept their traditions alive and one of them is the horse race on the 1st of November. I had wanted to go the years before but never had the opportunity. So I decided to organize a trip with Simone and Emma, two friends from England.
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Tikal – Pros and Cons
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 6 November 2009
Tikal, in case you haven’t heard, is one of the most famous, well-preserved and extensive Mayan sites there are, in the middle of a jungle in northern Guatemala. As I’ve pointed out before, there are an awful lot of Mayan sites, and they’re all constantly turning up new surprises as the excavations slowly but surely [...]
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The Taxi Drivers of Santa Elena
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 6 November 2009
I’ve been through Santa Elena, in the north of Guatemala, twice now. The first time we were heading for Flores, the more picturesque town on an island in Lake Peten, as one does when one wants to go see the ruins at Tikal. The second time was to get a connecting bus to the south [...]
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The “Jewel of Guatemala,” Lago Atitlan, has lost some of its sparkle
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 3 November 2009
This morning, we set out from our home in Villanueva, Guatemala City, headed towards Lake Atitlan, one of the jewels of Guatemala. Lake Atitlan is a huge lake set between volcanoes, renowned for picturesque scenery and colorful traditions. We decided to take a bus from the Trebol, where old schoolbuses make the trek westward. We got a bus that took us to Los Encuentros, where there is a turn-off for Panajachel, one of the larger cities on the lake.
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Highlights of Latin America
Blog: Itinerant Londoner - 1 November 2009
I had such an awesome time in Latin America it’s pretty hard to pick out favourite moments. But I’m going to give it a go anyway. Here are the best things I’ve seen and done over the past six and a half months, along with links to what I originally wrote about them. Favourite City: Valparaiso, [...]
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Chichicastenango – Guatemala’s Largest Market
Blog: Brilliant Tips Travel Blog - 28 October 2009
Chichicastenango (Chi Chi) is a small Mayan town in the western highlands of Guatemala which is famous for its traditional market. Market days are Thursday and Sunday and, each week, the colorful scene attracts both locals and international tourists. One of the most striking sights in Chichicastenango is the myriad of colors present in the multiple styles of traditional native dress of the local woman from all over Guatemala. Those knowledgeable about the textiles can tell where the wearers are from as many of the costumes are village or group ...
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10 Things You Should Know About Living in Guatemala
Blog: Nono in Guatemala - 27 October 2009
1. QuetzalThe Quetzal is the local money but also the national bird of Guatemala. You won’t be able to get any quetzals outside the country. One hundred quetzals equal 15 USD so items may seem very cheap to you. No you won’t be able to pay everything by credit card, so you better get used to have cash in your wallet! When you return to your home country, you’ll be running all the time to the cash machine before thinking “Oh yeah I can use my credit card again!”.
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Getting around Guatemala City on the Bus and Transmetro
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 24 October 2009
After lunch, I picked up the phone and called Lorenzo, a deportee that a friend had recommended for an interview. I told Lorenzo that I was writing a book on deportees and wanted to talk to him. He seemed very interested, and agreed to be interviewed that afternoon.On the phone, Lorenzo told me he had a scar on his face. That made me wonder why he had a scar. He spoke perfect English, so I presumed he had grown up in the US. Other than that, I had no idea who I was going to meet, and plenty to reflect on as I took the bus downtown.
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The Journey to the US is Dangerous, but So is Guatemala City
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 21 October 2009
One of the first places I began to look for deportees in Guatemala was in the airport, where deportees arrive from the United States. I exchanged numbers with them, and asked them to call me in a month or so to let me know how things are going.To my surprise, this strategy has been moderately successful, even when I don’t secure an interview. This morning, a young man called me, telling me I gave him my number nearly two months ago at the airport. We chatted for a bit, and arranged to have an interview on Saturday. This one I expect should work out.
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A Pleasant Sunday with the family in Lake Amatitlan
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 19 October 2009
Nando and I took the kids to Lake Amatitlan this morning. It is a twenty minute bus ride from where we are staying in Villa Nueva, and a nice escape from the city. The buses, which leave from Guatemala City on a regular basis, drop you off right at the entrance to the lake.
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You take your kids to Pizza Hut in Guatemala City??
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 3 October 2009
In Guatemala City, the places we most often take the children are chain restaurants – Pizza Hut, Pollo Campero, Wendy’s, and the like. Although I am not generally a fan of taking my children to places where the food clogs your veins and makes you fat, in Guatemala City, we have done this, perhaps more than anywhere else we have lived. We do have our reasons for this.
