I visited Guatemala in 2008 during my first trip to Central America. I came via bus from León, Nicaragua, and my first real stop was Flores - the gateway to the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal. Flores is a small city, situated on a small island in Lake Petén Itzá. It serves as the main tourist start point for Tikal and the most uninhabiated jungle of north Guatamala. From here, I spend a day exploring Tikal! It is an amazing place, with a mix of escavated ruins and still covered ones.

After Tikal, I made my way down to a town on the east coast of Guatamala called Livingston, which is, I believe, only accessible by boat. I came via a boat down the Rio Dulce, which is a popular touristy thing to do. Livingston is a carribean town, and is largely populated by Garifuna, a mixed race (primarily African) group of people with their own language. English is common, as it is on most east coast Central American cities. The city was pretty small, but also fairly interesting. I also took a side trip to a local beach near Belize one of the days I was there.

After that, I went down to Antigua. Antigua is an awesome Spanish colonial city, and has a lot of history and beautiful buildings. It is quite safe and friendly, especially in comparison to other cities in Central America. Because of all this, it is also highly touristy. There is an amazing volcano that you can just walk right up to just outside of town, and is well worth a visit. We were actually there for Easter, so we got to see the Semana Santa celebration as well, which is really cool in Antigua. The locals dye lots of sawdust, and make elaborate designs in the street before a large parade. It is pretty impressive!

Finally, I also went to Lake Atitlán, a lake with lots of little relaxed towns dotting its edges. Spent a bit of time there and just enjoyed the atmosphere with the friends I was with.

Then, back to Guatamala City, where I stayed in a hostel near the airport and left the next day!