greg willis

You know when there's sandstone on the blog that I've been out to Utah. We've recently returned from a trip out west, mainly hanging around Boulder, UT. I'll yap about the hikes and post photos over the next week or so.

We'd been to Chichen Itza a few years back and really enjoyed it. I knew nothing about Maya history then, but even stumbling ignorantly through ruins left me with a feeling of awe for this seemingly mysterious culture. When we decided upon Guatemala for our destination this year, the ruins at Tikal were among the deciding factors. And determined to not be ignorant as I stumbled through this ancient city, I read just about every book and bought every map I could on Tikal.

And even with my assiduous prep, Tikal was overwhelming. Both the geographic and chronological scales are far beyond Chichen Itza, a comparatively small and short-lived Maya city.

We stayed for two nights: arriving in the afternoon on the first day to take advantage of the free entrance after 15:00, and departing noonish on the third. This gave us about 20 hours of walking-through-the-ruins time. And although we did manage to see most everything that can be seen, it felt rushed.

In addition to the scale, Tikal differs from other Maya sites because it's smack in the jungle. Guatemala established a national park to protect Tikal's wildlife, as well as its archeology. So you got your spider monkeys, your coati mundi -- even more creatures than we saw on our Mirador trek. At sunrise you'll hear the howler monkeys and at sunset you'll see the pairs of parrots flying through the treetops.

So go if you can. And stay at least one night, if not two. Oh you'll be overwhelmed, too. But if have a chance to experience a sunset and a morning, you'll see the beauty as well as the scale.

Tikal Photo Album

The highlands of Guatemala are so mountainous, they make West Virginia look like Kansas. The roads seem like continuous switchbacks. And every valley goes down twice as far as you expect. We visited two places in the highlands -- Chichicastenango and Santiago Atitlan.

We were in Chichi for the market. The market is indeed huge, with streets blocks around the main plaza jammed with colorful stands full of stuff for sale, folks selling, and folks buying. We stayed the night before, but I don't think it was worth it. Chichi isn't that charming of a place to warrant staying there much longer than to buy things at the market. And although the market started around 8 am, I didn't see any particular advantage to being there before the buses arrived. My recommendation is to stay elsewhere, Pana maybe, and take the bus like everyone else.

Lake Atitlan looks just like the travel posters - clear blue water surrounded by volcanic peaks - undoubtedly pretty. And the tourist feel around Lake Atitlan reminded me of beach towns here in the US - very laid-back with large emphasis on the relaxing. So no, I did not really enjoy Lake Atitlan, for the same reasons I don't go to the beach. I place the blame solely on myself - I should have scheduled a hike or some activity out of the towns. We did stay in a kick-ass inn -- Posada de Santiago. Expat owned and a lot of evangelical Americans about, but the accommodations and food were terrific. And after two weeks of non-English-speaking service, the ease of transactions were worth the loss of local color.

I've got Chichi, Lake Atitlan, and the Maya city Iximche all together in the Highlands Photo Album.

We liked Antigua. Not sure whether is was the historical Spanish colonial ruins, the relaxed and laid back attitude, the intimate feel of this small city, or the simply perfect weather. But we liked it.

I think the main reason is because there's plenty of little stuff to do, but nothing you have to do. Check out a ruined convent, do a bit of shopping for the folks back home, grab some lunch, sit around the park and have some ice cream. It's a refreshing change to the zen-like activities available in Flores.

For visits longer than a couple of days, you'd probably need to venture on a day trip or two or get yourself a Spanish lesson.

We visited in Lent. We had heard about the Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions, but figured that we'd missed out. On a Sunday night as we were dining on a Sunday night, low and behold the procession passed right below our window table. Turns out that on Sundays in Lent they have them. Now I know you're thinking "Procession?" This is a traditional parade-like event, even with floats. But the floats are make of wood, weigh up to 2 tons, and are carried by folks on their shoulders. There's even a guy behind, pushing the generator for the lights. And there're dozens more people in robes, carrying banners or playing in the bands. But it is Lent, and it is not a parade, but a solemn procession. But it's a wonder to see. (Photos are in the middle of the album)

Antigua Photo Album

If you're going to Tikal or to any of the Maya ruins in the north of Guatemala, you'll be staying in Flores. It is an almost circular island in the middle of lake Peten Itza, and small emough to circumambulate in 15 minutes.