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Keeping Safe in Guatemala City without Letting the World Pass You By
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 27 September 2009
People keep telling me how dangerous Guatemala City is. My friend who works for the United Nations told me when she got here, all she heard were warnings about street crime; she doesn’t walk on the streets. At all. Our landlady warned me about most places in the city except for the neighborhood we live in – zona 9 and zona 10. She was robbed in the city center, and doesn’t go there. My other friend has had her cell phone stolen at knifepoint on the bus three times in the past six months.
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Caves exploration and Canopy in Peten
Blog: Nono in Guatemala - 26 September 2009
I took the opportunity of the independence celebration in September to go to Petén on an organized tour with Descubre Guatemala. Our first stop was Finca Ixobel and the caves Naj Tunich south of Poptun. Finca Ixobel is an ecological friendly hotel and camping surrounded by Mayan mountains, pine forest and jungle. The 162 hectare finca was bought in 1971 by an American couple. They started only with a small camping and now are offering tree houses, private rooms in bungalows and a large camping site. After pitching our tents, we went to visit the caves of Naj Tunich.
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Getting lost and finding Candelaria Caves - another day, another maravilla
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 12 September 2009
We are using The Rough Guide to Guatemala to get around. These are usually pretty reliable. Ours, however, was published in 2002, and the research for it was done a few years ago. Some of the facts are out of date. That may or may not be the reason for what happened to us as we left Sayaxche for Aguateca.
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Tikal with five kids
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 11 September 2009
On Tuesday, September 8, 2009, we went to Tikal. We spent the night in Flores, a small town that sits on an island in a lake. The island is almost connected to the mainland, and a bridge covers the remaining few meters.
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Two Fincas in One Day - En Route to Tikal
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 9 September 2009
We left Guatemala City on Monday morning, heading east towards Rio Dulce, still in our rented Madza 5. This time, we had no trouble getting out of the city, and made it to the Carretera Centroamericana without a hitch.
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A rainy day on Volcan Pacaya
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 7 September 2009
My brother, Ian, and my niece and nephew, Assata and Dante, are visiting us here in Guatemala. That brings us up to five kids in the house. On Sunday, we decided to rent a mini-van and pile all 8 of us into it to go see Volcan Pacaya.
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Getting around Guatemala City by Bus
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 1 September 2009
Tuesday, September 01, 2009We try to get around Guatemala City by bus as often as possible. The buses are a lot cheaper than taxis. I also find that riding the city bus is one of the best ways to get a sense of a city. Most people can’t afford cars or taxis, and buses are the mode of transport for the majority of people who need to get around.
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Book review and giveaway of Imagine - a Vagabond Story by Grant Lingel
Blog: Heather on her travels - 31 August 2009
Today I’m giving away a copy of the ultimate backpacker’s tale - Imagine, a Vagabond Story by Grant Lingel, who left a cosy suburban lifestyle to backpack around Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. If you think you’d enjoy this book, read on for my review… Having failed to quite complete his college degree, Grant decided to get [...]
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Who works and who plays on Sunday afternoons in the park
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 31 August 2009
August 30, 2009After spending most of the day inside yesterday, today, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather in Guatemala City and venture outside. Just a few blocks from our house is Avenida la Reforma, which is closed to cars on Sundays – making it a haven for pedestrians, cyclists, and skaters.
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Where in the world should I live?
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 25 August 2009
There are a lot of things about the United States I don’t like. I am not in favor of the war. I don’t like the fact that people in the US think it is okay to use all of the world’s resources. I detest the fact that people in the US live in big houses, drive big cars, and eat outrageously big meals while others are deprived of these things. Perhaps I dislike most the widespread idea that people in the US deserve all of these things because of their hard work. As if people in poor countries don’t work hard.
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Sunday Trip to Antigua
Blog: Fourteen months, four countries, and three kids - Tales from the Field - 24 August 2009
On Sunday morning, Nando and I took the kids to Antigua for the day. This involved taking a taxi to the “Trebol” in Zona 7 of Guatemala City where the buses depart to Antigua. When we got out the taxi, a transit police officer directed us to where we should wait for the bus. A few minutes later, a bus that had “Antigua – Guate” on the front pulled up and people began to ran towards it to try and get a seat.The buses that go to Antigua are US school buses that have a second life in Guatemala.
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A weekend 100% Chapin: River Rafting &Tubing in Semuc Champey
Blog: Nono in Guatemala - 22 August 2009
The last time I went river rafting I was 21, so when I saw that the TO Descubre Guatemala was offering a rafting weekend in Semuc Champey I decided to go.
