Guatemala

Guatemala is country number 6 on our Panamericana trip. Exciting Mayan ruins in the jungle, fire-breathing volcanoes, one of the most beautiful colonial cities and the deepest lake in Central America awaited us. We were looking forward to colorful indigenous markets, endless mountain roads and delicious chocolate, which originally comes from this country!

Guatemala is a predominantly poor country with many problems to contend with. It is also the most populous country in Central America. Almost half of Guatemala’s population are indigenous descendants of the Mayan civilization. The country’s indigenous population is disproportionately affected by infant and maternal mortality, malnutrition and illiteracy.

After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala gained its independence in 1821. In the second half of the 20th century, the country experienced various military and civilian governments as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement that officially ended the internal conflict. What is the security situation in the country today, what are the road conditions like and what kind ofovernight places awaited us? Full of excitement, we crossed the border from Belize to Guatemala and we will tell you what we experienced over the 3 weeks in this country in the following blogs.