Some 1,700 years ago, the great Mayan civilisation chose this country in Central America to set up their most impressive structures - it was on these sacred grounds that their priests would ascend the steps to speak to the gods. Today, Guatemala continues to draw the awe of travellers to the country with its rich history and quietly majestic landscapes. Its most-visited townships lie at the base of towering volcanoes, or alongside great lakes that invoke in travellers a sense of serenity as they would a sense of foreboding.

Visitors to Guatemala have two things to check off on the country's to-do list - scaling the active volcano Pacaya in Antigua, and visiting the country's most famous Mayan site in the northern city of Tikal.

Antigua, located about 50km from the capital Guatemala City, is a hit with travellers anxious to get their first glimpse of Guatemala's rich history and culture.

With its cobblestone streets and Spanish-influenced baroque architecture, Antigua is home for about 35,000 Guatemalans, living amid some of the most spectacular colonial ruins peppered throughout the city.

Warranting at least three days to explore, must-visits include the Catedral Metropolitana at Central Park and the ruins of Santa Clara and San Agustin, located at the most unsuspecting of street corners. Beyond historical sites, Antigua also sits at the bottom of Guatemala's most famous active volcano - Volcano Pacaya.

Most would not leave Antigua without attempting a climb up to Pacaya to witness the full power of nature, very much alive in the volcano's streams of spewing lava and columns of smoke. Pacaya's last eruption was a violent one in 1965, after a century of being dormant, and volcanic activity has seen a slight increase since then.

Most travellers would feel some apprehension at the thought of such a trip, as did my friend and I. In developed countries, for tourists to walk amid flowing lava rivers would be out of the question for liability reasons. In Guatemala, all we were told by the travel agents were to bring a good pair of shoes and water. We would be in for an experience of a lifetime.

There were two trips up the volcano daily - we signed up for the afternoon hike for slightly more than US$10 ($14), which would guarantee us a remarkable view of the lava streams glowing a flaming red against a pitch black night sky.

The trail up to Pacaya was not an easy one. Local kids were renting out walking sticks at the base for a good reason. We had to walk up a steep incline for about an hour, at some points needing to hoist ourselves up by holding on to tree roots for support.

Soon enough, the views of the mountainous landscape became obstructed by the trees, and all we could think of was how much further we had to go, as we tried to forget the dull ache in our legs and to keep our breathing regular during the 460m ascent.

The locals and their horses that came up with our group at the start of the trail, offering us rides for cheap, soon fell back. We were officially on our own, fighting to keep up with the experienced hikers at the front.

Eventually, the trees cleared and we reached a plateau with a good view of the surrounding terrain. Walking along the ridge, we slowly came face to face with the mighty Pacaya, easily recognisable from the red streams of lava that flowed down its side, the volcano itself a dark imposing shade of grey, its summit enshrouded by thick fog. Separating us and the volcano was an extremely steep downhill slope of slippery sand before the volcanic rocks began. We half-ran and half-slid down this part, trying our best to avoid a deadly plunge to the rocks below.

Once at the base of the volcano, we bounded steadily uphill from one volcanic rock to the next until we were greeted by the lava rivers.

It was an awe-inspiring sight, standing alongside the streams of lava, watching them burn their way through the rocks as the stones that remained tumbled slowly down the slope, weakened by the quiet force of the magma.

We were so close to the lava we could feel the heat on our faces. We stood on the slopes of the volcano till the night fell, and all we could see in the darkness were the streaks of red and the modest light from our torches. It was time to head back the treacherous path to civilisation.

After experiencing the mightiest of Guatemala's natural inhabitants, the volcanoes, we had all the more respect for the civilisation that once prospered here, the Mayans. Tikal, one of the largest Mayan cities in the Americas, is where this civilisation's most majestic ruins still stand, with ancient temples, palaces, monuments and tombs preserved immaculately from as far back as 400BC.

A political, economic and military stronghold for the Mayans, Tikal brought us back to ancient times, as we roamed through its plazas and explored its pyramid complexes. Its most famous temples in the Great Plaza, at the core of the site, towered some 50m over us, quiet and majestic.

Guatemala is an easy country to fall in love with. Its people are friendly and giving, its natural offerings are a joy to explore, and its historical sites never fail to fascinate any traveller that walks among them. If you are willing to listen, Guatemala will certainly be a country with many stories to tell.

[traveller@mediacorp.com.sg]

Trip Notes

Go: KLM, Delta and Continental Airways have flights to Guatemala City starting at about $3,000. The journey takes about 33 hours.

 

Spend: Guatemala is one of the cheapest countries to visit in Central America - travellers can usually get by with about US$20 ($28) a day, including food, accommodation and transport. A good meal of chicken, beans and rice can cost as low as US$2.

 

Getting around: Chicken buses (picture) are the best way to get around Guatemala. They are extremely cheap compared to tourist vans or taxis, costing less than US$0.50 for a 10km ride. It's a popular choice with locals, but be warned that these buses are also exceedingly crowded with little to no moving space. That of course, is half the fun, if you like to people-watch.