Guatemala trip (July 1-24 2022)

I was told not to go, because, Guatemala is unsafe…. Well, I did not see anything that could make me unsafe… Very nice people, good food, cheap cost of leaving, amazing landscapes…. I really enjoyed my time in Guatemala!

Even if it is still cheap, the prices went up after covid….frown
It was the rainy season……

Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
An old town with an ever mystic history that can entrapped anyone to the past….
Surprised to see Tuck Tuck in Guatemala…. but very cheap and convenient if you are not too big….

If you are a woman and like to wear high heels shoes, you are in the wrong place… The streets with big cobblestones make it difficult…

Really a nice lake with clear water. What is interesting about this lake is 3 rivers feed the lake, but no river is going out of the lake, so the water level warries up and down based on the seasons / rain falls.
Around this lake there are a few villages, (Panajachel, Santa Cruz, San Pedro, San Juan, San Marcos….)and every one has its own style/vibe that make it even more interesting.
The way to go to one village to another one is by boat (taxi-boat), each village has its own boat dock.
If you go there, I can recommend The Sunset lodge in Santa Cruz. The room, the price, the view…. are absolutely fantastic!!

No question about the beauty of this lake, but, sorry, Lake Atitlan is NOT the most beautiful lake in the world!!!
Lake of Annecy, Haute Savoie, in the French Alpes is THE most beautiful lake in the world!! tongue-out

San Pedro la Laguna

San Pedro La Laguna, or known as the street are town. So colorful with all the walls so well painted.

Also known as the party town…. little bit too noisy….. and, maybe…. a little bit too old for this kind of atmosphere….tongue-out

Tikal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the largest and well preserved Mayan city.
Tikal is 1.5hr drive from Flores, (the closest city) so a tour bus or rental car (like us) are the 2 possibilities to reach Tikal. It is completely in the middle of the jungle, see second photo below.
We saw different animals, such as Kill Billed Toucans, Coatimundi, Spyder Monkeys, Ocelado Turkey….
The park is very clean and well marked, unless you want to know more about the history, a guide is not necessary… And a sign beside give you a brief history beside each pyramid….
The(only) road to access Tikal is not well paved.
It was very hot and humid, free sauna….
As a foreigner the entrance fee is 6 X the price for locals…yell
It took us 8hr (of walking) to visit the park, very tired at the end of the day, but worth it!!!

Rio Dulce is located at the end of lake Izabal, the biggest lake in Guatemala. This lake, through a river goes in the Atlantic Ocean.
There are many big beautiful houses and yachts around the lake in Rio Dulce vicinity…. for very rich people…
It is good to stay in a hotel that is only accessible by boat, so much quitter….
I can recommend the Boatique hotel in Rio Dulce, and the Hotel Perdido in the middle of the jungle.

Stay away from Rio Dulce Main Street. So noisy, so much polution…
If you decide to stay at hotel in the middle of the jungle, you will have all the comfort, but poor wifi….. Hey! You are in the middle of the jungle…..tongue-out