travel - Trans-Americas Journey

November marks the beginning of summer in Antarctica, summer being relative term, and the beginning of the Antarctic travel season. Right about now boats of various shapes and sizes full of passengers of various shapes and sizes are leaving Ushuaia (the southernmost town in the world), braving the Drake Passage and heading for Antarctica as the short tourist season opens. Penguins rule the frozen continent. The rest of us are just visiting. We visited Antarctica last year right about this time aboard the MV Antarctic Dream and, as we posted at the time it was a dream come true:

The White Continent or Bust
MORE Antarctica Photos

Right now we’re debuting some videos we shot in Antarctica–shown for the first time here.

Penguins, orcas and seals

Penguins are adorable. Orcas are deadly. Seals are way bigger than you think. We got close to all of them. Check it out.

Gentoo penguins in Port Lockroy

More penguins, this time they’re swarming around the research station in a rocky, windy place called Port Lockroy.

Aboard the MV Antarctic Dream

The truth is that you’re going to spend most of your Antarctic adventure on board the boat traveling to various points of interest and/or waiting out bad weather. Much of this video was shot from onboard the MV Antarctic Dream, including up in the bridge as well as from Zodiacs during excursions away from the ship.

A (relatively) calm day on the Drake Passage

The Atlantic and Pacific oceans bump bellies at a spot called the Drake Passage. This notoriously rough stretch of sea must be crossed immediately leaving Ushuaia and again returning to port in Ushuaia. It takes two to three days to get through the Drake Passage and seas are usually rough to hellish. We lucked out with swells peaking at just 30-40 feet (moderately rough). Here’s a taste…
If we’ve helped inspire your own Antarctic dreams, check out our tip-filled newspaper story about How to Make the Most of an Antarctic Adventure and our piece about all the fun you can (hopefully) have with the humans in Antarctica.

Despite warnings to the contrary, we crossed the border into Guatemala with no shenanigans. In fact, there were signs all over the border post denouncing corruption and promoting honest enforcement of official regulations. Another pleasant surprise? Lots of road construction and the bits that were done were in great shape.

This anti-corruption sign on the Guatemala border reads "No! Don't promote corruption." Another sign said "Don't accept money."

Still, we wouldn’t put Guatemala City on the top of anyone’s travel list. It’s sprawling and pretty much full of belching buses and pissing men–not to mention the legacy of Guatemala’s troubled past, which is a more-pleasant way of referring to the incredibly bloody and brutal civil war which raged in Guatemala from 1960 to 1996.

Peace and democracy were declared in Guatemala in 1996 but the training wheels are still on. Kidnappings and drive-by murders still happen at an alarming rate. During this year’s Presidential election (there are 28 political parties in Guatemala), Sandra Torres, wife of the incumbent president, went through with a sham divorce from her husband (they stated in the press that they still loved each other) in order to try to clear the way for her to make her own run for the top office.

Thankfully, the country’s Constitutional Court ultimately put the kabosh on that plan, calling the bald-faced power grab unconstitutional. Big step in the right direction.

Despite these problems, Guatemala’s capital city has charm if you know where to look.

The Palacio de Correros (palace of letters) in Guatemala City houses the post office (of course) and an arts center and is one of the most interesting buildings in Guatemala City.

Michael Jackson and a budget traveler bonanza

When we pulled into Guatemala City we were greeted by a fairly impressive Michael Jackson impersonator complete with sequined glove. He was busking at a stop light where he moonwalked through the cross walk when the light turned red. So far, so good.

An outdoor art installation along sixth street in Guatemala City which has recently been turned into a pedestrian mall.

Guatemala City’s downtown area also recently got a bit of a facelift with a new pedestrian mall dotted with outdoor art. This pedestrian mall, down 6th street, is a good place get acquainted with a Central American shopping phenomenon called pacas. Many millions of pounds of lightly used, factory second or even brand new clothing is sent to Central America every year. The clothes are bundled into massive packets (pacas) which local retailers buy in bulk.