The trick to Flores is that there's no trick. It is not a destination on its own -- folks are usually on their way to Tikal or elsewhere. Flores is like a bus station, albeit a very pretty one. And like a bus station, it has diversions for you to bide your time -- restaurants, boat rides, and pretty sunsets. But it's not a real Guatemalan town, really. The locals live across the lake in Santa Elena -- whis is as vibrant and cluttered as you would expect for a good-sized city. Flores remains a tourist place. Plenty of restaurants but no tortillería (tortilla making shops); many hotels few apartments.

It has a pleasant expat scene, plenty of beer, and you can't beat the sunsets. No sights to speak of and you'll be an island expert after an hour of exploring. So don't expect much. But while you await that next bus, grab a lakeside table and utter the words, "Uno Gallo cerveza mas, por favor."

Flores Photo Album

While in Antugua, we took an Old Town Outfitters day trip to Pacaya Volcano. It was US$80 for the both of us, but that got us transport, a great guide, Wilber, and lunch at the top. The hike itself was trivial. But there is no shortage of men and boys at the trailhead trying to convince you otherwise, and that you really should ride one of their horses. Oh and they will follow you during the steep initial assent, just in case you change your mind. Although some in our group rode, they seemed to be new at hiking and had no real business being off of pavement.

Informed ahead of time, we did buy a stick. A dozen boys vying for your stick-commerce also greet you at the trailhead when your bus arrives. [Technically it is a rental, since they want it returned when you get back.] Get one. Why? So you have something to poke the lava with, silly.

And lava we did see. Conditions on the volcano vary from day to day, but we saw an actual moving lava flow. It was so hot, we couldn't roast the marshmallows that Wilber so dutifully brought along. The most unusual part: the sound. The clinking of the cooled lava as it dropped off or was pushed by the flow.

Check out the Payaca Volcano photo album.  And if you're in Guatemala, I recommend going. 

As I am fond of saying, there are two wonderful things about travelling: going away and coming home. We've just completed the second part of that equation. We traveled in Guatemala for 17 days, visiting the jungle and Maya ruins in the north, the mountians and the quite still living Maya folk in the west, and the charming and historic city of Antigua somewhere there in the middle.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be posting photos and writings about our experiences, so stay tuned.

Another joys of traveling is connecting with like-minded people in foreign places. I would like to greet all the folks whom we met in the course of our travels. I hope your travels concluded well, and I look forward to hearing from you.

I love to create itineraries. I research the internet and the library to find out what's worth seeing and doing. Then I get out maps and figure how far it is to drive or hike, and which direction of travel would be best. And finally I write it all down on a grid of days to make sure that all the times are realistic. I do take great pride in my trip itineraries. No one else really cares, but I do.

So here's my hand-crafted itinerary of our trip to Glacier. The only thing I would change would be the staying in Great Falls. Due to inconvenient flight times (arriving late, leaving early) we had to stay there. But it's fairly underwhelming, so I wouldn't recommend it. Otherwise, it's solid. Good timing - plenty to do but not overwhelming - nice little rest at the end.

Work was so busy in aught-seven, that we had a whole family vacation that I didn't have time to write about. We went to Glacier NP for a little over a week.  I'll have a couple of write-ups shortly, so for now you can enjoy the Glacier NP photo album.

When we go out west, it's usually in addition to any other vacation we have scheduled for the year. So to justify the expense, we usually try to go on the cheap. So the places I've reviewed here are not meant to be the best of the best. And although I'm not shy about throwing coin at restaurant or a hotel, it's all about the value. So lets see how things stacked up on this trip.

Moab, UT
Food: Moab Brewery