Eastern Guatemala

Sadly saying goodbye to Mexico I crossed into Central America to Flores in the east of Guatemala. Flores old town is located on an island in Lake Petén Itza. It is an old Mayan city that had been inhabited since 900-600 BC, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Americas. It was conquered and destroyed by the Spanish in 1697 and is now a quaint colonial town painted in bright colours.

From Flores I went to see Tikal. Tikal is one of the major Mayan ruins and was occupied from the 6th Century BC to the 10th Century AD, although most of the larger temples were built in the 8th Century. Like most Mayan ruins it fell into decline and was near abandoned at the end of the 9th Century; the causes of the Mayan Empire collapse is still a mystery. It was reclaimed by the jungle until it was excavated in 1848. Wandering through the hot and humid jungle to suddenly get a glimpse of the towering temples through the trees was quite an experience. It makes you wonder what it must have been like to discover them.

Keen for some respite from the jungle heat I headed to Rio Dulce, a river that runs from Lake Izabal to the Caribbean. The southern end of the river near the lake is lined by jungle and has multiple backwater channels with lodges that can only be accessed by boat. The lodge I was staying in was built on stilts and boardwalks over the water's edge, where I loved spending a couple of days chilling in a hammock or lounging in the pool, watching the hummingbirds zipping around. It's the only way to cope with the tropical heat!

After a couple of days of this I jumped back in a boat and headed downstream to Livingston on the Caribbean. As the Rio Dulce heads north towards the Carribbean it enters a canyon lined with towering limestone cliffs. Livingston is quite different to the rest of Guatemala, with quite a distinctive Caribbean vibe. It is quite ethnically diverse with a mix of Afro Caribbeans, Mayans, Latinos, and Garífuna people, who are the descendants of free Africans and native American people. An excellent Garífunan dish that I had to try was the Tapado, a soup made with fish, crab, prawns, plantain, sweet potato, and coconut milk. Extra delicious, especially when washed down with a mojito! I spent time in Livingston exploring the town and Playa Blanca, a beautiful white sand beach. One end of the beach has quite a party vibe but if you keep walking it becomes almost deserted. I wish I had spent more time in Livingston as I loved it there but I had a lot to see so I had to keep moving...Leggi altro