01 I met up with John in Antigua, the old capital of Guatemala.JPG

02 Antigua is surrounded by three volcanoes.JPG

03 The cathedral of Antigua.JPG

04 The fountain on the main square.JPG

05 There are several jade workshops in Antigua.JPG

06 where jewelry is made.JPG

07 There are ruins throughout Antigua.JPG

08 view over Antigua.JPG

09 There are plenty of coffee shops with pictoresque courtyard gardens.JPG

10 For lunch we visit a new restaurant...JPG

11 ...that is inaugarated by an ancient Mayan ceremony.JPG

12 The cermony involves a pyrre and symbolic acts towards each of the four wind regions.JPG

13 The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes and is quite interesting to watch.JPG

14 of course.JPG

15 View over Antigua from a hill closeby.JPG

16 a statue of Maximon, an important local holy figure.JPG

17 It is world cup time, the Dutch play the finals...JPG

18 ...which we plan to watch in Flores, a small town situated on an island.JPG

19 The local sports bar, this is where we will watch the game.JPG

20 local birds.JPG

21 John decides to go for a swim.JPG

22 Netherlands - Spain in the world cup finals!.JPG

23 After the finals, we take a tuktuk to Tikal, where we are greeted by Howler monkeys.JPG

24 We explore the magnificent Tikal ruins at daybreak.JPG

25 We have the park almost to ourselves.JPG

26 Tikal bird.JPG

27 Yes, it really was that steep.JPG

28 John decided to wait at the bottom while I climb one of the main pyramids.JPG

29 Pyramid on the central plaza.JPG

30 giant spider feeding on a large butterfly.JPG

31 A rare species of crocodile.JPG

32 Jungle road.JPG

33 Overgrown ruins.JPG

34 One of the main plazas.JPG

35 Palm fruit.JPG

36 This ruin has been partially uncovered.JPG

37 Pyramid number V.JPG

38 View from the top.JPG

39 across the Peten peninsula, a flat low lying rain forest.JPG

40 Ruins everywhere.JPG

41 From Tikal, we take local buses and ferries to Raxruja.JPG

42 When we get there, a tropical storm rains down on us.JPG

43 Jesus lizard.JPG

44 Next day we visit the Candelaria caves in Chisec.JPG

45 with a local guide.JPG

46 This cave has been used for Mayan cermonies for a long time.JPG

47 a raging river just before it disappears underground.JPG

48 flowers.JPG

49 more flowers.JPG

50 a trail of leafcutter ants.JPG

51 we stop in Coban for some delicious local coffee.JPG

52 back in Antigua we visit an organic Macadamia farm.JPG

53 machines to peel the nuts from their shell.JPG

54 hands down the greenest restroom ever.JPG

55 John and I enjoy a complimentary massage with Macadamia oil.JPG

56 John at the shores of his Guatemalan home at Lago Atitlan.JPG

57 View of San Pedro from the lake.JPG

58 San Pedro with the volcano in the background.JPG

59 local fisherman.JPG

60 a relief map of the Lago Atitlan.JPG

61 The church of Santiago Atitlan.JPG

62 Memorial for Father Roher, who was murdered in the 1980s.JPG

63 a local Maximon altar.JPG

64 the dock in Santiago Atitlan.JPG

65 John helps prepare for a Maya ceremony.JPG

66 The priest builds the pyrre.JPG

67 many layers of carefully stacked ingredients.JPG

68 John participates in the ceremony.JPG

69 John gets cleansed.JPG

70 and so do I.JPG

71 John burns a candle for yet another Maximon altar.JPG

72 Maximon statue.JPG

73 Maximon lying down.JPG

74 Last supper Atitaln style.JPG

75 an altar room.JPG

76 a mural depicting the setting of a broken bone.JPG

77 a mediterranean-style backpackers venue in San Pedro.JPG

78 early morning view of San Pedro from the lower slopes of the volcano.JPG

79 the site of a recent landslide that destroyed 18 houses and killed a little girl.JPG

80 San Pedro at Lago Atitlan.JPG

81 viewpoint half way up the volcano.JPG

82 we hike through dense jungle.JPG

83 a view from the top straight down on Santiago Atitlan.JPG

84 view from the top.JPG

85 epiphytes in the trees.JPG

86 jungle butterfly.JPG

87 pretty flower.JPG

88 pretty flower.JPG

89 people doing laundry and bathing at Lago Atitlan.JPG

90 final view over the lake.JPG