Gutamela People, On the road and tourist perspetive

Here are  two of my favorite albums  that  I have  for my trip  in  a foreign land .

People 


On the Road 

Country
India	Guatemala
Leader
President: Pranab Mukherjee PM:  Narendra  Modi	President: Otto Perez Molina
Population
1,236,344,631	14,647,083
Life Expectancy
67.800 years	71.740 years
Capital City
New Delhi	Guatemala
Largest city
Mumbai (population: 12,691,800)	Guatemala City (population: 994,938)
Human Development Index
0.609	0.696
GDP per capita
$4,000 US	$5,300 US
Literacy Rate
61%	69.1%
Corruption Perception Index
3.4	3.1
Percentage of Women in Parliament
9.2%	12%
Wealthiest Citizens
Mukesh Ambani ($19.5bn US)	NA
Unemployment Rate
8.800%	4.100%
Death Penalty
Legal	Legal

Tikal , Guatemala, The Mayan Pyramid

My SELECTED Pictures  of Tikal



Tikal  panaroma 

After  10-hour  road trip form Semuc Champey   in curvy mountain  roads we  came to FLores  and  then to the Tikal National park late night,  Woke  up early in the morning at  4:00  AM. Joined the guide at the Tikal Inn  .

This was a   great way  to experience the jungle as it comes alive in the early hours of the morning. Learned about this former Maya citadel, once the largest and most powerful civilization in Meso-America, by exploring this archaeological site .  This was  like  once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to marvel at the majestic pyramids hidden away in the jungle . The pyramid appear magically  form the  early mist in the middle of the  sound of howler monkey , parrots in the jungle.  Tikal literally means   "Places of voices" in Maya.  Even from the Tikal inn  in the Tikal  natinal park it is  4 KM walk  and a hike to  Temple  no 4.

See  my power point   slideshow  and the view graph to learn  the details  of mysterious world of  Maya.   Tikal predated  the Aztec and  theToltec  civiizations  

Laser scanners are much more accurate than older methods of drawings In 2005 UC Berkeley and CyArk used laser scanners and other digital technology to record Tikal and archive the data on the web for public use
Pictures and laser scan records for free on; http://www.cyark.org/projects/tikal 

( note you can also see the work on "Rani ki vav"  super great step well  discovered in my home state  Gujarat, India  

http://www.cyark.org/projects/rani-ki-vav

  see my photos  

Semuc Champey ; Hidden paradise of Guatamela

How can I describe this place without using the words unbelievably impressive…  , this place is unbelievably impressive!

See the Pictures at :


Personally I do not know  any one  who  has  been  to Semuc Champey.  Nor In India, nor in USA. Not  from friends or acquaintance   at work.  I may not be  bragging  if I  make a claim  that I am the first  Gujarati ( or even Indian) of my generation to  visit the place and   take  adventure of Kan Ba caves.

Often described as one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala, Semuc Champey is a natural wonder 11km south of the Q’eqchi’ Maya town of Lanquín.  Semuc Champey, which means, “where the river hides under the earth” in Q’eqchi’, is a natural limestone bridge about 300 meters wide under which passes the   Cahabòn River. Atop the bridge is a series of stepped natural infinity pools filled with turquoise water where locals and visitors can dip in for a relaxed swim.'

But…the journey was well worth the bruises.

Semuc Champey is a set of sun-kissed, aquamarine pools over the Río Cahabón in Alta Verapaz Guatemala. In an odd flaw of mother-nature, the Caharbon River actually passes under a natural 300 meter limestone bridge. At the exact spot where the rushing river drops into hidden caverns arrives a fresh mountain spring that feeds a series of stepped, crystal-clear pools. The basins gradually flow into one another, creating mini waterfalls, water slides, and rock outcroppings that, to any swim savvy adventurer, become natural diving boards, of course.

And swimming at Semuc Champey is both a reward and welcome respite from trekking in the jungle. Most people choose to climb the towering Mirador first, a feat that once accomplished awards a panorama of Semuc Champey in all it’s glory; translucent, cerulean pools surrounded by verdant jungle.

http://blog.thecheaproute.com/semuc-champey-pools-guatemala/

The  real  adventure   was the  tour  to Kan Ba  caves .  

