lifeofabackpacker.com

Don’t carry your ATM card in your wallet. Keep it in a money belt and only take it out when you intend to use it. Put money on a Google Talk or Skype account before you leave the United States. It will cost less than buying a phone card overseas. If you do lose your […]

San Igancio is often times a stopover for travel groups who want to do see the Mayan artifacts inside Actun Tunichil Muknal. But give the city a chance, and you’ll find there’s enough to do to keep you occupied for several days. Things to Do: Cahal Pech – This site of Mayan ruins is a […]

It’s felt like Christmas in Central America for the past couple of weeks, but it certainly feels a bit more like it in Antigua, Guatemala. In Parque Central (Central Park), Christmas lights are wrapped around the trees. The backdrop of the surrounding light from street lamps and the sounds of water from the fountains create […]

Before the sun came up, I was awake. The roosters did a good job of that. But it didn’t matter on this day. I was heading to the Mayan city of Tikal. Our shuttle left from Hotel Mon Ami at 5:30 a.m. My French dorm-mate and I gathered our belongings and walked down a wooden […]

I’ve never contemplated murder until now. It’s not an act against a person, but an evil, sadistic rooster that enjoys tormenting me every night for hours. The rooster begins crowing at 2 a.m. It sounds nothing like the “cock-a-doodle-doo” in kids books. This is a piercing scream that I’m quite certain is on par with […]