
MARKET DAY IN CHICHICASTENANGO
Thursday's and Sunday's are market days in Chichicastenango. The small town turns into a kaleidoscope of colour, noise and people. The population swells and the narrow laneways fill up with goods. We weren't shopping due to a constant battle with our bursting backpacks so we were there just for the show. Chichi, as the town is generally called, is located at an altitude of 1965 metres in Central Guatemala and has been one of the largest trading centres for the Maya population

EXPLORING NICARAGUA
Nicaragua isn't on most people's travel bucket list, but that's quickly changing. Go now while it's still raw and not yet tarnished by tourism. We left Mexico on a bit of a whim and landed in Managua without knowing what to expect and with a fair bit of trepidation - would it be safe, what could we eat other than rice and beans, would we manage with very limited Spanish, would we find somewhere comfortable to stay?? The civil war ended 20 years ago yet our mental image was of

ON A VOLCANIC ISLAND IN NICARAGUA
Just hearing the word volcano conjures up exotic images and on the small island of Ometepe, there is not one but two! It was one of our favourite destinations during our month in Nicaragua and talking to other travellers it's one of those special places that everybody loves without knowing exactly why! The island is located a 75 minute boat ride into Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. You can get there on a small rickety panga (fishing boat) or a larger rams