In , a Torturous Drive to a Remote Eden 

http://www.escapingabroad.com/blog/semuc-champey/

Things  were  as  dangerous and  risky as described by most travel blogers . Madhu wisely skipped. I am not so wise and  I did. You may read here  and I will  write later my own experience

Semuc Champey – the beautiful place that turned out to be a nightmare 

http://2travelers.info/en/english-semuc-champey-the-beautiful-place-that-turned-out-to-be-a-nightmare/

see Very Danagerous caves at Semuc  Chamey 

There were were opportunities to slide down slick rocks in order to plunge into a dark abyss, and places you could jump into utter darkness, but most of our group (young medical students and global health workers) grew very quiet except to concentrate on keeping up with a partner, staying afloat, and feeling where to next put hand or foot. 

They told me that people die every year in those caves, and others have emerged with broken backs, arms, and legs. So travelers, please take heed. The tourist agencies won't tell you!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g303868-d600477-r70038726-Semuc_Champey-Lanquin_Alta_Verapaz_Department.html#

 

Columbia Conundrum for Travelers a tantalizing Thrill or terrifying taboo

 Is Colombia – a tantalizing   Thrill  for travellers or a  terrifying  taboo due to civil war? 

 In the eyes of much of the world, Colombia still blazons a scarlet letter. With Colombia’s 60 year-armed conflict, the histories of Pablo Escobar, drug cartels, and the murder and kidnapping records by FARC burning red hot in our memories, it challenges our imaginations to think of Colombia as a place peaceful enough to visit. But, it is: Colombia has been moving away from its violent past, at full speed, for much of the past 15 years. The homicide rate almost halved between 2002 and 2006.

While the government cracks down, people here take safety and security very seriously. They regard the petty crime and the violence that still characterize the country as shameful. Riding the metro and walking in the streets here, you will find any number of signs and advertisements cautioning against violence and gun use, in the name of the national movement to promote a more peaceful Colombia. Students wear peace patches and adults’ bags advertise anti-violent campaigns. Trucks are littered with  Colombianos por la Paz “Colombians for Peace” stickers. The amount of  Police, sniff-dogs,  security checks at building entrance  at Bogota  on day one   irrefutably proved  that security has become  a  matter of  paramount concern. Second day the  (May 1st)  the  peaceful  protesters  were  outnunbered by Police and   the bomb squads, 

I got mugged in Medelin  Colombia.   I was trying to get some more  pictures of the  scultptures of  Botero at relatively quiet public square .  it was our  last night in Medelin. I had spent  4  incident-free days in Colombia.   Medellín (the city made famous by it’s legendary women, Pablo Escobar…and Entourage) but   it was time to say adios for the end of our  sight-seeing for the day.

 

I saw movement from my peripheral vision that two Carribean looking   young man coming close to me  from nowhere. First I  thought that they want me to  take their pictures.   I had  somewhat advanced  ( Canon 7D with L  series lens)   DSLR.  The dudes were moving closer together. appear from nowhere, quickly pulling knives. They  pulled my camera. After  a little shuffle, I kicked the guy  and  got the camera back  but they  stabbed my hand with a  knife and  ran way with the camera bag.  I ran after them  with bleeding finger  but   they managed to run inside  a building across the  road.  I was lucky that the cut and the injury was  not too serious,

 

My camera always  draws attention. It has been  doing for  decades. I am almost always  warned to be  careful by the locals  no matter  where I travel.  It may be  Buenos Aires, Barcelona  or Bogota, Bombay  or even Boston. I am also reminded never to fight back. 

However  I fought back  on impulse. Fortunately they  helped me to  get  at least the   expensive camera back.  Next day hired a translator  and  filed the police report. The  Police   informed  me that they will not be able to investigate. I took the pictures of the robbers from the back and they were in the pictures in background.  That did not help,

I leaned  *Always trust your gut. Especially if your safety’s at risk. Your instincts know way better then you about everything – and they don’t care about looking stupid – so trust them.

