Guatemala, Belize & Back

So I think where we last left off, I was busying myself with my pasta attachment for my Kitchen Aid, and desperately trying to clean out my fridge.

The good about cleaning out your fridge before a trip is that you return to a wonderfully clean fridge, free of any spoiled surprises.  The bad thing is that you return to a woefully empty fridge and a rumbly tummy.  And you end up surviving on scoops of chocolate sorbet and a few blueberry muffins in the freezer.  I concede that there are more dire food situations to be in, but when you compare that to the deliciously crispy fried chicken you ate the day before in Guatemala...well...chocolate sorbet just doesn't cut it.

 I know...fried chicken in Guatemala?  It's seriously good stuff.  Actually, just about everything in Guatemala was seriously good.  I was there for 4 days and Belize for another 3, and there's no way I could tell you everything I liked about it. 

But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try.  So here's a quick list.

1. The coffee.  Guatemala, particularly Antigua is serious about their coffee.  It's amazingly smooth and has almost no acidity. 

I looked forward to coffee con leche every morning in Antigua. 

2. The ruins.  Antigua is an amazing place to check out the ruins of cathedrals and other old structures dating back to the 1700's when the city was rebuilt. 

This is the courtyard at Antigua's La Merced Church.  The amazing thing about these "ruins" is that they are totally accessible and working churches. 

3. The animals.  There were cows and chickens everywhere!  They're adorable.

Adorable, but smelly.  I decided not to pet them.

4. The scenery.  The Guatemalan Highlands is situated between 3 volcanoes, which you can see from mostly any point in the city on a clear day. 

Volcanoes at sunset.  This was taken on the slopes of Pacaya.  Quite the hike.

5. The food.

I especially liked how the hotels included breakfast.  Especially when the breakfasts involved pancakes. 

6. Sarita Ice Cream.  Sarita ice cream is the ubiquitous ice cream brand in Guatemala, and rightfully so.  It's like the Lakers of ice cream.  It's that good.

I'm convinced they really use cream in this ice cream, and almost no milk.  It's rich and creamy and amazing. 

7. The Mayan ruins in Tikal.

Totally amazing and worth every single mosquito bite.  Crossing my fingers for staying malaria-free.  I climbed up these original temple steps!

8. Pollo Campero. 

Fried chicken has never been so good.  Extra crispy.  Juicy, fried and wonderful.  This chicken is so wildly popular in Guatemala (and throughout Central America), that people take this on the plane with them to California.  If only I had such foresight.

9. Go slow.  I heard this all over Caye Caulker in Belize. 

Sunset and happy hour at the Lazy Lizard bar in Caye Caulker.  While Guatemala was more educational, Belize was all about relaxing and snorkeling and BBQ chicken.  I could definitely go for a few more days of that.

10. My Spanish.  I learned Spanish while in Guatemala!  Ok, ok a teeny, tiny taste of Spanish.  But more than I came with.

Whew!  Sorry about the grossly over-generalized summary of my vacation, but there are more details (and pictures) to follow!