Afterthoughts

As usual with our blogs, here are a few conclusions.  If you aren't familiar with blogs, the top post is always the last.  To get to the first day of the trip, open the link to 'February'  on the right hand side and then choose the bottom of the list . 

John's favourites:

• Lake Atitlan.. is as relaxing and picturesque a place as it is made out to be, even if everyone knows about it.  There are still quiet niches on the shore where you can stay peacefully. 
• Best Hostels were: La Iguana Perdida on Lake Atitlan,  Tortugal on Rio Dulce and La Casa Rosada in Livingston.  The Casa Rosada had by far the best food of the trip.  These were not the cheapest of hostels,  we are talking £20 - £25 a night for a double room, (sometimes with shared bathroom) but they each have a unique and amazing vibe. Other hostels we stayed in were cheaper. 
• Travelling to the hardly visited Cancuen Ruins near Raxruha.  We had to use the local transport.  Standing in the back of a pickup on a dirt road, then a 40 minute motorboat ride up the Rio Pasion.  On this trip we rubbed shoulders with local Mayan villagers who were lovely, friendly people.  Some of them spoke Spanish, but many only spoke Q'eqchi.  (pronounced 'Kek chee'!)   
• Tulum in Mexico has great beaches, particularly nearest to the ruins, in spite of the thousands of tourists who must pour through the small town every month. 
• Conversations with locals and other travellers.

Unfavourites: 

• Tortillas.  These are probably the best, slightly scented, hand made tortillas in the world, but we just couldn't get to like them.  Give me a good paratha instead.  

Yvonne's favourites:

• The decaying beauty of the Spanish colonial buildings in Antigua
• Meeting Silvia in Guatemala City
• The stunning beauty of the mountains around lake Atitlan – buying the huipiles in San Juan
• The beauty of lake Atitlan
• Swimming in Semuc Champey and staying in Zephyr lodge near the ancient conquistador church of Lanquin
• Going upriver to Cancuen ruins.  Visiting Candelaria caves with Cesar
• Livingston and the Casa Rosada with the delicious seafood and friendly atmosphere
• Meeting the sailors at Tortugal
• Visiting Copan in Honduras
• Spending the day at Vinas del Lago hotel at the pool
• Snorkelling and drinking cocktails in Caye Caulker
• Tulum – the lovely ruins and the amazing beaches for swimming

Yvonne's unfavourites:

• The poor quality of the buses
• Losing 90 pounds at the atm in Chiquimula (did get it back)

• The food at Hotel Cancuen in Raxruha
  The journey from Raxruha to Livingston
  The weather in Coban – forced us to change plans – cut out time in Raxruha and go to Livingston instead

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Packing.. for those who asked..
John got his pack weight down to 8kg  before leaving the UK.  Three shirts. two t shirts, 2 prs light trousers, 1 pr shorts. Light fleece. swimming trunks. 2nd pair of shoes.  We used laundry services 3 times.
No laptop, just smartphone, kindle and compact camera.   Good charger with 4 usb outlets and appropriate cables. USA type plug adapters.  We bought some hold baggage allowance and took lightweight backpack over-bags which we used as our hold bags.  Flying back I was therefore able to include a special bottle of Zacapa rum wrapped inside the textiles that Yvonne had bought  ;)

As usual, we also took super light day packs.

I wore a money belt under my shirt .  My watch isn't expensive, but next time I will take an old scratched one that I have. Not for fear of it being stolen, but out of respect for some of the people we encountered on the local buses, etc.

Yvonne took a lightweight mosquito net. Not needed but we did use the 50% deet repellent a few times.
Took a water filter bottle which purifies dodgy tapwater.  Not needed as all hostels provided bottled water either free or v cheaply.   If we were going off the tourist trail more it might have been useful.

Yvonne took her compact camera and her iPad4 with an SD card reader to transfer the camera photos onto the iPad.   Also, her Logitech bluetooth keyboard for the iPad.

Took binoculars but only limited usefulness as we aren't serious birdwatchers and you can see most of the larger animals with the naked eye. Wouldn't take them again.

Rainwear.. We agonised over this.  We took ponchos in the end as we thought it would be hot and wet.  Ponchos provide a lot of ventilation if you don't mind the flapping about.   However, in the event, we hit the coldest February most could remember, which meant nice English Summer temperatures and the rain we did encounter, we were able to shelter from.   The ponchos stayed in their bags.

Footwear.  We always agonise over this as well.   Expecting rainforest wet, we took waterproof trainers. Not goretex type (too hot) but beach type ones that dry out in an hour and are mostly mesh.  We didn't need them as it was so cool.  Just wore sandally type things.