Guatemala

Guatemala is Central America's largest and most populous country. It has a large population of indigenous Mayans who, for the most part, live in what is called the Western highlands. Around 14 million people live in Guatemala, and over half of them are of Mayan decent. Significantly, most Mayans speak one of the 22 Mayan languages at home and the women continue to wear Mayan traditional dress. Most Mayan men farm small plots of land in the traditional manor.

Guatemala has an area of 109,000 sq. km. There are 30 large volcanoes, some still active, rising as high as 4220 m in altitude. Northern Guatemala is largely jungle.

The Western Highlands, where most people live, are mountainous. There the soil is good and rainfall plentiful.

Guatemala is called "The Land of Eternal Spring”, though the weather can be a little more extreme in certain parts. It can freeze high up in the mountains and the lowlands are hot, to say the least. However, most cities (including Panajachel) lie between these two extremes and are almost always comfortable. It is recommended to bring a sweater when traveling in Guatemala and, from May through October, a rain coat. During those months, the rain can be heavy, though for the population, the rainy season is the best time of the year.

Politeness is very important to Guatemalans. Men almost always shake hands when they meet. "Buenos dias" (Good morning) and "Buenas tardes" (Good afternoon) are commonly said. Any attempt to speak Spanish, no matter how bad your Spanish may be, is always appreciated, if not necessarily understood.