By Anna Taylor
On our last day in Guatemala we decided to wake up at 2:30 to watch sunrise from the tallest temple at Tikal. We took a private taxi to the entrance of the park and then met with a local guide who led us by flashlight through the pitch black rainforest. We climbed to the top
The ninth morning of our trip we rejoined the rest of the group and returned to Yaxha, this time under the full light of a bright Guatemalan sun. We climbed the largest pyramid in the complex, along with several other smaller ones. The climbing is always equal parts fun and fear. Footholds can be unreliable
After a peaceful night in our riverside cabin, we took a boat ride on the Rio Dulce all the way to the Atlantic coast to the town of Livingston. We weren’t in country during the rainy season, so for almost the entire trip we had beautiful, sunny weather, but Rio Dulce is in the rainforest,
On Wednesday we boarded the bus bright and early for our more than six-hour drive to Copan, Honduras. Crossing the border from Guatemala to Honduras was an interesting process. Thankfully Tony was there to translate and give us instructions. You have to pay some sort of tax to enter Honduras, but Gate 1 took care
On our fifth day in Guatemala, we explored the historic city of Antigua. It’s equal parts charmingly laid back and bustling with action. Mayan men and women are everywhere selling homemade crafts. In the main square alone we were approached by no less than 10 women selling ornate, hand-beaded trinkets and embroidered table runners. We
We left Panajachel for Antigua on the morning of our fourth day, but first we took a boat ride to Santiago Atitlan, another quaint town along the lakeshore. Dad was thrilled about the life jackets we were forced to wear. Safety first! We then squeezed ourselves into a tuk-tuk for a quick ride up to
On our third day in Guatemala we drove from Panajachel to a popular Mayan market at Chichicastenango. But before we left, Dad and I explored the lakeshore at sunrise, watching the predawn light transition to bright blue sky shrouded with smoky haze from nearby “fire forests,” as Tony liked to call them. Local farmers burn
On our second morning in Guatemala we enjoyed breakfast at our hotel, Barceló Guatemala City, before boarding the bus for a full day of sight-seeing. We began with a windshield tour of Guatemala City. Our guide, Tony, took us to several different areas of the city, called zones, so we could get an idea of
When my dad called me last fall and asked if I wanted to take a trip with him, I didn’t even considering turning him down. I love to travel and my dad is a great person to go on adventures with. But when he told me he was planning a trip to Guatemala, my enthusiasm
Washinton Wandering 