we are planning to travel to the south of mexico, belize
and guat. starting in may 1999 for roughly six weeks. we
would like information on accomodation that you have tried
and like, and whether it is safe to travel in belize. also
does anywhere hire out bikes?
thanks s&s
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In antigua, we stayed at Hotel Bugambilia which was
okay. it was clean, safe, had a "little" hot water, and
cost $10/night. you probably could do somewhat better. We
took tow bike tours using Old Town Outfitters on Calle 6a
that were great. One was around the highlands surrounding
Antigua and the other a two day trip to Lake Atitlan that
als included kayaking on the lake. I highly recommend them.
We stayed at Casa del Mundo at Jaibalito. They had a hot
tub, great food, incredible views of the lake and volcanos.
In chichicastengo, we stayed at Hotel Churguila, which was
slightly expensive ($122/night) but had hot water and was
very clean, safe. If you have time, I'd recommend a few
days hiking around Nebaj--it is incredibly beautiful there.
The people are incredibly friendly and you will get a
good perspective on indigenous life in Guatamala as
well as the effect of the war. Don't stay at Tres Hermoinos
(the LP guide is outdated)--the other hotel listed in the
guidebook is fine. Children will lead you there. If you go
to Tikal, camp at the ruins ($7/night). the wildlife (esp.
birds) really come to life in the late afternoon/evening
after most tourists leave. I enjoyed sunrise more than
sunset. bring bug spray. Hope this helps, email if you
have questions,
john
the states of oaxaxa and chiapas have much to fascinate.
night travel is roulette, but day time is safe enough.
for beaches, the areas around puerto angel offer something
for everyone. from the loose zipolite to quieter spots
just west, who needs the tourist traps up the coast!
san cristobel de las casas, commercial center for the
indios of chiapas and hotbed of zapanista activity, is
a surprizingly well-to-do city way up in the mountains.
wonderful town!
oaxaca, with its beautiful central square, and plethora
of art and music, has some of the same political tensions
you may feel in san cristobel, but provides a good intro
to mayan life, cause that's where you are headed if you are
going into guatamala. the mayans may not be tall, but
they are honest and honorable people. i opened up a pack
of trade goods to about 20 young mayans at the market by
the church on the north side of san cristobel. my stuff
was flying everywhere as people ran off to try things on
or show somebody something (after politely asking if it was
ok to do so), amd when all was said and done i had traded
everything. not a single thing was stolen, though they
all had ample opportunity to do so.
in guatamala, while traveling from antigua to panahanchel,
i befriended an old lady who was having difficulty getting
her bundles of wares off and on the bus. when i showed an
interest in her fabrics (all handmade from scratch) and
asked if she had others, lucella took me to her village
(santa catarina, about 5 kms outside of pana) to show me
where she lives and how she makes her fabrics. she
introduced me to her family as her new husband!
i spent 10 weeks between oaxaca and western panama,
traveling primarily on 2nd class buses and staying in
2 to 10 dollar accomodations, last spring.
i'll try to answer any queries you may have.
gusta!
Just got back from 1 month in Central America.
We also used OldTown Toufitters in Antigua, Guat. It's
pretty new and not yet in the LP guide. It's on Calle
6a (in the Cinemaya) and owned by 2 brothers (i think) who
gave us fantastic bike tours around Lago de Attitlan and
also near Antigua. Their place also sells gear and travel
guides. I didn't use the other place in Antigua(Maya Bike
Tours) but I heard it is kind of pricey and the guides are
uptight.
In Belize, if you go to San Pedro stay at Annie's on the
main drag. Good rates for room with fan/shower and ocean
views. We used found Amigo del Mar had the best rates on
the Caye. Email me if you'd like more info on Guat or
Belize.
Ciao
I'm traveling to Belize in a week and am looking for
inexpensive, off the beaten path spots to check out. We
had planned to spend most of our time in Guatemala but a
volcano has erupted and we need to quickly change gears and
start finding out more about Belize's gems.
Thanks so much.