GUATEMALA

When I first arrived in Guatemala by bus, I didn't realize that three weeks later I wouldn't actually want to leave the country and would have to come back.
The streets glowing golden in the sun were just the beginning. Colorful festivals, street markets and fireworks in Flores, the city on the lake and starting point for an adventure to the ruins of the Mayan megacity of Tikal, help to regain lost life energy. Encounters with wonderful people, whether on a narrow bus ride to the jungle cascades of Semuc Champey or in the lively and colorful streets of Antigua, make the country extraordinary every time.
Surrounded by the world's most active volcano, the colonial beauty of Antigua is not only constantly under threat, but also the chance to experience the adventure of a lifetime and climb the active volcano Fuego.
On the shores of Lago de Atitlan, on hippy streets in tiny lakeside villages or watching crab fishermen from the jetty at sunrise...all stress just seems to have disappeared. With the surfboard on perfect barrels and the laid-back surf culture in El Paredon, it's easy to lose track of time.
Guatemala will forever have a piece of my heart - I've been there several times and it's one of my absolute favorite countries.