It was already warm as I followed our guide, Douglas through Juayua’s cobbled streets to the path where the hike began. A few local street dogs bounced alongside us, ever hopeful of pats or even better, food.
I accidentally timed my arrival in Antigua with the blooming of the jacarandas in its main square. No accident though, was my plan to see its Semana Santa celebrations, the most elaborate in Latin America.
San Pedro La Laguna on the shores of Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan is home to a unique mixture of Spanish students and traditional Tz’utujil Maya, helping it to stand out on the backpacker trail.