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By Theo Verbraeken The Aravis mountain range, in Haute-Savoie in the northern Alps, is ideally situated between the Lake of Annecy and the Mont Blanc range, and has quite The Aravis range is made up of high valleys, plateaux and mountain summits which reach the 2753m of the Pointe Percée at the eastern end and the 2400m of Mont-Charvin to the west. The strong points of the area are :
The Aravis mountains offer a multitude of activities for all, the whole year round. Summer is especially pleasant because as well as the joys of the mountain there are those of bathing in the Lake of Annecy which is only 20 minutes away. Nightlife:
For more information on this beautiful area: Other useful contacts: Office du tourisme de la clusaz Office du tourisme de Manigod
By Bruce Taylor
After the Centroamérica Travel Market last October, we took a short 4 day post-tour of the highlights of Guatemala. Had we been on our own, we could easily have spent 14 days, but the advantage of an organised tour is that you can discover a lot in a short time and get a good feel for the place - provided of course you're in a small group and you have a good guide, which we certainly did in Franz, our adopted German Guatemalan! Sadly, we missed the golden sands, the great diving and the afro- beat of Río Dulce, but we're saving that for another time. What we did see was simply stunning. GUATEMALA TOUCHES ALL 5 SENSES
Apart from all these different sensations, here are some basic facts. Guatemala is over 3 times the size of Belgium with 12 million inhabitants from 4 different races who speak a total of 25 different languages (22 of which are Mayan).
It is divided into 22 provinces and shares 4 common borders with Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. There are 400kms from the Caribbean coast to the Pacific, and the same distance between Mexico (to the north west) & El Salvador (to the south east). The capital city has grown since the 1970's from around 800.000 to its current 3 million inhabitants.
According to NASA satellite research, there are some 2000 archaeological sites in Guatemala. To-date restoration work has only started on 200 of them. The future must be in intelligent archaeological tourism and our natural human desire to understand better and appreciate these ancient civilisations. PARA SERVIRLES!
A DAY IN TIKAL
In the case of our day return to Tikal, we beat the birds to it and were up at 04.30 to take our Tikaljet at 06.30 on the short 500km hop north to Flores in the province of Petén (the large bit in the north which sticks up into Mexico), and into a different bio system. For example we weren't allowed to take with us any fresh fruit at all. A German journalist couple had to eat up quite a bunch of bananas before they were even allowed to board the plane! Life moves more slowly in Petén and it takes about an hour to travel the 63 km to Tikal, one of the cradles of Mayan civilisation dating back to some 700 years BC. Its scale is amazing. The Tikal National Park covers almost 600 km² and is one of the most important nature reserves in Guatemala with infinite varieties of flora & fauna. There are at least 8 different archaeological sites worth visiting and you really need at least 3 days to do them justice.
The Tikal site itself was discovered in 1848 by local people. They found over 3.000 sculptures & carvings. Then the discovery was published in Guatemala's Official Gazette and immediately explorers started arriving from all over the world. In 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Only 20% of the ancient city's total 16km² has been excavated so far, and there's still tropical vegetation growing out of many pyramids and covering some of them completely. At the height of its power, this Mayan stronghold had 90.000-100.000 inhabitants and comprised as many as 4.000 different buildings. The Great Square at Tikal, where two huge ceremonial pyramids, surrounded by jungle, face each other austerely across open grassland is truly symbolic of the enormous power of this ancient civilisation. CHICHICASTENANGO - WHAT'S IN A NAME? Chichicastenango, a Maya-Quiché town, is situated 145 km north west of Guatemala City at an altitude of 2075m. It takes around 2½ hrs to get there by bus and these are frequent, although overcrowded and somewhat crazy in their driving habits. There are many different companies, and they race each other and fight for trade.
The market at Chichicastenango takes place on Thursdays & Sundays, when the streets of the town are taken over by vendors and visitors alike. The crafts & textiles on sale come from all over Guatemala. It's very commercial, but that doesn't matter. It's so colourful, so varied and such good quality. It doesn't even matter that you often pay more than is strictly necessary. The bargaining is fun and good-natured, and you really do start off with a low price.
They're great sales people and you end up buying 10 times more than you planned, but again you don't really mind because it's all so beautiful, well-made and cheap by our European standards. If you don't want something, you have to say a very firm and loud 'no gracias'. The slightest interest or hesitation and you're done for!
The Cathedral of Santo Tomás, built in 1540, is curious in the way that the local indigenous people have combined their Mayan culture and belief in nature with a newer faith. They spread pine needles and flowers on the floor amid lit candles and chant their prayers out loud.