The clothes are sorted and priced then sold in bare-bones stores reminiscent of a Salvation Army store in the US. Some clothes have obviously come straight from a Salvation Army store since the tag is still on it.

Paca prices are low and there are finds to be had but it takes patience and persistence. Still, we’ve scored board shorts, skirts, tank tops and more for just a few bucks at pacas. They’re a great source of mid-trip replacements for any traveler on a budget.

The Banco de Guatemala headquarters (pictured above) and the Palacio de Justicia bear relief sculptures by Dagoberto Vasquez.

Traveler zones

Guatemala City is divided into a bunch of different zones, each with its own personality and level of safety and services. Zone 10, for example, has the fancy hotels, nightclubs and restaurants. Zone 1 is central to downtown and offers friendlier prices. This is where we found Quality Service Hotel.

Inside the Iglesia de San Francisco in Guatemala City.

A Guatemalan couple who lived and worked in the US for years (she as a professor, he as a real estate agent) decided to return to Guatemala and turn some family property into a hotel. The aptly named Quality Service Hotel is a clean and safe option for around 250 quetzales (about US$30) including a full breakfast and WiFi. The hotel also has roomy indoor parking–a bonus in this town where we would not feel comfortable leaving our truck on the street in Guatemala City (or any other city, really).

The Quality Service Hotel also has one of the most meticulous gardeners we’ve ever seen. Don’t even think about touching any of the gorgeous plants he nurtures in the hotel’s central courtyard. He has been known to yell.

A religious procession through downtown Guatemala City.

A religious procession through downtown Guatemala City.

The best ceviche ever

By far the most common dining option in Guatemala City is American fast food. Pretty much every single major chain is open for business in Guatemala City and everyone was in a lather about Starbucks’ debut in the country when we were there. But bear with us. It gets better.

Chinese restaurants are also a common sight in the city and while the food is more

Chinese American than Chinese Chinese, it’s affordable and portions are HUGE. Come hungry or ready to share.

The real food find in Guatemala City, however, is Los Chavos with two locations in Zone 5. This long-standing seafood restaurant, which started out as a street cart, serves up cooked seafood dishes but the ceviche is the stand out.

Our buddy George (aka Comandante of the Lovelution) took us to his favorite ceviche restaurant, Los Chavos in Zone 5 of Guatemala City, and it quickly became our favorite too.

You choose your ingredients (fish, shrimp, calamari, etc) and your size and they whip up a bowl of unbelievably fresh fish perfectly seasoned. A tiny bowl of seafood bisque is the perfect amuse bouche. Our thanks to George and Mandy for taking us to Los Chavos for the best ceviche we’ve ever had. At 100 quetzales (US$13) for a large ceviche that’s big enough to share, it’s reasonably priced too.

The cost of culture

What’s not reasonably priced are the museums in Guatemala City–of which there are many. Sadly, the average price of admission is US$6, which, for us, meant that we could only afford to visit one.

We chose the Museo Ixchel for a crash course in world-famous Guatemalan textiles. It did not disappoint and our 50 quetzales (about US$6) combo ticket also got us into the adjacent Museo Popul Vuh. This museum focuses on Mayan artifacts including incense burners, wooden masks and burial urns and it also has a copy of the ancient Dresden Codex document but, oddly, not a copy of the its namesake Popul Vuh text.

the Palacio Nacional in Guatemala City.

This rare Mayan painted book will be of particular interest to anyone getting excited about travel to the Mundo Maya (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras) next year to learn more about the mysterious end of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012.

If you’ve got gifts or souvenirs to buy do it at the gift shop in the Museo Ixchel where great quality and great prices are available on traditional textiles as well as modern products (place mats, napkins, etc) in traditional patterns and vibrant colors.

This sign is posted outside the Palacio de Correros (palace of letters) in Guatemala City which houses the post office and an arts center.

We couldn’t resist visiting the Mapa en Relieve, a super-large-scale map of Guatemala even though admission was also US$6. Located in a residential neighborhood, the giant topographic map sprawls over an entire block depicting the country’s topography and taking a few liberties with borders–Belize is shown as part of Guatemala.