Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
rivers, misty mountains, coffee farms, volcanoes, and splendid accommodations from
which to enjoy them. Added bonuses include better road and communications infrastruc-
ture, fascinating modern-day Maya culture, colonial art and architecture, and the ruined re-
mains of the great Maya cities dotting vast portions of the landscape.
Surprised? In his book
Guatemalan Journey,
author Stephen Connelly Benz describes
his own culture shock upon his return to the country after a 10-year absence. He writes, “It
was something of a shock to have made the long journey to a Third World country—one
of the poorest in the hemisphere, according to the statistics I had seen—only to discover
landscaped avenues and speeding BMWs.” He adds, “What Ilearned that first weekend, or
