Guats in a weeks and a bit

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One week and a bit in Guatemala really isn't enough. There is far too much culture to absorb and history to get a proper idea of what this country is about. It really reminded me of Bolivia in that the weavings are full of colour and the women continue to proudly wear their traditional bright clothes. It was certainly a culture shock to be back on buses that seemed to be on their last legs and to talk to a Latino whose first language was not Spanish.

Guatemala is bursting with beautiful countryside, wildlife, warmth, love and culture which has made it by far the most interesting place I have been to in Central America. Unfortunately, I have been spoilt by what I have experienced already, so I wasn't expecting anything amazing. I was however, really happy to meet up with Feddy and Sarah, my two friends from London in Guatemala City,

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From the airport we went straight to Antigua which is famed for its colonial architecture. As I said, I have overdosed on anything remotely colonial so for me, it wasn't such a mind blowing experience. It is definitely beautiful, but there is only so much you can take of sixteenth century churches.We did however, go to a coffee plantation just outside of the city and learn how coffee is grown and harvested. Coffee is a fine art for me and so this was like visiting a sensually inviting gallery of aromatic flavours and scents. The museum is located next to the Traditional Music Museum and the Traditional Weaving and Clothing Museum. It was a nice introduction to the customs of Guatemala's dominant indigenous population.

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The next stop was to Santiago de Atilan which is a tiny community on the lake of Atilan. The site is surrounded by immense volcanoes, clambering to embrace the clouds. The town itself was fairly nondescript, but coming from Antigua, a place aimed at pleasing every gringo whim, it is certainly a culture shock. Spanish is hardly spoken here, let alone understood. There is a fabulous lack of tourism and children stare at you fascinated by your pale skin. The streets were awash with all the colours of a tropical fruit salad, with women shuffling about tending to their everyday business. The scenery was breathtaking too , especially given that I am pretty much all laked and volcanoed out. It also helped that we checked into a stunning hotel overlooking the lake with a jacuzzi and a sauna that we relaxed in at sunset, taking in the magnificent view. Pricey but worth it.

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The third place that we visited was Coban which is the city closest to Samuc Champey ( Excuse the spelling) . The city itself is hideous but the latter place is possibly one of the most beautiful that I have been to so far. Set within a forest, a crystalline river gushes powerfully through a cave underground and forces its way back up to the exit. Above the cave, several natural swimming pools were formed flowing into one another as they make their way down to the river below. Once you climb up to the pools, you then swim down to the main water fall and climb down to the entrance of the cave where your guide explains the history of the rock formations. You then jump about five or six meters into the river below. It was an adventure to say the least and the water is just the right temperature of tepid to warm. Once you have done all that, you go to a huge cave where hundreds of bats and hand width spiders rule. Pretty scary. After a couple of days in bed with a sudden fever, I recovered and moved onto the next amazing place.

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Flores is the nearest place to stay in order to visit TIkal, Cental America's most significant archeological site. Tikal was a city built by the Mayans in the years before Christ. It predates the Aztecs and the Incas and forms an insight into the strategy used by these ancient people to farm, construct and live in such a diverse biosphere. As monkeys swing from the tree tops and parrots squark above, it was as if we were entering a steamy forgotten ape kingdom where humans were watched fearfully. One of the most stunning sights that I have seen so far are the tops of Manyan temples rise high above the jungle canopy. It is incredibly interesting and a must if you visit this country.

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Not wanting to sound like a broken record but the greatest asset that this place has is the people. They were so concerned about me when I was ill that sometimes it was annoying! I was constantly brought tea and damp towels and they were always making sure I was ok. It is this level of warmth that Guatemala exudes and what makes it such a memorable experience.