Archive for guatemala
Wildlife Guatemala – 9 Reasons Why Rats Are So Successful
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Brown rats are one of the best known and most common rats in the world. They are the second most successful mammal in the world, this is why:
1. The Bubonic Plague was not caused by rats but instead was caused by infected fleas that jumped off dead rats onto humans.
2. Rats have been used throughout history as food for people and pets, religious icons, laboratory animals, pets, mine detectors, and some have even been trained to drag wires through walls making some electricians’ jobs go much faster.
3. The brown rat is a true omnivore and will consume almost anything, but cereals form a substantial part of its diet.
4. According to the Guinness Book of World Records the longest lived domestic rat died at seven years and four months of age. This by far exceeds the 2-3 year expected lifespan.
5. Brown rats live in large hierarchical groups, either in burrows or subsurface places such as sewers and cellars. When food is in short supply, the rats lower in social order are the first to die.
6. If a large fraction of a rat population is exterminated, the remaining rats will increase their reproductive rate, and quickly restore the old population level.
7. Female brown rats in one litter can have 1-20 offspring, although seven is common. A female can produce up to five litters a year. The gestation period is only 21 days.
8. Female rats can successfully breed as early as six weeks after they are born.
9. They live all around the globe and can be found wherever humans are. In other words: Everywhere!
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Weekly Travel Tip – Useful Advice For Gifts When Traveling
Posted by: | CommentsSome of us like to take presents when traveling specially if we are traveling for a special occasion. If that is the case I would recommend putting it with the rest of your luggage.
But obviously there will eventually be some delicate things that you might want to take with you as a gift. Those must definitely go in your hand luggage. So a good thing to do before you even buy the present is to check hand luggage restrictions of the country you are leaving and the one you will be entering. Make sure all presents are permitted in cabin baggage, and remember that the liquids in hand luggage rules apply to presents too.
Another good thing to keep in mind is not to wrap them as they are subject to security checks and may be unwrapped. If you are uncertain about carrying any item in your luggage, check with your airline before packing.
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Wlidlife Guatemala – 8 Things You Should Know About Ocelots
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Many people confuses this cute felines with domestic cats. But before you take one as a pet there are some things you should know about them:
1. The ocelot’s appearance is similar to a domestic cat. Its fur resembles a Clouded Leopard or Jaguar and was once regarded as particularly valuable.
2. These guys receive many names and some are: Painted Leopard, McKenney’s Wildcat, Jaguatirica (in Brazil), Jaguarete (in Paraguay and Argentina), Tigrillo (in Ecuador), Cunaguaro (in Venezuela), or Manigordo (in Costa Rica and Panama).
3. Ocelots hunt over a range of 18 km2, taking mostly small animals like deer, various rodents, reptiles and amphibians lizards, turtles, frogs, crab, birds and fish. Almost all of the prey that the ocelot hunts is far smaller than itself.
4. Ocelots can live 8 to 11 years.
5. The ocelot is mostly nocturnal and very territorial. It will fight fiercely, sometimes to the death, in territorial disputes. In addition, the ocelot marks its territory with special urine. Like most felines, it is solitary, usually meeting only to mate.
6. During the day it rests in trees or other dense foliage, and will occasionally share its spot with another ocelot of the same sex.
7. Thousands of ocelots have been killed for their fur. The feline was classified a “vulnerable” endangered species from 1972 until 1996, but gladly is now rated “least concern”.
8. It follows and finds prey via odor trails, but the ocelot also has very good vision, including night vision. The white rings around the ocelot’s eyes help to reflect extra light into the eye at night.
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Spotlight Guatemala – Ram Tzul Reserve And Hotel
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If you are planning to travel to Guatemala, make sure you stop by Ram Tzul. It is a wonderful place close to the Biotop del Quetzal, a major tourist attraction on the way to Coban, Alta Verapaz.
This is a beautiful hotel which consists of a series of cottages made out of stone and bamboo. The cottages have great views of the reserve. A reserve you said? Yes, the hotel is settled in a 150 hectare reserve of primary vegetation. This of course implies that they offer some great outdoor activities.
The hotel is a very cozy place where the service is super friendly and the food is very good. When you go there make sure you try Kak Kik, a local delicacy.
Contact mefor great discounts for a spectacular stay at Ram Tzul!
