Guatemala: The Jungle City of Tikal

It’s early and the taxi driver is looking for the place he needs to drop me off. It’s still dark and we appear to be amongst the hangers at the airport. I wonder if he has the wrong address and we are hopelessly lost. He asks me to wait in the car and goes in through a small door to speak to someone. On his return he declares we are in the right place. I thank him and tip and dubiously enter the same door. There is a small waiting room and a desk where I present my documents for inspection and I’m then told to wait. Over the course of the next half hour a few other tourists arrive and I feel more at ease. It also begins to get light and this reveals that we are indeed at the airport and there are a number of light aircraft on the tarmac outside.

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Guatemala: Hidden Treasure

Guatemala is a country steeped in history, culture and mythology. Its landscapes are beautiful and varied – from mountainous areas, punctuated by volcanoes to the green, luscious jungle lowlands. It is a country which is still saddened by its recent past – a 30 year civil war and genocide in the second half of the twentieth century; but the people also find reasons to be truly joyful, kind and welcoming to the many tourists which go there.

Guatemala and Belize: The Homestay Experience

Volcan Agua towers over Antigua, Guatemala

Home-stays are often touted as the best way to learn a new language through ‘total immersion’ or a good way to really experience local culture and ‘real life’ of the country you’re in. But what is is really like?