Guatemala, the central america country, is a very fascinating travel destination.  The country is diverse and unique in its own way. The people are divided between descendents of Spanish, natives, or a mix. The natives have very colorful clothes. No other country I have visited had exotic fabric colors than Guatemala. There are many amazing sites to explore and needs at least 2 weeks to see it at a relatively fast pace.

The most famous site is Tikal National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a fascinating and mesmerizing place. Walking through the site hidden in the middle of the rainforest jungle is such an experience. A lot of ruins are still partially or completely covered. Tikal was the capital of one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya. It is inspiring to see how the Mayan lived their life and build all these grand structures. 

The second site to see in Guatemala is Lake Atitlán, a breath-taking lake, considered by some as the most beautiful lake in the world. The panoramic setting of three volcanic mountains behind the lake making it truly a contestant for such title. The sun sets just behind the mountains and I have found it personally the best sunset I have ever witnessed.

The 3rd destination is the ancient colonial city of Antigua. The entire architecture dates back to the Spanish colonization. It has a number of spectacular ruins of churches, and structures. It a very well preserved UNESCO World Heritage site and building are only one story.

The  people are polite, relaxed, and friendly. The urban transport consists of school buses, known among travellers as “chicken bus”. It is very cheap but not comfy as it gets very crowded. Driving through Guatemala was such a treat, and we were lucky to have a local friend, Super Mario, who took us everywhere, invited us into his house, and made our stay such a wonderful and memorable trip. Thanks Mario.