Guatemala 1: a different kind of place

I had never been to a developing country before. I was surprised to note that while some things were very much the same:


(that's a mall in Guatemala city)

Others were strikingly different:
For example, you can do your grocery shopping at a very normal looking store owned by Wal-mart, or you could shop here, at the central market:

Also, McDonald's serves fried chicken, or "Pollo McCrispy."

On a drive in the city I saw this:

Those are vultures. Lots of vultures.

You can sit on Santa's lap in the mall, just like in the U.S. Only he doesn't have a hat and somewhat resembles Jerry Garcia.

I thought Guatemala was a pretty amazing place. Some aspects of the history and culture are simply incredible, but you can't drink the water and have to watch your back at all times. I can't wait to write more about our experiences, but I just heard Livia wake up, so you'll all just have to wait!

P.S. I didn't think the first photo needed a caption. It speaks for itself.