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Show Saturday, January 25, 1997 The Park Record A-7 Park Record Trave I e r The land of eternal spring by Bev Sincock RECORD GUEST WRITER In my travels to three separate Central American countries, Guatemala is my most favorite. I have thought a lot about why this country sticks out in my mind. It is hard to explain to someone who hasn't been there, but the images that come to mind are so vivid. The Mayan women sitting along the lush roadways weaving their brightly colored native dress. Or the many Indian markets with their abundant produce; beautiful flowers flow-ers lining the narrow alleys; and corn roasting on their open fires. The friendly men, women and children chil-dren dressed in their colorful traditional tradi-tional dress working hard to sell their wares. Climbing the structures struc-tures of Tikal, and trying to understand under-stand this ancient civilization, is awe-inspiring. My senses were so bombarded that this rich country stands out in my mind. When you travel to Guatemala, you need to be aware that the weather can be hot and humid, particularly par-ticularly along the coasts and in the jungles, and that the country has a rough-around-the edges feel outside out-side of the major cities. There is so much variety that 1 would suggest you plan at least a week within the country. There are various ways to visit Guatemala. You can arrange for the services of a private car and driver, dri-ver, or take an organized air-conditioned bus or van. If you are really hardy you can rent a car and attempt to drive on your own. The lack of signs and generally poor road conditions would make driving dri-ving on your own a real challenge. I am not one that recommends a tour often, but there are several very good tour companies that can arrange everything, and you don't have to be on a big bus with 30 people. peo-ple. Most visitors stay a maximum of two nights in Guatemala City, the capital and the largest city in Central America. There is plenty to fill one full day of sightseeing. A flight from here, with an optional overnight to Tikal can be made from Guatemala City. Only 30 miles from Guatemala City, you will find the first Spanish city in Guatemala. Antigua, is cer- w . i hvL ' r ' I ( tV ..v i The Internet Creators frsi (nnrurMOn r A-r-i r Aipm- Ar-r Dnrnrnr wivirntncmoivL iunLU vwiuc vvcd r ncxnu; For Your Company We do all the steps for one low price. J Design Programming Search Bmone Registration 1 Hosting Updates Location Hit Statistics From the most basic Web Sites to the most sophisticated.. Call 1 -800-TIC-1 998 or E-mail drweisstic.netbox.com PHOTO courtesy bev sincock In Guatemala, country markets offer tourists a shoppers' emporium of handicrafts which include excellent prices on weaving and embroidery. tainly one of the loveliest Spanish colonial towns in Central America. The city, declared a Monument of the Americas by UNESCO, contains con-tains some of the finest examples of Spanish Renaissance art and architecture archi-tecture in the Americas. With the picturesque multi-colored bougainvillea and white-walled streets, this a great city in which to walk. The Parque Central has a visitor vis-itor center where you may find a local guide that will give you a walking tour of the main part of town explaining its history, architecture archi-tecture and pagan rituals. Another fascinating town is called Chichicastenango. This is a sleepy town with cobblestone streets and a well-known market held every Thursday and Sunday. This attracts upwards of 10,000 Indians coming to "Chichi" to sell their handicrafts. The market starts at the steps of the 400-year-old Santo Tomas Church, and covers a very large area. Nowhere in Guatemala can travelers have such easy access to traditional culture as they do in this market. Be sure and go into the church and watch the HawkWatch float On March 1, 2 and 3, HawkWatch and 'Splore are teaming team-ing up for one of the greatest eagle-viewing eagle-viewing experiences ever. Bald eagles from Canada and Alaska winter along the Colorado River to take advantage of warmer weather and good fishing. In addition, one of the only three known bald eagle nests in Utah is along this stretch of river. With professional river guides from 'Splore, naturalists from HawkWatch and the stunning natural natur-al beauty of Ruby and Horsethief canyons, viewers are certain to have a fantastic weekend adventure. Saturday and Sunday will be all flatwater, perfect for good viewing and staying warm in the desert sun. Camping will be along the banks of the Colorado Saturday night. Monday, interested parties will have the option of continuing down WestWater Canyon and experiencing experienc-ing its famous Class 3 and 4 rapids. The trip is appropriate for children chil-dren over age 10 with an adult. For the March 1 and 2 trip, the cost is $100 for members, $120 non-members. For the three-day experience, cost is $195 for members and $220 for non-members. Space is limited, so pre-registra-tion is required. For more details, call HawkWatch International at 524-8511. The HawkWatch Headquarters is located at 555 E. S. Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102. Park City Cellular CellularOne 1950 Woodbine Way 8 Park City 649-ROAM Sign ug for analog cellular service and get: 25 off local cellular airtime and access each month for one year. Up to 30 minutes of AT&T Residential Long Distance per month for a year. OR Sign urj for Digital PCS and get: $100:00 equipment discount. Free Activation 10 off local cellular airtime and access each month for a year. Up to 30 minutes of AT&T Residential Long Distance per month for a year. ASK ABOUT QUALIFYING RATE PLANS Offer expires February 3, 1997. Come in and see the NOKIA 232 in color. locals perform Mayan "pagan" practices or traditional religious rights. Spending the day in the market, mar-ket, interacting with the Mayan Indians, can be a day to remember. One cannot miss l ake Atitlan. which is one of the world's most beautiful lakes, well worth a two-night two-night visit. In the morning, the lake (a caldera a collapsed volcanic cone) is smooth, by noon, it's choppy, chop-py, and in the late afternoon it can get very rough. The scenery is impressive, as are the 12 little villages vil-lages that ring it. Each village is named after one of the apostles. Make sure you get up early and take a boat trip across the lake to one of the Indian villages and explore. What is so special of the Atitlan area is the strong Mayan influence in the people, dress and food. A trip to Guatemala would not be complete without an overnight visit to Tikal or another of the Mayan ruins. Tikal is a 224-square-mile national park containing some of the most impressive ruins in the world. The structures were constructed con-structed between 200 B.C. and 869 A.D. The magnitude of the area is awesome. Just imagining what went on and what caused the decline of such a great civilization can he an experience. Be prepared for heat, humidity and mosquitoes as you are in the middle of the jungle. jun-gle. Wear light-weight clothing and bring lots of insect repellent. If you're looking for culture, history and beauty, choose Guatemala for a trip you will long remember. Bev Sincock. is owner and manager man-ager of Uniglobe Peregrine Travel in Park C ity. Peregrine Travel has been serving the travel needs of Summit County and Park City residents res-idents for over 14 years. The company com-pany is a full-service agency with over 50 years combined experience in both business and leisure travel needs, including group and incentive incen-tive travel services. 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