20.05.2011

As our 3-month tour of Central America is drawing to an end it is about the time to start wraping it up. Below you will find our family list of our Top 10 favorite and worst things about this region. In one of the recent editions of The Economist an interesting report on Central America was published. It included some interesting facts and stats. Here’s a few of them:

– Guatemala’s crime rate is twice as high as in Mexico and ten times greater than that of the US. The crime rate is now higher than during 35 years of the civil war that ended there in 1996.
– Centra American countries are among 20 reckoned to be the most vulnerable in the world to destructive weather
– Almost half of Guatemala’s children are chronically malnourished – a rate worse than Ethiopia’s. In villages it can be up to 80%!
– The average Guatemalan has just 4,1 years of schooling

Generally after reading this report you might think that visiting Central America, especially with small kids, is not a good idea. Contrary to the tone of The Economist we highly recommend this region and will surely return here one day.

Top 10 – Best

1. Pura Vida, pure and simple life

2. Real food, real people, real nature.

3. Low prices

4. Joyful and spontaneous worshiping of God

5. Holy Week (Semana Santa)

6. Colorful currencies

7. Free Wi-Fi everywhere

8. Hammocks

9. Maximum asset utilization, till it falls apart

10. Eco-packaging (bags)

Worst Top 10 things about Central America

1. Poverty

2. High crime rate and drug trafficking

3. Low hygienie and ecology standards

4. Way of eating and obesity

5. Constant heat

6. Political instability, corruption and poor law execution

7. Low self-esteem, especially among women

8. Teachers strikes

9. “Do not throw paper into the toilet”

10. Frequent power outages

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