Guatemala insights

My wife and I took a great 2-week tour, “Guatemala: Land of Eternal Spring,” April 17-30, 2007, led by an exceptional director, the best we have had in our many years of travel. Sergio Garcia (not the Sergio Garcia), a full-blooded Maya, speaks excellent English and is well educated and extremely knowledgeable about his country and its extraordinary culture.

This tour was with Odysseys Unlimited (Watertown, MA), an agency that emphasizes in small-group travel. There were 14 in our group.

At a cost of $1,995 plus airline taxes and fees of $297, the tour included round-trip air on American Airlines from Los Angeles to Guatemala City; round-trip air from Guatemala City to Tikal; 10 nights in deluxe first-class hotels at Guatemala City, Tikal, Lake Atitlan and La Antigua; eight dinners and two lunches; all entrance fees; luggage handling for one bag per person, and gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters and all drivers.

Throughout the tour, Sergio made our experiences so much richer with his insights, backgrounders and anecdotes. In addition, he ran the tour with efficiency, stability and great humor.

In addition to working for Odysseys and a local agency, Sergio Garcia (7A. Calle 2-22 Zona 02, San Antonio A.C., 03015 Sac. Guatemala; e-mail sergiomga@ gmail.com) is available for private tours in Guatemala and Honduras. He charges $60 per day for one person or more. This price does not include his food or lodging; transportation costs also would be additional.

We recommend Sergio without reservation.

WILLIAM. H. CORCORAN

Coarsegold, CA