Hotels with character include the Santo Tomás with its cool interior patios, and the Mayan Inn, away from the noise & bustle of the centre: www.mayaninn.com.gt A TROPICAL PARADISE OVERLOOKING LAKE ATITLÁN Panajachel is known locally as 'Gringolandia', but it's not as bad as it sounds. In fact, it comprises an attractive collection of restaurants, hotels, craft shops & stalls, cyber cafés and even a Spanish language school, Jardín de América. The temperature ranges from 20 to 25º all year round and the view over the lake is exceptional. An idyllic place to study Spanish!
It's also the starting point for boats to the 12 Mayan villages scattered around the lake, including Santiago de Atitlán which was to be our destination. It takes an hour which is plenty of time to admire the spectacular volcanic setting before you. The village nestles amid 3 perfectly-shaped volcanoes - Atitlán (the highest at over 3500m), Tolimán & San Pedro.
As the boat approaches Santiago, the first sign of life, apart from the lone fishermen in their dugout canoes, is the women in their beautiful dresses washing clothes at the lakeside. Each Mayan village has its own dress design and colours, and the sober mauves & blues of Santiago are some of the loveliest of them all. On Fridays in Santiago, there's a wonderful street market of crafts, clothes and naïf art, and it's more authentic than in 'Chichi'. The two-floor indoor market with its colourful piles of exotic fruits, vegetables, avocados a go-go and incredible spices etc. is also a sensory experience not to be missed. We bought small packets of different coloured maize and the almost obligatory chilli peppers.
The local church is also a 'must' with its astonishing collection of naïf figures & sculptures, all dressed in local colours. We watched with discretion and respect as local people followed rituals of prayer which combined age-old indigenous traditions with modern catholic religion - a fascinating blend of two cultures. For more info - have a look at the lakeside Hotel Atitlán in Panajachel which was our small corner of paradise for less than 12 hours:
Also Hoteles Posada de Don Rodrigo in both Panajachel & Antigua: And now for some light relief, a Guatemalan joke - local people never refer to anyone flat out on the ground as being drunk. He (and it is almost invariably a 'he') is either a geologist lying on his side listening for earthquakes or an astronomer lying on his back observing the stars. Don't blame me; it was Franz, our guide! ANTIGUA - THE ALMOST LOST CITY
In 1773 yet another earthquake destroyed much of Antigua and led to the move of the capital to Guatemala City. No new buildings have been allowed here since, although much has been restored. In this way it has kept its original colonial atmosphere with its pastel painted blocks of elegant houses. Antigua looks as if time has stood still, frozen in the aftermath of its last major earthquake. But behind the closed doors of these single story colonial buildings, is a lively, young and international town. Like Seville in Spain, there are many beautiful hidden patios & courtyards, where you can even find language schools and learn Spanish in one-to-one open air classes. Antigua is Central America's capital for the study of Spanish as a foreign language.
In 1979 Antigua was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today there are some 31.000 inhabitants and the city lives mainly from tourism and coffee. By contrast in its golden age in the 17 th century, there were 38 churches, 12 convents, a Governor's Palace and double the current population. The Casa Santo Domingo Hotel (100 rooms & 2 suites) is simply spectacular. Like a phoenix it rose from the ashes & rubble of a former convent and, totally restored, it opened for business in 1991. It occupies 4 whole street blocks and houses 4 different museums. There are endless patios, plants, flowers, statues, sculptures, gardens and hidden corners in this most magical of hotels.
In fact, Antigua itself is a succession of hidden corners with its ruined churches, Indian markets, Aladdin's cave craft shops, bars, restaurants, internet cafés etc. without of course forgetting the Plaza Mayor, the impressive cathedral and more traditional places of interest. And everywhere the colour & perfume of bougainvillea stretch into the sky. For incentives & meetings - hotels with charm & character: For private visits: For arts & crafts:
IBERIA BRINGS GUATEMALA CLOSER TO EUROPE The new direct service started back in October with a 250-seater Airbus 340. Due to route's popularity, Iberia is also now using larger 380-seater A340-600s. Prospects for summer bookings are looking very bright. SOME PRACTICAL TIPS
Tropical, with a dry season from Nov - Apr & a rainy season, May - Oct. Temperatures are stable around 20ºC, but can reach 37ºC on the coast. Evenings are cool throughout the year.
The currency is the Quetzal - also the national bird of Guatemala although it is now more common in Costa Rica. There are roughly 8 Quetzales to the $, and 10 to the Euro.
