No question, we will be back! We took Guatemala more as a tag along since we were “in the area” with Costa Rica but finally, this turned into a much bigger “coup de coeur” than Costa. Maybe it comes down, as so often, to expectations. Much better to exceed expectations than to meet them, after all. But we were honestly amazed with just how much Guatemala has to offer. Also, we had some inhibitions before coming having heard about safety issues but we can honestly say that we never once felt unsafe. Granted, many places we stayed at did have a guard and we did not venture off into dark back streets, but that feels more like general travel etiquette, no matter where you go.
We loved:
– the ancient knowledge and history:
ancient Mayan culture was, for me at least, relatively abstract. I did not realise just how sophisticated their mathematical and scientific theories already were, especially in regards to astronomy and calendars. Their counting system, the facts that they already worked with 365 days in 1500 BC, the understanding of seasons….Some trivia: Mayans always planted 3 crops together: corn, black beans and squash. Granted, they worshipped the number 3, but the science gives another explanation: the corn gave structure for the beans to “climb” on, while the beans give off a high dose of nitrate which the corn needs to grow and the squash is perfect to keep the ground well aerated. Needless to say that I gobbled that up! Our visits to Tikàl and Yaxha were fabulous – it’s incredible to be climbing those centuries old structures so freely (and steeply!!!). Thierry especially loved the tour of the old palaces – there we can still see old wooden beams that are over 1000 years old. How did the Mayans protect their wood from the termites so aggressively present in the surrounding jungle? That remains a mystery to this date. (And probably a secret treasure worth more than gold in itself!). They found a bottle with a crew lid for cacao as old as 1200 BC. In Yaxha alone they built more than 100km of roads – without horses or cows to help! The ancient game of Poc-a-Toc that dates back to 1500 BC (which was quite sophisticated in itself) involved a ball made of caoutchouc – to make that, they had to mix the sap from the trees with sulphuric acid which they found probably from volcanoes. In a nutshell – it’s fascinating what intelligence and sophistication already governed the other side of the Earth when we in Europe are mostly educated on Ancient Greek and Roman culture (and philosophy)….
– the culture:
Mayans were an originally peaceful culture. There were no wars, no slavery, no domestication of animals… it probably helped that the land gave so bountifully, we were amazed t that the culture still lives on so richly and with so much diversity across the country. There are over 22 different Mayan languages, school teachers need to master at least two and the vibe and food and dresses of people differs greatly across the regions.All the while, the indigenous Mayan population is still terribly discriminated against, exploited and poor ever since the invasion of the Spanish. This is something we would have loved to understand more and when we come back, we will go up into the highlands to get a better feel of this.
– the food:
granted, we started off on a big high with Antigua where the food was truly spectacular and that all around. But outside of hotel fare we had really good food all around, tasty vegetarian was easy to come by everywhere and we discovered some fun new dishes such as the Tzequinche mushroom
– the diversity: we only got a mini snapshot in the 12 days from Antigua to the Petén lake region to the Pacific coast to lake Atitlán -every part was so unique and charming in its own way. There are many more regions we didn’t get to do, but that’s the perfect excuse to come back!
– the entrepreneurship:
we got to meet several entrepreneurs, proud of their culture and history and keen to spread the word. The spirit is open, curious and can do and we loved it! Shout out to our fabulous guide Elmer in Yaxha, David in Flores, and unknown name Uber driver in Guatemala City!
– Eco-filtro water filter:
this deserves a mention on its own, given its Guatemalan and so brilliant! It’s sadly not even penetrated the Guatemalan market. The idea is brilliant in its simplicity, efficiency, ecology and social sustainability: a clay filter on the inside and a ceramic pot on the outside. Water is naturally filtered of bacteria, chlorine, pesticides and stays cool and fresh. So smart! Brita and co can pack up if this comes to Europe!
What could be better:
– the ecological sensibility and political accountability: The country is so rich in its potential (and frankly has a lot more to offer than Costa Rica, we found), yet it is mired by political squabbles an corruption that doesn’t keep the environment safe. The country is largely a giant garbage dump with plastic bottles and chips packaging all over. It reminded me a lot of India in this respect, there just isn’t any conscience due to a poorly educated population.
Net, we were excited to witness a flourishing country that has more to offer than meets the eye (and political reports) and we can only say: go visit Guatemala!!