Here’s what people have to say about them and if you don’t believe them, I dare you to try it!
Just tell any bus to stop at Ram Tzul and they drop you off right at the entrance to the main building, which houses the restaurant. It is built out of bamboo and is claimed to be the largest bamboo construction in Central America.
I stayed here for 3 nights and had the best time ever! It is incredible! The food is excellent, not your average fare. The owner and manager, Gerardo, is very knowledgeable.
The hotel consists of several cabins that are also built out of bamboo and natural stone. My cabin had a nice view out on the forest.
The hotel offers trips through their eco-reserve, either on foot or on horseback. I hiked to a beautiful waterfall and swam there.
The whole place was a wonderful retreat in the Guatemalan cloud forest but with all the amenities of a well-run hotel.
I will be back!And
On a family weekend we stayed for one night in this hotel. The rooms are simple but cosy and comfortable, the panorama windows allow for great views of the beautiful mountain scenery, and the open fireplace was great to spend the evening talking and having a couple of drinks.
Food at the restaurant was OK, my wife enjoyed the local speciality Kak Kik (a turkey broth). Waiter Angel was especially nice and friendly.
We made the hike to the waterfall, which was a good experience.
Weelky Travel Tip – How Much Is It?
Posted by: | CommentsEven though prices may vary in different regions of Guatemala you might want to have some reference:
- A short taxi ride inside Guatemala City can cost you between 25 and 50 Quetzals that is between $3 and $7.
- A soda can be between 5 and 15 Quetzals ($2 or $3). A Beer is between 10 and 35 Quetzals ($1 and $5).
- A traditional breakfast that includes: Coffee, beans eggs and juice can cost anywhere from 20 to 50 Quetzals ($2 and $7).
- A lunch special can be 30 or 60 Quetzals ($4 to $8).
- A lunch or dinner in a more exclusive place (recommended) can be between 50 and 300 Quetzals ($7 to $38).
- The internet hour costs an average of 8 Quetzals (U$1).
- The hotel accommodations may cost:
5 Stars: U$100 to U$200
4 Stars: U$80 to U$100
3 Stars U$50 to $80
2 Or fewer: U$10 to u$50
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Wildlife Guatemala – 7 Details About The Brown Four-eyed opossum
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These guys are tiny marsupials with huge eyes that look a lot like rats. So come with me to learn more details about them:
1. It gets its name from its brownish to yellowish fur color and the creamy white spot above each eye.
2. It is a strongly nocturnal, terrestrial and omnivorous animal, feeding on fruits, small vertebrates and invertebrates.
3. This tiny animal has an average of 40 cm in total length and weighs as much as 1 pound.
4. The Brown Four-eyed Opossum builds nests made of leaves and twigs in tree branches or under rocks and logs.
5. Females can give birth twice a year and can have up to nine young at the same time. The mother takes care of the young for six months after birthing.
6. These guys are usually haunted by humans because they eat their crops. This has made them become another endangered species. What many people don’t know is that they actually help by reducing plagues like cucarachas, termites and ants.
7. The young / baby of a brown four-eyed opossum are called ‘joey’. The females are called ‘jill’ and males ‘jack’.
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Spotlight Guatemala – Hotel La Posada, Cobán
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Last week I presented a great option for a pleasant and private stay in Cobán Guatemala, but guess what? I found another great option.
Hotel La Posada is a beautiful, nicely decorated and peaceful hotel. Their rooms are very spacious and cozy with a beautiful decoration. They have a nice garden perfect for chilling with a good book. The staff is very friendly and always willing to help. But let’s not forget about the food, it is very tasty and the menu is filled with Guatemala’s typical dishes.
This is definitely one of my favorite places to stay in Cobán so try it and let me know how it went.
Contact me for great discounts for a spectacular stay at La Posada!
Here’s what people have to say about them and if you don’t believe them, I dare you to try it!
Hotel La Posada is located just off the main square of Coban. The rooms were very large and comfortable, and the multi-lingual staff were very helpful and friendly. They can help with arranging transport or tours with the local outfitters. Coban was a great place for us to base our excursion to Semuc Champey.
We paid 345Q (~$45) for a double (the room actually had one double bed and two single beds, in addition to a fireplace and a very sizable bathroom). The bed was comfortable and there was a nice garden courtyard. The shower took a little while to heat up, but after that was great (good water pressure and very clean). We ate dinner one night at the restaurant which had outdoor seating and good enchiladas.
