It's all diverse, exciting, and nearby. Many of Guatemala's indigenous population have retained their traditional heritage and continue to dress and live as they have for centuries. Women weave their family's colorful clothing, called 'traje'. Each village boasts it's distinctive 'huipil' which identifies where it's wearer is from. This is particularly true in the central highlands, where Antigua and lake Atitlan are located.
Life is difficult for many.
But Guatemala possesses a contentment, a joy in living, that many of us from more harried, technical worlds can learn from. Guatemala is the kind of place travelers fall in love with and never want to leave. The pace is slower, less hectic. Cobblestone streets and colorful bougainvillea spilling over rocks of century-old ruins provide daily inspiration for artists. Antigua, spectacularly surrounded by three volcanoes, Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango, has been an educational and cultural center for centuries.