The countries I tend to enjoy traveling through the most have a blend of old and new. Guatemala was one of these countries. Their traditional ways were very apparent yet it was an extremely fun place to backpack and make new friends from around the globe. It was also one of the friendliest countries I have ever visited and very easy to navigate on a limited budget.
I spent about three weeks traveling around this Central American country hitting up a majority of the best spots. I studied Spanish on the shores of Lake Atitlan, hiked volcanoes in Quetzaltenango, soaked under a hot waterfall in Rio Dulce, roasted marshmallows in a cavern of a live volcano, walked the colonial streets of Antigua and trekked through the giant ruins of Tikal. I could spend my days wandering around a town making photos of the people going by in traditional clothing and working the fields with archaic tools, then spend the night grabbing a beer or dancing salsa with backpackers who come from every corner of the Earth. It was a beautiful, ridiculously fun and gracious country I definitely plan to visit again one day.
Mmmmmm, volcano roasted marshmallows! 🙂
Love these photos! Now I just want to book a flight to Guatemala!