And
We had a great time and would definitely stay at La Posada the next time we’re in central Guatemala.Very nice place, extremely friendly and dedicated staff (the owner personally supported me when I had serious issues with my mobile).
The room was large and clean, the bathroom was okay.
The garden and the ambiente in total is very nice – a must to go there and to see it.
The noise was no problem for us -we were offered a room more away from the street but even after having decided to take a room in the main building we could sleep very well (room Nr. 9).
The restaurant is very good and has lots of different offers.Don’t forget to visit the Mayan Museum.
Spotlight Guatemala – Hotel Casa Duranta
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Cobán is a Guatemalan town away from the rest of the world but very close to Lanquin and Semuc Champey (major touristic destinations). It is commonly visited by nature lovers because of its beauty. One day here is not enough to get to know this great place. So here is another great lodging recommendation :
I found Hotel Casa Duranta in this far away town. From the outside it might look like another house in this cute town but walk in and you will see a small intimate hotel with only 10 rooms. Which assures maximum privacy and a relaxing environment.
These guys offer a great, cordial and helpful service. The place has a very laid back ambiance and a simple yet nice decoration. The hotel also has a very nice and inviting open area where you can sit and enjoy nature.
So when you come to Cobán try staying here, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Contact me for great discounts for a spectacular stay at Hotel Casa Duranta!
Here’s what people have to say about them and if you don’t believe them, I dare you to try it!
I stayed at Casa Duranta for 2 nights with my wife and another couple of friends. Our stay was perfect, the hotel rooms are spotless clean, food is great and the service was amazing. I would definitely recommend for anyone. Anywhere you look you can find beautiful little details in the decoration. Won´t stay anywhere else in Cobán.
And
We arrived in Cobán on April 17, 2008 looking for a hotel for one night and found this exquisite, small hotel/posada. It is beautifully managed, intimate with only ten rooms and has subtle ambiance. My friends and I could have stayed much longer but travel plans did not permit.
A small paradise. Please thank the Mockingbirds for singing like they did in that lovely courtyard.
Wildlife Guatemala – 7 Revealing Facts About Vampite Bats
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When we think of bats the first thing that comes to our mind is an image from Hollywood’s monsters. But the real vampires are a lot different and have nothing to do with Dracula.
Here are some revealing facts about them:
1. These are the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. Also they are the only mammals that feed entirely on blood.
2. Vampire bats feed on the blood of large birds, cattle, horses, pigs, dogs and many other animals including humans. However, they don’t suck the blood directly from their “victims”. They let it flow from the wound first before lapping it up.
3. In the wild they live about 9 years and nearly 20 in captivity.
4. The vampire bat is one of the few known bats capable of walking, jumping and hopping. This is accomplished by folding its wings in such a way that the animal literally walks on its thumbs. This behavior is important because it allows the bat to maneuver on the ground and to climb on their host.
5. Often they will return night after night to the same animal, so they just have to lift the scab from previous visits to get more blood.
6. They don’t remove enough blood to harm their host, but their bites can cause nasty infections and diseases.
7. To control the vampire bats, cattle have been injected with anticoagulants, substances which cause internal bleeding in the feeding bats.
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Spotlight Guatemala – Mirador Tour
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Recently I heard that someone had discovered a new and bigger Mayan city in Guatemala. It is located several kilometers north from Tikal, so I started researching. What I found was a great tour that I had to try.
All I can say is that it is an awesome tour, it normally takes six days but it could be less. It consists on a hike where you will discover the highest and biggest Mayan temples you could ever imagine. The tour includes meals and a great bilingual guide that will tell you all you need to know about this great place.
It is totally worth it. You will get a more personal attention because it’s not as crowded as Tikal. So adventure seekers this is you call.
Contact me for great discounts and have the time of your life!
Here’s what people have to say about them and if you don’t believe them, I dare you to try it!
My visit to El Mirador in 2002 is one of the best trips to an arquelogical place that i have ever done. Al though the restorations are still in a very low level. I loved having to sleep under the stars and having to walk my way in. But the best of all was meeting the arquelogists working on the place. I felt almost as a discoverer, and no other place had given me that feeling.
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