Polaroid of the Week

Adding up all the days I spent in Bangkok over the past few months, I must have spent at least three weeks in the ‘City of Life’! Find out why I came to finally like Bangkok…

This week’s Polaroid is about the Batu Caves outside of Kuala Lumpur which are home to a series of limestone caves, Hindu shrines, dozens of adorable monkeys and the upcoming Thaipusam festival!

We had no idea about our three hour layover in Guatemala last Monday, but this incredible landscape made us realize that we need to come back for another visit.

Maximón is one of Guatemala’s most popular Mayan folk saints, worshipped in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Some believe Maximón, also known as San Simón, to be an incarnation of the Mayan god of sexuality, while others think he was a Spanish priest. An effigy of Maximón in the town of Santiago Atitán is celebrated year round.

Located in the Central Highlands of Guatemala is the beautiful Lake Atitlán. At 320m, Lake Atitlán, formedby the collapse of a volcano cone, is the deepest lake in Central America. The lake is surrounded by mountains and three volcanoes, and several villages dot its shores. The villages are inhabited by Maya, mainly Tz’utujil and Kaqchikel, who still dress in their traditional costumes and share their villages with the tourists who come for the stunning scenery and atmosphere of the lake.

We had just gotten to Guatemala and stayed in the city of Flores for a couple of days, which is actually a beautiful island in Lake Peten Itza. One day, as we sat on the dock just soaking up the sun, an Guatemalan ‘anciano’ (or really old man) came over and started to chat with us. He introduced himself as ‘Miguel de San Miguel’, Miguel from San Miguel, a little village on the other side of the lake.

Unlike the hippie/backpacker friendly Zipolite, the Mazunte locals still live very much off the land.

After our six-month break, we finally returned to South America last week. Santiago was a quick stop before shooting up to the northern beaches to enjoy sun, sand and spring weather here in Chile.

We set off on our New Mexico road trip last week and have experienced so many unforgettable sights since then – but the White Sands dunes were a true highlight!

Our road trip through New Mexico came to an end last week and the stunning rock formations in the northern part of the state where another highlight of this beautiful state!