Guatemala

Time is winding down here and the anticipation of getting home and seeing everybody (and all the decadent food) at Christmas is growing. I feel a certain laziness at times and often have the "if I stay in one place for the rest of my trip or if I don't see anything else, that's totally fine" feeling. It's amazing, though, how this tends to make everything you do even more special. Perhaps it's because there are no expectations, perhaps it's because I feel like I am playing with house money. Regardless, I feel pretty lucky.

Guatemala is many people's favorite place to travel in Central America and it is easy to see why. Though there is a lot of crime here - mostly in the capital, but increasingly against tourists - there is also incredible scenery, great markets and a huge indigenous population - giving you a much more 'authentic' feeling than in many of the places I've visited.

From the chill colonial city of Antigua to the peaceful and photogenic shores of Lago Atitlan to the remote, awe inspiring pools of Semuc Champey, Guatemala does not disappoint.

One more stop before leaving Guatemala - the famous Maya ruins of Tikal which feature stone temples bursting through the green forest canopy with howling howler monkeys as your soundtrack.