Spread across a verdant and mountainous chunk
of land, Guatemala is endowed with simply staggering natural, historical
and cultural interest. Though the giant Maya temples and rainforest
cities have been long abandoned, ancient traditions remain very
much alive throughout the Guatemalan highlands. Uniquely in Central
America,
at least half the country's population is still Native American,
and this rural indigenous culture is far stronger than anywhere
else in the region. Countering this is a powerful ladino society, characteristically
urban and commercial in its outlook. All over the country you'll
come across remnants of Guatemala's colonial past, nowhere more
so
than in the graceful former capital, Antigua.
It's this outstanding cultural legacy, combined with Guatemala's
mesmeric natural beauty, that makes the country so compelling
for the traveller. The Maya temples of Tikal would be magnificent
in
any arena but set inside the pristine jungle of the Maya Biosphere
Reserve, with attendant toucans and howler monkeys, they are
bewitching. Similarly, the genteel cobbled streets and plazas
of colonial Antigua
gain an extra dimension from their proximity to the looming volcanoes
that encircle the town. This architectural wealth is scattered
to a lesser degree throughout the country - almost every large village
or town boasts a giant whitewashed colonial church and a classic
Spanish-style plaza. Though most of the really dramatic Maya
ruins lie deep in the jungles of Petén , interesting sites
are scattered throughout the land, along the Pacific coast and
in the
foothills
of the highlands. |
