World's Best Places to Visit

I have to confess that I messed up. I had a different post planned for today but forgot to remove it from the computer I was working on. Well, that is fine because now I can talk about my favorite country in Central America. What is my favorite country in Central America? Guatemala, of course. And today is the turn of magnificent Antigua, the third capital of Guatemala (they say third is the charm, right?). The city is famous because of its spectacularly preserved colonial ruins. It is also prominent thanks to the intricate Lent ceremonies celebrated each year. Elaborate carpets made of sawdust and flowers embellish the processions’ paths. The city’s Baroque architecture has won it the honor to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (Trivia: Which are the two other Guatemalan sites included in the World Heritage list?) Boy walking by the street Beautiful houses lining the street Unfortunately, I spent only one day at La Antigua. My dream is to go back, stay there a couple of...

Guatemala is famed for its volcanoes, avocados and coffee. Travellers flock to the Central American country to enjoy ancient ruins and gorgeous lakes, stroll around colonial cities and bask on the beaches of both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Unfortunately,  Guatemalan people aren’t always painted in the best way; British and American media often describe Guatemala (and the rest of Central America) to be a dangerous and scary place, filled with guns and drugs. It’s often suggested that while Guatemala is a beautiful country, Guatemalan culture is characterised by gang violence and kidnappings. I’m on a mission to travel deeper and see the world as it really is, not just how the media paints it. Twinning this with a desire to someday be fluent in Spanish and my realisation that uTalk isn’t quite enough to get me there, I decided to run away from responsibilities and spend two months studying in a remote city called Xela. Xela is nestled in the Guatemalan highlands and is ac...