I have not added anything here from my last month of adventures! I left Xela the first week of December and did a grand tour of the country.

The finite details will be lacking in this entry but the general gist and tips will be quite clear for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

From Lago de Atitlan and the beauty of Aaculaax I went to Chichicastenango for some shopping. I bought a beautiful skirt and nothing more.... so proud of my strong will.

After Chichi I enjoyed some time in Antigua and climbed the Volcano Picaya - strongly recommended because it is a blast! But go on a day with little to no clouds and try, very hard, to not get stuck with the hikers that want to "bag a peak". We had two hikers that would not stop to smell the roses and practically drug us to the top of the peak. During our summit we endured very strong winds and getting blasted with sand sized bits of pumice. Only to reach the top and have no views of lava, sulfur cloud, or terrain. The group behind us that took it nice and easy had a great unobstructed view with no clouds! Damn those speed freaks!

Coming down Picaya is a blast though. The rock is so voluminous and absorbing that you can run down the side of the volcano with no worries! It is an amazing feeling to be running down a mountain side... ha ha

I then made my way to Lanquin and El Retiro. A MUST! El Retiro is absolutely beautiful, food excellent, and very tranquil. I took the day trip to Semuc Champey and swam thru a cave by candlelight.... very cool indeed!

I also spent my birthday at El Retiro.... unfortunately I was dealing with a bout of Ghiardia so my birthday was very kick back with lots of water consumption. Thank goodness for Geoff and Metronidazol!

After Lanquin I made it to Tikal and the lovely city of Flores. I think this town gets a bad wrap but it is really beautiful. Enjoy a night at Hospedaje Doña Goya, a movie at the cine bar, and some wonderful pesto pasta at the restaurant across the street from there. REally great!

Tikal and the ruins weren´t too shabby either... ha ha But DO NOT eat at El Meson in the Tikal park. I totally got ripped off there. It sucked!

Made my way to Poptun and Finca Ixobel for x-mas and that was beautiful! The x-mas eve and x-mas day dinners were beyond compare. I hiked to yet another cave to do some swimming and exploring - it unfortunately was not my day because I took a terrible spill and ended up with a really huge bruise on my left hip. But eggnog that night and beers by the fire took care of any health concerns I had. :)

Went to Rio Dulce and would not recommend a stay at Casa Perico to my worst friend. It is weird, food expensive and crappy, and the bats in the dorm are numerous! Definitely visit El Paraiso and the hot waterfall though! This is an awesome day time outing. Just take a bus out there, it costs 10q and bring a lunch because you won´t want to leave. The water is hot and an amazing way to get a back massage under one of the falls. The views on the way out there were great from the bus.... but on the way back, after hitching a ride in the back of some guys Chevy Avalanche, the views were spectacular! A truly wonderful experience.

Denny´s beach is a lot of fun for sure. Enjoy the water, the boat ride out there (free at 3:30 at the dock near Bruno´s) and stay in the newer dorm. Very nice.

Took a boat ride down the Rio Dulce and enjoyed the views there as well. Livingston, a Garifuna village, is a fun and weird experience. Doesn´t feel like Guatemala at all.

Eat at Talingo Lingo´s and meet Maria.... hear her history and enjoy her food and enthusiasm. Drink a Loco Coco but have a friend handy to help you finish it.... they are HUGE! Get a guided tour by Davis.... he will introduce himself within 20 minutes of your arrival to Livingston. The other guides are less fun. And check out Ubafu... where, if your lucky, you will hear some live drumming... Garifuna style. Enjoy the beach and the canoe ride during the tour with Davis.... they are great!

Grabbed a ferry from Livingston to Puerto Barrios and made a mad dash for the Honduran border to catch the last bus heading into Copan Ruinas. My taxi driver is an Indy 500 candidate and provides a lovely heart of mango with a healthy coating of salt. ha ha

This brings me to today.... where I currently sit in Copan Ruinas anxiously awaiting my departure tomorrow (Jan. 7th) to Utila for some diving!

Take care and enjoy....