All that matters is that we are safe. It’s a shame what happened, but we will always have our beautiful memories together. This  could  have happened anywhere else. 

I still felt  that many strange  people  I  met  in Colombia  were extra nice to us , specially we being just  tourist.,

 

It is an easy country to fall in love with, and many travelers do. It could well become your favorite country in South America.

 Here is the link to my pictures in Colombia .

http://picasaweb.google.com/TusharInAmericas

 

Cartagena

At the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night, President Barack Obama joked that Hillary Clinton "won't stop drunk-texting me from Cartagena."  Cartagena  got  recently got  new  notoriety  due to scandal of secret service agents.  I guess there is something in the air of the city ! 

My pictures of Cartagena at :

See more at http://www.cartagenacaribe.com/en/index.htm  or   island  near by 

http://www.rosarioislands.com/

Medellin; City of eternal spring!

Medellin, like  Kunming in China  is  also  known  "city of eternal spring." However till 1990s, Medellín was considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world for its size, and had a highly disproportional homicide and kidnapping rate. It was the home of the drug lord Pablo Escobar and the so-called Medellín Cartel, who virtually took over the city during that time..


Medellin, Colombia (not Columbia) is now considered to be a safe, modern city filled with sophistication and charm from its Spanish heritage.  Medellin is known (a secret to many) by its cultural encounters.

My  pictures at  Medellin: 

( Blog to be updated)  

Newyork Times,  USA's most prominent newspaper has  3 paged  article about  Medellin on  May 20th.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/arts/design/fighting-crime-with-architecture-in-medellin-colombia.html?_r=1&ref=design 

and 12 pictures 

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/05/20/arts/design/20120520-COLOMBIA.html#1 

I had one  very bad experience.  I was robbed by two  muggers at Knife. I got my camera back through physical fight but lost the camera bag with very expensive lenses and other accessories. 

I will write about it in  a separate blog.

Looking at my pictures , I realized thaty I have the  face picture of one of the two  robbers  who stole my bag at knife point.

I have  never   heard  back form  Medellin police   officer  , Mr. Juan  Vargas .  I  will be  glad to send the picture of the  robber   in case some one  can  investigate. 

Bogota

We made  a fairly  impromptu plan to visit Colombia ( not Columbia). Came to  Bogota, Colombia….Located high in the Andes at 8646 ft above sea level, Bogota is the capital of Colombia and it’s largest financial center. Most companies in Colombia have their headquarters in Bogota and it is home to most foreign companies doing business in Colombia as well as Colombia’s main stock market. It’s population is approximately 8,000,000. Bogota, or Colombia for that matter has a reputation as being a relatively dangerous place with kidnappings. bombings and gunfights being regular occurrence…in the past this may have been true, but now a days, the government has “cleaned up” it’s major cities and tourist areas and it has become as safe as any other large South American city….You should still be on your guard, as you should be as a tourist in any big city, but safety concerns should not dominate your thoughts in such a fun city where people are, on the whole, very nice and willing to help. 

General picture of Bogota :  Monserrate,   Plaza Bolivar, La Candelaria and downtown,  Zapaqueiria,  Usaquen , La Rosa Zona 

 We had three  unique experience at Bogota.


1)  Meeting   young people in their  late teen  and early twenties .
George, Agnleuc theior firend ChuChu and Angleica at . They 
went out of their way to  Andres Carne de Res  restaurant  by escorting us from Zapaqueiria  to Chia ( Chia, 40 kilometers north of Bogota).  See their pictures at
Colombia_friends
2) Mass Public protest with heavy presence of police on May 1 when the city got  virtually  closed . See pictures . We ended  up going to Usaquen as Bogota was closed. 
3) TransMileno  the  bus  rapid Transi. I see  it as  asocail integrator which transports the poor people  from  the south of city to  affluent  suburbs in North like  La Rosa Zona. Similar bus system name BART at my hometown at Ahmedabad is modelled after TransMileno.  Coincidently  tehre as  picture of my sister at Ahmedaabd with the ex-mayor of Bogota when he visited Ahmedabad in  Nov. 2009 in local newspapers.