Yes, we're back....... Give me a bit of time to regroup. We had a wonderful time sampling Guatemala and Copan Ruinas in Honduras. We covered quite a bit of territory in 10 days.
Starting with colorful Antigua:
The vibrant colors, cobblestone streets, and people, were particularly photogenic.
Antigua became the base for our travels on this trip, and we were able to spend some time exploring the city.
One of the highlights was the morning we hired a driver and spent the morning exploring the villages around Antigua.
We spent two nights at Lago (Lake) Atitlan, staying at the quiet and somewhat isolated Lomas de Tzununa. The view from our porch was unmatched.
We spent parts of our two days visiting some of the villages that surround Lago Atitlan such as Tzununa, San Pedro La Laguna, wonderful San Juan La Laguna, and the colorful Santiago Atitlan, where older men still wear the traditional "traje".
Our next stop was the island-like town of Flores, on Lake Peten Itza.
Flores is the usual stopping off point for magnificent Tikal and it's towering temples.
After two nights, and a full day we were off to Honduras, and laid-back Copan Ruinas.
We loved Copan Ruinas, and in spite of the grandness of Tikal, we enjoyed the ruins at Copan even more!
The amazing carvings and scupltures made hiring a guide necessary, and we were glad we did. Our guide had over ten years of experience at the ruins, so we were provided with tons of stories and information. There's a reason why famed Archeologist Sylvanus Morley called the Ruins at Copan the "Athens of the New World".
We found the folks to be kind, with hearts as big as all of Central America. We made friends with a generous and warm family in Antigua, and on our last day, they decided to have us experience a bit more of Guatemala, which included this breathtaking view of Lago Amatitlan, and their hometown, Amatitlan.
And yes, I do remember that this is a food blog.....
And just for a bit more drama.......we had to fly in and out of Mexico City......and the spectre of "Gripe Porcina".....
I also realize that I'm still not done with our last trip....so I hope to finish those posts off in the near future as well.
In case you really want to read about Guatemala, please check out Oishii Eats wonderful post.
Thanks for your patience....it's good to be home!
Welcome back, Kirk! Glad you and the Missus made it back okay (love the picture or you two!). It looks like you guys had a great trip. Looking forward to reading all about it.
Posted by: Carol | Monday, 04 May 2009 at 09:02 PM
wow, you're back already! :)
sounds and looks like you and your wife had an awesome time. loved the photos of the scenery and food. can't wait to hear more about it!
Posted by: caninecologne | Monday, 04 May 2009 at 09:19 PM
Welcome back! We missed you! I can't wait to hear about this adventure. Those ruins look amazing. And I'm glad you and the missus made it back safe and sound.
Posted by: Wandering Chopsticks | Monday, 04 May 2009 at 09:25 PM
wow that was fast...welcome back, glad to hear you came back safely
Posted by: sawyer | Monday, 04 May 2009 at 10:11 PM
welcome back!
Posted by: santos. | Monday, 04 May 2009 at 10:22 PM
Welcome back! Did you do a before/after weigh-in for the trip?
Posted by: the office goat | Monday, 04 May 2009 at 10:22 PM
yay! welcome home Kirk and Missus K.! glad to hear you guys are safe and well.
Posted by: penny | Monday, 04 May 2009 at 10:44 PM
The photography is BEAUTIFUL!! I'm amazed!!
Posted by: Hannah J | Monday, 04 May 2009 at 10:54 PM
Back so soon?
I called The Wife over and said, "Hey, Kirk finally posted a picture of himself and The Missus!" She laughed when she saw the picture.
Posted by: Fred | Monday, 04 May 2009 at 11:21 PM
It's great to have you back (and healthy). The pics look wonderful, but I want to know more about THE FOOD.
Posted by: ed (from Yuma) | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 07:25 AM
Great pictures of the stratovolcaoes! Looking at them, and then seeing the shot of the pyramid, I have a hunch about the inspiration for the shape.
Pig Flu? Mmmmmmmmmmm. ;)
Posted by: Janfrederick | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 07:31 AM
Hi Carol - Thanks....we had a great time.
Hi CC - It did go by pretty quickly, didn't it?
Hi WC - Thanks! The swine flu thing was going 24/7 on television for a while.
Hi Sawyer - We were surprised at how quickly time flew.
Hi santos - It's good to be back home.
Hi TOG - I believe I've lost about 10 pounds or so....and not because the food was "low fat" by any means!
Hi Penny - thanks so much!
Hi Hannah - Guatemala is very photogenic!
Hi Fred - Somehow, I knew folks would get a kick over that photo.
Hi Ed - All in good itme...let me get organized.
Hi Jan - Yes, it becomes pretty obvious. I love calling it gripe porcina.....
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 07:51 AM
unbelievable that picture of Antigua with the volcano as a backdrop.
Posted by: RONW | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 07:56 AM
Hi RONW - That volcano is always looming to the South, it made for a great landmark.
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 08:10 AM
Welcome back Kirk! Funny I had a dream last night that you posted an invite to all your readers to a sushi dinner party at your home! haha
Posted by: Dennis | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 08:44 AM
I'm looking forward to your posts about this trip. Thanks for always taking the time to share your experiences!
Posted by: Lynnea | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 09:11 AM
Welcome back! Your photos look amazing. I can't wait to read more.
Posted by: kirbie | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 11:26 AM
Hi Dennis - You had a dream with me in it??? I think you need some help! ;o) he-he-he.....
Hi Lynnea - No, thank you for reading!
Hi Kirbie - Needless to say, it was a very colorful trip.
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 12:14 PM
Absolutely gorgeous photos :D welcome back.
Posted by: Natali | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 04:12 PM
Welcome back! That 10 days went so fast for me, I can only imagine how fast it would going during a vacation hehe.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures so quickly, I feel like I'm right there.
Posted by: Saint | Tuesday, 05 May 2009 at 05:31 PM