During January, 2014, I was able to travel to El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize to visit Mayan ruins that extend back to 2000 BCE, to see how the Mayan civilization still exists, and to better understand the current geopolitical situation in Central America. It was reassuring to know that the Mayan people still survive despite attempts--as late as the 1990's--to eradicate the native peoples. The following pictures were taken in communities near Lake Atitlan in west-central Guatemala. I'll write more and post more pictures in the near future. I'm not sure why I started with these photos; they just caught my attention as I was scanning through the pictures I took while on this trip.
Lake Atitlan occupies a vast volcanic caldera. Active volcanoes still border the lake.
The picture above shows that US tourism is alive and well in the old city of Antigua, Guatemala. It is a beautiful, Spanish Colonial city that controls building to retain the colonial look. This is a major tourist destination in Guatemala and a number of US ex-pats live here. Actually it has been rebuilt a number of times after major earthquakes destroyed it and surrounding cities. This area of Guatemala is very seismically active, being part of the Pacific "Rim of Fire."
This is the kitchen of a home of a typical villager in a small city near Lake Atitlan. The household consisted of two sisters and their families. The food was fresh from the market (they had no refrigeration) and was quite good.
Public transportation is via privately owned "Chicken Buses." These are US school buses that have been driven to Guatemala (and elsewhere in Central America) down the PanAm Highway and modified for public transportation (shortened wheelbases and bigger engines). They are decorated by their owners. Although privately owned, they follow regular routes approved by the government and keep regular schedules. They are called "chicken buses" because they used to transport livestock as well as people. It is a great way to get to meet and talk with local people.
If I recall correctly, there are 34 or more volcanoes in Guatemala, most of them dormant, but several of them still emitting smoke. One northeast of Guatemala City was very active just a few weeks before I was there. This volcano is covered with clouds and was not emitting smoke, but has been active in recent history. Guatemala is a beautiful country that has emerged as a democracy and free from military control only since 1992.