EL MIRADOR I.III.II.V – DAY FIVE 06/10/22 Our way back was admittedly harder. We didn’t have the same push we had a few days previously. We’d walk and walk and then walk some more. I’d tell myself I’d be in need of a break but I’d force myself to go on. That’s what I used to do during all those […]
I.III.II.IV – El Mirador: Day Four
EL MIRADOR I.III.II.IV – DAY FOUR 05/10/22 After the third day, we’d have two more where we’d basically retrace our steps back to El Carmelita. It felt a little bit like undoing all our hard work over the previous days, and, this time, we had nothing to look forward to, except for a hot shower and a good night’s sleep […]
I.III.II.II – El Mirador: Day Two
EL MIRADOR I.III.II.II – DAY TWO 03/10/22 The second day would be the longest. 27 kilometres of steady walking. It was pretty uneventful save for having to cross a bridge whose planks gave way to our weight a couple of times whilst crossing it, having to take our shoes off and wade through a swamp in order to get to […]
I.III.II.I – El Mirador: Day One
EL MIRADOR I.III.II.I – DAY ONE 02/10/22 Oh. My. God. I couldn’t believe the time had finally come. Months before, when my itinerary was still in the works, I had stumbled upon one of the coolest things to do in Petén. Amongst the many Mayan ruins in Guatemala, there were a few hidden away in the depths of the subtropical […]
I.III.I.II – Flores: Day Two
FLORES I.III.I.II – DAY TWO 01/10/22 Admittedly, Belize left me a bit dry when it comes to Mayan ruins. Sure, there were Xunantunich and Cahal Pech, the ATM cave and the Marco Gonzales Archaeological Reserve (if one can actually count that), but, these totalled three days of excursions in three weeks. That’s it! Back in Mexico, visiting ruins was almost […]
GUATEMALA – PEOPLE
GUATEMALA PEOPLE POPULATION Guatemala is the most populous country in all of Central America, with a population of around 17.6 million, despite a large number of diaspora all over the world. The majority of the populations consists of Ladino people; a mix of Mestizos and Hispanic people, with some 41% being Mayans of which the K’iche’ and Q’eqchi and Kaqchikel […]
GUATEMALA – LAND
GUATEMALA LAND GEOGRAPHY Guatemala is bordered by Mexico on the north and west, by Belize and the Caribbean on the north-east, by Honduras on the east, by El Salvador on the south-east, and, finally, by the Pacific on the south. The country is divided into three major regions by two mountain ranges crossing the country from west to east, giving […]
GUATEMALA – HISTORY
GUATEMALA HISTORY PRE-COLUMBIAN Whilst the first evidence of human settlement dates back to some 12,000BC, the main players in the country’s Pre-Columbian history were the Mayans, with the height of their power here being between 300 and 900AD, with most of their cities being abandoned by the end of the same period. POST-CONQUEST By the time Spanish conquerors arrived in […]
GUATEMALA – COUNTRY
GUATEMALA COUNTRY NAME The name Guatemala is believed to be derived from Cuauhtēmallān; a Nahuatl word that translates to “a place of many trees”, referring to the abundance of kidneywood trees found in the area when discovered during the Spanish Conquest. Another possible explanation for the name would be the Mayan word ‘Guhatezmalh’ which means “mountain that vomits water” in […]
I.III.I.I – Flores: Day One
FLORES I.III.I.I – DAY ONE 30/09/22 It was time to cross yet another border. Always, every time, unfailingly, I’m a friggin wreck. When the time approaches, I feel my heart thumping like crazy – as if suddenly I’m this criminal who’s trying to run away from another country, as if my bag is full of explosives and weapons. I had […]