La Rute de Maya - Guatemala final post

Hi everyone:

Well Guatemala is behind me now, a series of memories strung together like decorations on the Christmas tree. Liek those decorations, I can pull them out anytime - admire them, share them with others, reconfigure them anew each time. How to sum up an incredible month in an incredible country?

It's true that pictures can often tell stories better than words, so I'll keep this post brief. Suffice it to say that Guatemala has provided me with some incredible memories. We met incredible people, visited places so beautiful we couldn't find words to describe them, and had experiences that are indelibly imprinted in our psyches (we - allow me to explain - is my beautiful fiancée, my as-yet-unborn child, and me).

It's hard to imagine such a gentle people as the Maya having to suffer through something as unimaginable as the brtual civil war that wracked their country for 36 years. Walking through remote villages in the Ixil, it's not hard to see the scars this period left on it its people. There's a hesitancy on the part of many of the Maya we met, a reluctance to open themselves to strangers. But spend a bit of time to get to know them and you’ll be rewarded with a whole lot of grace and hospitality.

Our final week in Guatemala was spent riding around Lago de Atitlan, kayaking and trekking on the lake, relaxing at Casa Del Mundo, hiking an active volcano, enjoying a colourful weekend of Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Antigua, and visiting the ancient Mayan site of Tikal. It was about a year’s worth of adventure, all packed into one week. I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

Next post: Surf and Singletrack from Chile