Why Guatemala

We finally decided on our next destination. Me being me, I have been planning my next vacation since the day I got back from my last one, but I changed my mind about every week until a few days ago. Seriously guys, I’m ridiculous and incapable of making decisions on my own.

A few days ago, my daily check (ok, fine, thrice-daily) of air ticket prices finally sprung me into action- tickets to Guatemala had dropped for the dates I wanted. I jumped on it, and here I am, finalizing all the plans and details that I had been half-ass working on for months. WOOHOO!

Guatemala will be an entirely different trip from Iceland. Iceland was fairly cold (obviously) and packed full of adventure– which I absolutely loved (like, really loved). But I love other things too, which is why I decided my next trip would be warm, relaxing, and filled with fascinating culture.

From my previous travels to Central America, I already knew that the area is extremely cheap to travel to and around, but Guatemala is even cheaper than most of the other countries. A lot of people have this idea that it is dangerous, and so tourism has not really picked up as much there. While there are certainly parts of Guatemala that I will want to avoid, as long as you are smart, there’s really no more danger there than anywhere else.  Since it is so cheap, I will be able to afford nicer accommodations and personal transportation. Because this girl is not jumping on a chicken bus town to town. No thank you.

Guatemala is also a cultural gem of Central America. There is still a large indigenous Mayan population, particularly in the highlands. There are many local markets, like Chichicastenango, full of colorful woven textiles, fruits, and vegetables. Old colonial cities like Antigua are full of charm, and Lake Atitlan, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, is surrounded by small Mayan villages.  There are also several Mayan ruins, including Tikal, a major site in the middle of the jungle.

While I hope to relax quite a bit on this trip- do some yoga on my terrace, sit on my dock and sip coffee with my feet in the water, curl up next to the fireplace in the cooler evenings and read a book-, there are also plenty of activities I look forward to as well. I plan on hiking a volcano or two, maybe doing a canopy tour, kayaking around the lake, and definitely jumping off a cliff and paragliding.
Because YOLO ;).