@Mark: We definitely recommend a visit to cemeteries in Guatemala. Xela’s was the most colorful and diverse (although our Spanish teachers wouldn’t go in groups of less than four people for security reasons), but the one in Livingston was small and also beautiful.

@Gary: Unfortunately, the news coming out of Guatemala regarding hunger and malnutrition in rural areas is staggering; each new report seems worse than the previous one. The same friend who said that quote also runs a program in the slums of Guatemala City to help girls stay in school. It’s individuals and organizations like yours that are filling the void left by government. I hope one day things get better for Guatemala’s youth.

@Julie: With toilet paper, it’s either all or nothing! We wish we could have spread the toilet paper supply given to us in El Salvador throughout all four countries. It was funny to come out of a room each morning in El Salvador with rolls (plural) thrust upon us, even when we said we didn’t need it.

@Nomadic Matt: It was an awesome moment. Those women were tough. And, when we got off the bus in Leon, they all told us how much to pay a taxi and two of them went with us in the taxi to make sure we got to the hotel OK. Talk about a welcoming committee!

@LCR: You are right that there are some beautiful places for eco-tourism in Central America. We can imagine how difficult it must be to run a truly eco-friendly place (unfortunately not all places with “eco” are really environmentally sound) and applaud all efforts to reduce distress on the environment. We mostly experienced organic farms and restaurants, so couldn’t comment too much on eco resorts. Something for next time…