 Welcome to Blue Ocean Studios  Around the World Jan 2, 2006
We lounged around the hotel until 12:30pm when we caught a shuttle to take us to the Westin hotel in downtown Guatemala City. Jaimie is still trying to recover from her fever and vomiting, so we decided it would be better to be at a more luxury hotel (even though this Westin is definitely not up to US standards...). As for our flight to Nicaragua tomorrow, we're going to play it by ear and see how both of us feel in the morning. At least the flight is not first thing in the AM. I think this will teach us a valuable lesson that we really do need to watch EVERYTHING we eat and drink, because the consequences are not fun :(
Thoughts on Guatemala:
The people of Lake Atitlan, mostly Tzutuji, maintain their "old" ways. They have been cut off from the "modern" world until relatively recently. They still believe in black magic, in settling their own disputes within a town or simply between the two argues, involving violence if necessary. These natives dress in beautifully colored clothes - but it was so difficult to photograph them - for they mostly believe in that cameras steal your soul - as well as it's difficult to pull out your camera - as that obviously makes you a target for theives.
Food: Corn (esp Blue corn) seems to infiltrate many of the items on the menu (which I guess is typical for Central American cuisine). Pork seems to be a popular favorite, as is any meal that includes beans and rice (of course :)). Beer of Choice: Gallo Memories: Kids at age 6 are using a machete working in the fields, Kids at age 10 are driving tuk-tuk carts, setting off fireworks day and night, or working 10 hour days selling items on a street cart. Women carry anything on their heads. Many people are walking across town in Santiago with machetes in their hands. Crazy drivers! People: Generally are incredible nice - but the many traveller warnings and incident reports tell of a few rotten apples. Economy: Most people in the Lake Atitlan region made < $3 per day - corrogated steel was a popular housing construction. City areas are what you would expect any 3rd world country city to be like. Incredible pollution everywhere. Anythings up for barter. Climate: We can't really say for the coastal regions - but the interior of Guatemala seemed to be more temperate, due to the high altitude (~5000 ft). Temps in the mid 70's. Very little annoying flies/mosquitoes - which is nice! Exchange Rate: 1 US Dollar = ~7.5 Quetzal Recommendation to friends: 6 out of 10. (Would be an 8 but i'm a stickler for safety)
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So much for Tikal :(. We ate dinner around 5 pm the night before, and by 8pm, Jaimie was very sick and I wasn't feeling 100% - something in that last dinner got to us. We canceled our shuttle to the airport at 3 am, and decided to take a day off. We are sad that we didnt get to check out Tikal, but it would have been a very rough day. Maybe someday we'll make it back here and get to go to Tikal - who knows.
After 7 days in Guatemala - here are my thoughts. Guatemala is a beautiful 3rd world country - I point out the fact that it's 3rd world right away - because this is where my thoughts dwell. With awe inspiring natural beauty, trails, hikes, and other outdoor adventues, with it's collection of mayan ruins from 500-1500 years old, a great climate (when not in rainy season :)), you would have to wonder why this isn't a bigger tourist spot. Many of the people you meet are very nice and will go out of their way to help you out. That being said, it is unsafe to walk out of cities for the most part, and most places at night are not recommended. It makes for an uncomfortable experience when you are on the wrong street, or wanting to do a hike. The roads of Guatemala aren't in great shape, and worse off, the drivers of Guatemala are out of their mind (not an exageration) - their drivers make NYC drivers look polite. There have been so many near misses, not to mention that it's incredible our "school" bus to the Volcano had not flipped over as we were speeding 45 mph around hairpin turns. 
Now that I've said the worst, the best of Guatemala is incredible as (hopefully) you can see from our other posts and pictures. It's a beautiful country, and if you're a smart traveller - you should be fine. Jaimie and I had a lovely experience (other than today's food sickness of course :)). Parts of Guatemala (like Lake Atitlan and the Tzutuji's) feel like you went back in time - some parts like the wild west! We would def. visit again, but it will probably be years before that happens again. 