Dollars are recommended, although Banco Uno now exchanges Euros in its branches throughout the whole of Central America. It is almost worth changing money at hotels and restaurants and accepting a loss in return for less wasted time. Major credit cards are accepted, and VISA is the most popular. Take a money belt for your cash and valuables.
Make sure you have proper medical insurance. Public care is limited and private treatment is expensive like in the USA.
With 19 Spanish speaking countries in Latin America to visit; Brazil where you can get by in Spanish and the USA where it's now more common in some areas than English, it's well worth investing in Spanish classes before you go. The Guatemalans who work in tourism of course speak English, but it's so much more rewarding if you can communicate in at least one of their 25 languages!
Financed by the Tourism Authority, INGUAT, the Tourism Police are there to help visitors out of trouble. One late night in the rain in Antigua we missed our bus, and a policeman radioed for a Politur car to take us back to the hotel. We were impressed, and the driver wouldn't accept any payment or even the equivalent of a glass of beer. There's also a special visitor HelpLine (2421-2810) in case of problems or difficulties.
There's an amazing variety of souvenirs and potential incentive gifts ranging from anything connected with coffee; duty free rum at the airport and all the beautiful arts & crafts which could even be personalised with a corporate identity.
There's an 8 hour time difference from April to October. For the rest of the year it's 7 hours.
Hotel prices are net and 22% tax is added to the bill. Don't forget to keep back $33 per person to pay the departure tax at the airport, although first check whether it's included in the price of your air ticket.
Service is normally not included and is usually well worth the extra 10-15% GRACIAS GUATEMALA!
As Rigoberta Menchú tells us, tourism can help and complement local life and traditions, but it must not take them over and strangle them like in so many other destinations - however important it may be economically. MORE INFO Also in Spanish, but with plenty of good photography is a new Guatemalan travel portal which gives a good feel for the country and all the major attractions: http://guatemala.travelreality.com I have yet to find a good up-to-date website on Guatemala in English, although I'm sure there must be one out there somewhere in cyberspace. Any help would be much appreciated! For general info on Central America & themes which cover a combination of countries, try: http://www.visitcentroamerica.com Our English, German & Spanish speaking guide was Franz Kappel (Guía de Turismo Nº366). He's one of the few foreigners to have completed the 450-hour INGUAT course for guides, and he has been guiding in Guatemala now for 8 years. Franz is married to a lovely Guatemalan lady and knows the country like the back of his hand. Frans says he is 'semi-retired', but he can still be contacted through one of the 3 major tour operators he works for. **NOTE PHOTO NO. 1 - This photo was taken in the village of Santiago de Atitlán by Roberto Quiles, Commercial Director in Spain of Quimbaya - the Latin American network of incoming agencies (www.quimbaya-tours.com). This is the first time he has ever had one of his pictures published. Thanks, Roberto & congratulations - it will stay online in this report for a long time to come. Hasta la próxima! Bruce Taylor
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LE MASSIF DES ARAVIS (The Aravis Mountain Range)
a lot to offer for individuals and groups, in summer as well as in winter.
the landscape and gastronomy of the Aravis region. The farmers, proud of what they do, open their farms to visitors and take part in numerous traditional festivals where you can see the customs related to the making of reblochon cheese and farm life in the mountains. 
All rented apartments are visited and classed according to national standards into 1, 2, 3 or 4-star categories. They are regularly checked by an independent organisation which guarantees that accommodation is of a high quality, well-decorated and kept in good repair. 
the 50 local restaurants (local, French and international cuisine), drink a night-cap in one of the 40 bars, or go out to see shows or movies, or dance through the night in one of the five night-bars or discothèques. 
guides available in each Tourist Office. You can set off to explore Alpine pastures or the mountain tops. Everyone can find a walkway to suit his needs.
There are 14 Free-Ride routes, downhill runs, which can be reached by one of the 5 lifts that operate all summer in the Aravis range (lift pass available by the day or by the week).
*These specially laid out routes allow you to go find your way over a rock face using cables, ramps, ladders and footbridges using the special equipment necessary (shoulder-harness, two long snap-hooks with shock absorbers, helmets). This activity is limited to people who know how to use the equipment: for beginners there are initiation outings accompanied by mountain guides where they can learn in perfect safety.
Well-known for the quality of its limestone rock and the beauty of its cliff-faces, the Aravis range contains more than 100 routes. They are classed from 3b to 8a, there are climbing school sites, blocks and classic rock-climb routes.
through the little streets of the Old Town, visit its Museums and Castle.
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO CENTRAL AMERICA 2 
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