This morning there again was Hugo at 9 AM ready to pick us up and take us on a tour of the main cathedrals and ruins in Antigua. In just a few hours we were able to see Casa Santo Domingo (also a hotel), La Merced, San Francisco church, Santa Clara, and San Jose. It is amazing to think first of the sheer number of churches in the 10 x 10 block sized city, but then to see some of them still in ruins (mostly due to earthquakes), whereas others have been restored is such a fascinating contrast. Combined with the colors of the buildings, the cobblestone streets and the churches on every few blocks -- one really does get a good sense of the colonial feel to the 15 and 1600s when it all began. We toured many ruin sites, and were able to climb around in the catacombs of some as well. After lunch at a quaint cafe, La Condesa, we said good-bye to Hugo and thanked him for everything (and tipped him well)! Then again, we parted ways. We then went back to rest a bit before having Luis, join us to take us to meet his family. We were able to meet his girl and boy, and some others of his extended family. His kids were so terribly cute, and I was very grateful for the chance to meet them. Later on, we returned to Antigua and went out again in search of dinner. The interesting thing about Antigua is that the city is almost busier at night than it is during the day. One of the main draws to the city is its abundant nightlife -- which is available all over the city! Being the boring folks we are, we returned to our hotel and turned in for the evening, our last night in Guatemala.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.