Guatemala
Departamento de El Progreso

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    • Day 131

      Rainy riding into a different landscape

      January 16, 2020 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

      Luckily, it didn't rain when we left Jorge's place. The route was pretty as usual, rolling through green mountains, but not too steep. After some 20km however, it started raining and didn't stop for a while, so we got quite wet and decided to stop in a bakery to fill up some calories and warm up as well. We cycled through a beautiful forest, but couldn't enjoy the views that much due to the rain. People told us that you can usually see quetzals, the bird on the Guatemalan flag, in this forest. But birds don't like rain either and prefer hiding.
      After about 50km, we reached the turning point of today's ride, the end of a mountain range and also an intersection leading to some bigger towns. Here, things changed significantly: We had a long downhill ahead of us (50km, 1200m elevation loss), it stopped raining (positive!), but on the other hand, the landscape got way drier, there was a lot more traffic and rubbish along the road.
      It felt like being in another country - what a difference a mountain range and the close distance to the the capital can make!
      After the downhill, we reached a road that several people had warned us about because it's the main connection between the Atlantic and Pacific side in Guatemala. There's heavy traffic, exhaust gases and climbing on a one lane road - so no fun to cycle. So we hitchbiked again and were very lucky when we got a ride after only 10min. The family from the North of Guatemala dropped us after 30km at Sanarate where we found a hotel to spend the night.
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    • Day 26

      Guatemala del 1

      February 26 in Guatemala ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

      Hej alle derhjemme 👋

      Tiden flyver og vi har oplevet SÅ meget her i Guatemala. Vi ankom d. 16. Igennem et smertefrit grænsekryds. Herfra blev vi fragtet til første stop i Panajacel, hvor vi havde to overnatninger. Vi var lettere smadrede efter nogle dage med meget transport. Dagen efter fik vi set byen, floden og slappet af. Næste morgen havde vi købt en Sunrise tur til deres kendte punkt 'Indian Nose'. Så vi trekkede sammen med vores guide op i mørket og så solen gå op på toppen. Virkelig flot.

      Hernæst ændrede vi vores planer og tog ned til kysten, da vores vulkan hike som virkelig var et MUST for os først kunne lade sig gøre d. 24. Så vi havde ligepludselig nogle flere dage inden vi skulle til Antigua, hvor vulkan hiket foregik fra. Mere om det senere. Vi ankom til El Paradon (bl.a. med transport af vores mini van på en båd styret af to små lokale drenge) Det kom bag på alle i bussen, at bilen skulle bakkes op på denne flåde og transporteres over på den anden side, for at vi kunne ankomme. Herefter ankom vi til et dejligt varmt klima ved kysten, hvor der var ægte surf-stemning og tid til afslapning i et par dage. Lidt fest blev det også til. 🥳
      Et virkelig up-coming sted, hvor der blev bygget en del - spændende at se om fem år, hvordan stedet har udviklet sig. Man unge backpackere var der i hvert fald.

      Efter 3 overnatninger ved kysten satte vi kurs mod Antigua, hvor vi ankom d. 21. Her havde vi booket et lækkert airbnb, for at kunne sove godt i dagene op til hiket. Antigua er virkelig en fantastisk flot by og omringet af vulkaner. Aktiviteterne omkring byen er dermed også mange - dog er højdepunktet for mange det kendte vulkan hike til Acatenango og Fuego vulkanerne, hvoraf Fuego er aktiv.

      Den første dag fik vi set byen og spiste lækkert mad. Dagen efter tog Emma til et lokalt marked, som vi ikke nåede i Panajacel, men de havde turen fra Antigua. Imens tog jeg (Ida) på ATV tur til Pacaya vulkanen, som også var en super fed oplevelse. Så fedt at køre på ATV i et vulkan terræn.

      Dagen efter tog vi en ATV tur med samme firma til en byens udkigspost og en lokal kaffeplantage, hvor vi så hele deres kaffeproces, som heldigvis var i deres kaffesæson, så vi netop kunne se det hele! Vi havde samme guide som jeg havde haft dagen før og han var bare super dygtig til at forklare, fortælle og hjælpe når spansk blev en udfordring 😅

      Samme aften fik vi købt det sidste til vulkanturen, og så var det ellers hjem at pakke en rygsæk til turen. Morgenen efter d. 24. Blev vi hentet tidligere og startede med morgenmad hos guidens mor sammen med hele gruppen. Her mødte vi så mange søde mennesker.

      Vi fik lejet de sidste ting og så var det ellers afsted. Vi havde betalt for at få vores bagage båret op, så vi gik forrest sammen med vores Porters. Turen op til basecampen var dermed heller ikke så hård igen og vi ankom til campen som de første, hvilket gjorde vi kunne få en god lang pause inden næste hike op til Fuego vulkanen. Dette hike var også det hårdeste og især i mørket på vej tilbage. Heldigvis var vores guider super gode. Det var et super vildt syn da vi kom op i 3550 meters højde.

      Om det var det hele værd? JA. Så vild en oplevelse at se en aktiv vulkan så tæt på og at se lava om natten. Helt klart højdepunktet på vores tur.🌋

      Dagen efter gik turen ned og tilbage til Antigua og nu sidder vi i natbussen til næste stop: Lanquin. Vi besluttede at tage afsted her til aften, for at udnytte tiden bedst muligt, da vi har grænsekryds til Belize d. 29.

