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No matter where you go...there you are.

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Category Archives: Guatemala

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The Old and the New

www.jimmccluskey.com Posted on March 14, 2008 by JimMarch 15, 2012

To those unfamiliar with Guatemala it is difficult to convey what the country is like. There are the iconic weekly markets held in every village of any size that are a feast for the senses. And the psychedelic painted buses chicken buses that haul people, products and yes, poultry to and from nearly every place in the country, especially on market days. There are villages, towns and cities constructed almost entirely of concrete block, with buildings often left crudely unfinished, by our standards anyway, or painted in bright, unattractive colors. Advertising and political logos seem to be a pervasive design … Continue reading →

Posted in Guatemala, TRAVEL

The Dental Tourist

www.jimmccluskey.com Posted on March 5, 2008 by JimMarch 15, 2012

I am doing something I never thought I’d do in Guatemala—I am getting dental work done. Several months ago a big chunk of a molar broke off during a poker game. (Maybe I grind my teeth when I am holding a bad hand.) The tooth didn’t hurt so getting it fixed wasn’t an emergency. But it was only a matter of time before the rest of it crumbled. I needed a crown, but at a cost of more than $1000 in the US, that was out of the question. Getting it pulled was more in my price range, but I … Continue reading →

Posted in Guatemala, Medical, TRAVEL

Too Much of a Good Thing

www.jimmccluskey.com Posted on February 5, 2008 by JimOctober 8, 2012

Our departure from Nebáj was dry and dusty; there was mile after mile of road construction, and in spots it seemed like the heavy equipment was carving new road out of the mountainside in front of us as we bumped along. We were ready to find someplace quiet and refreshing. After a one-night stopover in Coban, long enough to get some rest and make a quick visit to an interesting restaurant that serves cardamom-flavored coffee, we caught a mini-van up to Semuc Champey. Semuc Champey is one of Guatemala’s natural wonders. The Cahabon River tumbles down through a narrow gorge … Continue reading →

Posted in Costa Rica, Guatemala, TRAVEL

Beyond Statistics

www.jimmccluskey.com Posted on January 18, 2008 by JimMarch 15, 2012

Joseph Stalin said that a single death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic. When people talk about Guatemala’s “civil war” it is usually in statistics—30 years of fighting, some 200,000 killed or missing. (I put “civil war” in quotes because it is a misnomer; it implies two opposing sides more or less equally matched. The guerilla forces never numbered more than 5000 even at the height of the fighting in the early 80s, and that number was divided among four mostly unrelated groups. The government reaction was not so much a fight as genocide.) One of the areas … Continue reading →

Posted in Guatemala, Politics, TRAVEL

City Life

www.jimmccluskey.com Posted on January 13, 2008 by JimMarch 15, 2012

We’ve spent the last twelve days in the highland city of Quetzaltenango, a name that is a mouthful to say and even harder to spell. It is known more by its original Mayan name, Xelajú, shortened to Xela (SHAY-la). At over 7000 feet, the air is cool at night, and our cardiovascular systems get an extra workout as we walk up and down the hilly cobblestone streets. It is a pretty decent city by Central American standards, but we probably wouldn’t stay long except that my four godchildren live here with their older brother and parents. The kids are all … Continue reading →

Posted in Guatemala, TRAVEL

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Guatemala Gazette

a travel journal...
I started traveling to Guatemala in the mid-80s. When the internet became commonly available there a dozen years later I began writing a travel journal and emailing it to friends and family. This is the archive of those journals. GO>>>

Unpublished Articles

  • October Surprise - Did the Reagan Legacy begin with deceit?
  • Fool's Gold- The Legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine
  • That Sucking Sound-History of the Vacuum Cleaner
  • Women of the Wild West-It wasn't all cowboys.
  • History of the Motel

Published Articles

  • Who was Deep Throat? Answer: Mark Felt. Relive the speculation.
  • Smells Like Murder- The Death of Kurt Cobain
  • One Giant Hoax- The Apollo Moon Landing
  • Death, Drugs and Rock'n'Roll-Who killed Jimi Hendrix?
  • History of the Banana- More interesting than it sounds
  • Microcars- Smaller than compact
  • Death of a Princess-Was Diana Murdered?
  • Uncle Sam's Other Islands-Some your travel agent has never heard of.

Misc. Writing

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