Mayan Adventure, Guatemala

Trip Description: (March 4 - 13, 2003)
The 36 year civil war that raged on when we last visited Guatemala has been over since the signing of the lasting peace accord in December 1996. Tourism has thrived with an ongoing UN presence and it can be said that Guatemala is the new must-see destination. We'll begin our trip at Antigua, Guatemala; where the trip organizers will have all of our accommodations and transportation arranged. The colonial capitol of Antigua will be our base for a couple of days while we explore the native markets and spectacular volcanoes that surround the lakes of this region. Leaving Antigua we will leisurely drive to Copan Ruinas, a beautiful little Honduran village paved in cobblestone and lined with white adobe buildings capped with red-tile roofs. This major Mayan site of Copan and the town are situated within walking distance of the southern Guatemala border.
After fully exploring this remarkable pre-Columbian archaeological site, we'll continue by ground to visit the huge sandstone stelae of Quiriguá. The many magnificent stelae at these last two Mayan sites are certain to impress us. Our couple of days along the Rio Dulce will include a visit to the Caribbean coastal city of Livingston. We will then continue to Flores, the entryway to Tikal, for a full day of exploration in this remarkable site.
Each day of our trip will be an adventure as we interact with a Spanish and Mayan speaking culture, travel in third world countries, and engage in occasional marketing forays for luncheon supplies. On the last day of the trip we'll finish by flying back to Guatemala City, arriving at our hotels in the early afternoon. This trip is rated leisurely to moderate (L/M).
Originates @ Antigua, Guatemala.

Tikal Pyramid

Quiriguá Stela

Pre-trip Supplemental Information:

We will rendezvous at a mid-priced hotel in the beautiful colonial city, Antigua. For convenience, we recommend that everyone stay at, or close by, the evening prior to the trip. The trip organizers will be there several days early and will be available to assist in resolving any problems which may arise when trip participants arrive. Antigua is a world-traveler hub for the Spanish language schools. The proximate capital city of Guatemala has frequent air service to and from the USA. Participants might schedule a day at each end of the trip to see Guatemala City's magnificent museums and to serve as a time buffer in the event of any luggage or flight connection snafus.

The Guatemalan highlands are not sufficiently high that anyone should have altitude acclimatization problems. However participants should be fit enough to dayhike to points of interest to maximize their enjoyment of the trip. Some terrain will be hilly with daily hiking mileage of five to eight miles. Since we will occasionally be in remote areas of a foreign country, participants should be in excellent health.

Books about Guatemalan culture and archaeological sites have recently become more available. A few that we have found to be interesting and helpful include:

1)	Barbara Balchin de Koose, Guatemala for You, Editorial Piedra Santa, Guatemala, 1989.
1)	Wayne Bernhardson, Moon Handbooks Guatemala, Avalon Travel Publishing, Emeryville, CA, 2001.
2)	William R. Coe, Tikal, a Handbook of the Ancient Mayan Ruins, University of Pennsylvannia, Philadelphia, PA, 1988.
3)	Denis Faubert et al, Ulysses "Guatemala", Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, CT, 2000.
4)	Conner Gorry, Guatemala, Lonely Planet Publications, Oakland, 2001.
4)	Richard Mahlee, Guatemala, Adventures in Nature, John Muir Publications, Santa Fe, NM, 1999.
4)	Michelin Staff, Neos Guide to Guatemala and Belize, Michelin Travel Publications, 2000.

Trip Reports:

After a marvelous month of traveling in Guatemala in 2003, we returned home and wrote a short report about the trip we organized and our solo adventures. This is contained in the March 2003 quarterly newsletter.

* Mayan Adventure, Guatemala (3/4/03-3/13/03)