      Nu vil vi nyde de sidste dage i Guatemala - det har virkelig været vores ynglingsdestination indtil videre. 😍

      Knus Emma og Ida
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    • Day 22

      Ranchitos de Quetzal

      March 1 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

      Das war bisher unsere allerschönschste Unterkunft,in einem Naturresservat.Jetzt gehts weiter mit den öffentlichen Bussen,juhuuu😅erste Etape bis El Rancho haben wir geschafft,weiter gehts nach Richtug Rio Dulce,mal schauen wie weit wir kommenRead more

    • Day 13

      Welcome to the jungle

      March 31, 2023 in Guatemala

      I got a bus for ten hours today. That's it. That's the update.

      Lou and Tristan also made an appearance (that will happen when you copy/paste and itinerary 😅) but the photo does make it look like Lou has agreed special dispensation for T to be released from his specialised caring regime.

      As the sun set I had arrived at Zephyr lodge for an evening of great views, loud yorkshire men and pool.

      Oh and pontoon. We went on a pontoon too.
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    • Day 14

      Caving and Bathing

      April 1, 2023 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

      Semuc Champey. Home to stunning natural limestone pools.

      However going on a hostel tour means you have to earn your fun, so only after an hour of candlelit caving in with some stench water fairly shady safety etiquette; and a vertical climb did we get to go to the pools.

      It didn't disappoint. Stunning pools. A great crowd and a truly exceptional guide made for a memorable day. Obviously I didn't take any photos, because I never do but somebody had a phone in the water so I've made a formal request for the snaps...

      After a ride back to Zephyr in the cattle wagon it was time for sunset in the pool where a new old friend made a reappearance after an admirable two day bus based travelthon.

      I don't have any photos of that either because we were to too busy drinking mosquito based cocktails.

      I basically don't do photos and this is the wrong app for me.
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    • Day 253

      Quer durch Guatemala

      June 19, 2019 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

      Von San Pedro la Laguna geht es 12 Stunden mit verschiedenen Bussen und schließlich einem Boot zu unserem Hostel in Rio Dulce. Das Hostel, welches nur mit dem Boot zu erreichen ist, wird von Schweizern betrieben und so läuft „Falco“ und es gibt Gulasch mit Spätzle. Die Fragen, die uns während der Fahrt am meisten beschäftigen sind: Werden wir für unseren Gepäckschnibsel wohl unser Gepäck wieder bekommen? Und warum hat der Busfahrer ein Kalbsbein in der Frontscheibe hängen?Read more

    • Day 173

      Lanquín

      July 25, 2017 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

      From Flores we moved onto Lanquín for tubing, caving, and Semuc Champey.

      It took us eight hours on the bus but the time was passed playing 'would you rather' and annoying every other passenger with our inappropriately loud conversations. We were pumped to have arrived in Lanquín and got a shuttle up the hill to our hostel, Zephyr Lodge. The setting of the hostel was amazing - set in between the hills of the Guatemalan highlands. We were excited to be there and had a really fun first night at the hostel.

      The next day we woke up and did the tubing but Al wasn't able to come because she had spent most of the night over the toilet being sick (a sign of things to come).

      I've done tubing before in Colombia, but this was different because the current was a lot stronger and you had to be careful of falling into trees. I had loads of fun but getting out of the river was so stressful because of the current. I ended up falling out of my tube, hitting a tree trunk and losing all my beer. After that we got back to the hostel in the afternoon and carried on the drinking by the pool, as the sun was out.

      The day after we did the day trip to Semuc Champey. First we went to the Kaa'mba caves, where we did caving. At first I found this mildly terrifying because you have to swim through caves which are pitch black, so you have to hold a candle to light the way. As we went further into the cave I chilled a bit more, and it was good fun because you went really deep in and saw waterfalls. The way back was equally as intense because I was at the front and didn't have any light in front to help lead the way.

      After a BBQ lunch we walked up to a viewpoint to see the natural waterfalls and pools of Semuc Champey. They were really pretty, and the countryside around it is really beautiful too. We then walked down and were able to swim in them for a while. After we got the shuttle back and spent the evening playing cards and other games.

      The next day we were supposed to be getting the bus to Antigua, but a lot of us had got ill after eating the food at Zephyr. Lottie was too ill to take the 12 hour bus to Antigua, and after a pretty stressful morning we decided to stay in Lanquín for another night and see if she was better the next day. Three of us had to move hostels because there wasn't any more room at Zephyr.

      Luckily it was a really sunny day, so while Lottie slept it off we spent the day by the pool getting tans. In the eve we had a pretty chill evening because we were all really tired and wanted to be on top form to made sure we got the bus the next day.

      The next day, Lots had recovered enough to get the bus, but it was Laura's turn to feel sick. Despite all the illness, and having to squeeze onto the bus and share seats because the bus company had oversold tickets, we managed to get the bus to Antigua second time round. After everyone hyping up the journey as one of the worst things they'd ever done we were pretty happy to arrive in Antigua only 9 hours later (instead of the 12 hours everyone has said) in high spirits.
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    • Day 18

      unnerwegs nach guatemala city

      October 27, 2014 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

      Hatte todesangst im bus... war ein doppeldecker, voll besetzt, nich yg viel platz, wie immer kalt, 4 bewaffnete manner sind mit an bord. Die tidedsngst hab ich bekommen nachdem wir nach wilder fahrt erstma ne panne hatten, wurden abgeschleppt! Mit dem gleichen bus gings irgendwann weiter, mit einem tempo und gebremse, dass ich dachte: wir kippen gleich um ;)Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Departamento de El Progreso

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