When people ask me what my favorite destination in Central America is, for some reason Guatemala recurrently comes to mind. This stems not from a dislike of the other countries I have visited in the region (all except for El Salvador), but rather a particular affinity and fondness I felt towards the people and culture as soon as I crossed into the country from Belize. With the fourth highest rate of malnutrition globally and the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere (Haiti being the first), the suffering and contrasts between this and thriving countries like Costa Rica are startling and immediate. Dig a little deeper, however, and the rewards are endless. We were lucky to travel Guatemala with our good friend (and fluent Spanish speaker) Vesselina which made the experience even greater. Below are a few of the photos I took while there. The first photo (the colorful market) was my first official sale this past November.