Guatemala (2022)

• By Barry & Allyn Shulman
• On February 21, 2022
• 1 Comment.

The shipped docked today at Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala, on the Gulf of Honduras.

I took a guided trolley tour around town.

This is a poor country (ave income $550 per month). To put that in perspective our guide also teaches English and works in an electronics store. He said since the ship is in town today, he can justify lunch today at MacDonald’s.

Most people ride motorcycles because they cannot afford gas for cars, let alone have the funds to buy one. Often, they cover them when parked to protect from the scorching heat and sun rays.

Guatemala is known for colorfully pained tombstones in their cemeteries. Friends and family paint them using the favorite color of the departed as a way of honoring and remembering the dead.

Many merchants sell their product outside.

 

You just can’t get away from what we consider a low standard of living.

All over the world markets look inviting and create good photo ops.

Guatemala and Israel have a very close relationship. In 1948, after the United States, Guatemala was the first country in the world to recognize Israel. Now Israel helps train their arm forces, provides disaster relief and even built this road. Israel was the first country to provide Guatemala with covid vaccine.

We saw several wild horses just ambling around town.

While I was trolleying through town, Allyn hiked a couple miles through the Las Escobas Tropical Rainforest. It is home to more than 400 species of birds, insects, reptiles, thousands of plants and other species, some of which are unique to this area of the world.

She was the only one in the group who stopped for a swim at the waterfalls, and reported that it was delightful.

The guides were quite excited to see a slaty tailed trogon. It is in the same family as the resplendent quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala. It was chosen over 750 species of birds found here.