• Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Consulting
  • Contact Me
  • Guest Posts
  • Links
  • Photo Gallery
    • North America
      • Alaska
      • Rafting the Grand Canyon
      • Taos Timber Frame
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama

freewheelings.com

Life, Travel and Technology for the Unconventionalist

  • Life
  • Travel
  • Technology

New Year’s in Flores, Guatemala

By Brandon Edward

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Flores GuatemalaWith 2 months, 5,000+ miles and 3 countries in the rearview New Year’s Eve lands us in Flores, Guatemala.  We’re closer to the Panama Canal than we are to Ace Adventure Resort where this whole mess started.  On a straight shot it’s about 1,200 miles to the tip of South America.  It’s still 4 countries away, but we got this.

Flores Guatemala 1

Flores Guatemala 2Flores, an island city on Lake Peten, was the last Maya independent state to hold out against Spanish conquerors.  It wasn’t until 1697 that Flores finally fell when the Spanish attacked by boat.  Those who could flee hid out in the surrounding jungle for years to come.  The city was ultimately rebuilt and became a major trade center for the region when a causeway was built in the last century for road traffic.  Now the town serves as a gateway to Guatemala’s largest Maya ruin Tikal.  Fancy hotels and Restaurants dot the island’s narrow streets while travel agencies hawk tours.  Flores has something to offer to backpackers, spendy travelers and everyone in between.

For our part it was good, cheap food, reasonable accommodations and theFlores Guatemala 3 romance of the city itself.  Let’s face it, you cover an island in old buildings, plants and little restaurants and plop in in the middle of a foreign country it’s hard to keep it from being romantic.  We spent three days in Flores and most of our time went to crisscrossing the island back and forth on foot, wandering the small shops and trying the various foods.   You can’t beat that.

Flores Guatemala 5New Year’s Eve was subdued, mostly couples quietly enjoying themselves on the island, like us, splurging on a fancy dinner and wandering the streets for the evening.  The real treat came at midnight.  We decided to wander back to our hotel just the other side of the causeway and at the stroke of midnight climb up to the roof to look for fireworks.  And there it was, a magnificent 360 degree fireworks show that went on for a half an hour.  Everywhere you looked across the horizon people were setting off fireworks.  It was amazing.  The only thing I’ve ever seen like it was from a rooftop in New Delhi when India beat Pakistan at cricket.  The only photo that gives you a true Idea of the magnitude is this one.  Look at the smoke about the city.

Flores Guatemala 6

The 4th of July in the US has nothing on New Year’s Eve in Guatemala.  This video hardly does it justice. 

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Filed Under: Guatemala, North America, Travel Tagged With: Guatemala, Motorcycle

About Brandon Edward

Greetings, I am the bar keep of this fine establishment. In the tradition of a good bar keep I want to know what you think about the article you've just read and the service we're providing here at freewheelings. Can't find your particular brand of scotch? Maybe we have it in the back, just ask. Use the comments section below.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

A Little Love?

Stalk Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never Miss a Post


The Best of Freewheelings.com

  • Finding Into the Wild's Magic Bus
  • Motorcycle to South America
  • Alaska Highway by Volkswagen Bus
  • Salmon Fishing in Alaska
  • Hitchhiking Tales
  • Dog Sled Alaska
  • Tales From Mother India

You check out my sponsers and I get to eat, pretty neat right?

Popular Posts

By Tag

Alaska alaska highway alaska marine highway system ALCAN alternative energy Asia Beaches Belize biogas digesters blogsherpa Border C Border Crossings cordova Delhi Denali Digital Nomad Digital Nomad WordPress El Salvador fairbanks Fiji fishing Food and Drink freewheelings5 goldstream kennel Guatemala hitchhiking Honduras india into the wild Japan Languages magic bus Marine Highway Mayan Ruins Mexico Motorcycle New Zealand Nicaragua Panama prince william sound Rafting Sled Dogs usa volkswagen Working on the Road

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Contact

  • Email
  • Work With Us

  • Guest Posts
  • Advertising
  • Services

  • Consulting
  • Dive In

  • Life
  • Travel
  • Technology
  • Search Me

    © Copyright 2015 Freewheelings Enterprises, LLC · All Rights Reserved