Overlanders going through Guatemala City will know the “cabaña suiza”. It is like an exotic oasis on the edge of the huge city and offers a safe harbor and engardiner tart to travelers. The bernhardiner avalanche dog became a life guard, the black and white cow is made of plastic, but who needs to get married urgently: the chapel is genuine.
Street parking with family connection
Montericco Hawaii is a narrow peninsula with black lava sand. It´s located in the south of Guatemala between the pacific coast and the mangroves of the plains. The so called ‚canal’ is navigable until El Salvador.
Seven months ago, Fredy and Katy opened their small family hotel, which they had build by their own: Hotel La Guitarra. The large pool with jacuzzi is Fredy’s pride. On weekends, families from Guatemala City having a break here from the big city jungle. Then the 6 rooms are occupied with up to 40 persons and more. From Sunday afternoons, the beach again belongs to the small fishing community, the pigs, the chickens and the dogs. Thank you for your hospitality, family connection and Katy’s Venezuelian food. We wish you all the best for your young business! By the way: Overlanders are welcome!!
Once antigua was the capital of guatemala, but 1776 it got hit by a major earthquake which distroyed the city completely . Many churches were not reconstructed afterwards and if, they got thiscker walls and smaller towers. besides this, the government was moved to guatemala city. However, the city has not lost its charm and its lively nature, and is now a tourist highlight, flanked by three powerful volcanoes of which the “fuego” is active at the moment.
iglesia y convento de la recolección
Anno 1701 the monks in antigua placed an order to built a magnificent church together with a monastry. In 1708 it was done and nothing was saved, thick walls were created with powerful arcs. just 65 years later, in 1773, the earth was wobbling and the complete monastery was fucked up. It was never rebuilt, still today huge clusters of depris are lying in the nave and with some imagination you could assume that quite some cowls lie beneath them.
In the next centuries almost every building in Antigua suffered this fate, many were reconstructed and if just the facade was rebuild and strengthened massively on the rear side.
Meanwhile, we have arrived – at least temporarily – in Guatemala. Temporarily, because the visa for méxico is valid for “only” a half year. We will return to méxico to explore yucatan and visit some mayan sites.
Together with other travelers from 10 nations, we celebrated x-mas with a pot luck party at the latke atilán, which is still nice for a swim, even during wintertime and an altitude of 5200feet .
As soon as we arrived in todos santos, we got invited to a free meal in due to an inauguration of a new church (exactly opposite an older one). For this fiesta, 4 bulls got slaughtered which then were cooked in huge kettels.
The pitoresque village of todos santos cuchumatán, located in 8000feet elevation in the sierra de los cuchumatanes, is known for its exclusive fashion: all men wear the traditional red white striped trousers.
Some limp-dicks believe that turtle eggs would be an aphrodisiaca. This is, of course, equally stupid and as fatal for the turtle population, so the playa escobilla is strictly guarded by the military.
The local eco-tourism program “santuario la escobilla” organizes the visit of the 15km long beach section, and after the papers were inspected by the military, the freshly hatched olivian bastard turtles are taken from a breading station to the beach by tourists. An awesome experience! More than a million of these sea-creatures come each year to this beach and not all make their way back in the ocean.
