Guatemala
We woke up early this morning to be greeted by a cheerful Marimba band in Guatemala. We were docked at Santo Thomas and at 7:00 am we met the local guides who were to accompany us and boarded our buses for a drive with commentary through this lush, hilly, spectacular country. On our way to the famous Mayan archeological site of Quiragua, we ran into a little local traffic: a herd of cattle driven through the middle of the road by a man on horseback, which got our cameras busy!
Upon reaching Quirigua, we toured the site while learning about the history of the Maya empire and this once powerful city. After birdwatching and shopping for Guatemalan textiles, we squeezed in a quick visit to a banana plantation, belonging to Del Monte, where we got to see the packaging process of this important source of income for Guatemala.
The buses then led us on to Rio Dulce, where we boarded speedboats. After a delicious lunch on a riverine island, we had an incredible experience on Lake Isabel, as we visited an ancient castle and the Ketchi Mayas living on the banks of this huge lake. Our voyage ended at the Garifuna community of Livingston, where just offshore the Sea Voyager was awaiting our return, as we boarded filled with memories of unforgettable experiences of Guatemala, “Land Of The Forests”.
We woke up early this morning to be greeted by a cheerful Marimba band in Guatemala. We were docked at Santo Thomas and at 7:00 am we met the local guides who were to accompany us and boarded our buses for a drive with commentary through this lush, hilly, spectacular country. On our way to the famous Mayan archeological site of Quiragua, we ran into a little local traffic: a herd of cattle driven through the middle of the road by a man on horseback, which got our cameras busy!
Upon reaching Quirigua, we toured the site while learning about the history of the Maya empire and this once powerful city. After birdwatching and shopping for Guatemalan textiles, we squeezed in a quick visit to a banana plantation, belonging to Del Monte, where we got to see the packaging process of this important source of income for Guatemala.
The buses then led us on to Rio Dulce, where we boarded speedboats. After a delicious lunch on a riverine island, we had an incredible experience on Lake Isabel, as we visited an ancient castle and the Ketchi Mayas living on the banks of this huge lake. Our voyage ended at the Garifuna community of Livingston, where just offshore the Sea Voyager was awaiting our return, as we boarded filled with memories of unforgettable experiences of Guatemala, “Land Of The Forests”.
