Matt Coats wrote in his description about this picture that he took it from a "secret vantage point" in Guatemala. I'm reminded about the time I stood on a street corner in Hoi An, Vietnam taking pictures of people in various groupings as they passed by on bicycles or cyclos. It took several shots to get the few that were halfway decent.

I wonder where Coats was standing and how did he find his vantage point. Is he in a shed? There is a towel hanging in the shadows. The blues and the reds in this picture are what first caught my attention. The framing could not be more perfect.

If you've captured an image from a vantage point that served you well, send it our way at Gadling's Flickr Photo Pool. It could become a Photo of the Day.

The dollar has hit a new low against the euro, America is on the verge of recession and global food prices are on an upward spiral. In fact, global food prices have risen by 40% in the last nine months. Add to that the fact that food reserves are at their lowest in 30 years and the global economic situation looks grim. But beyond percentages and figures what does this really mean?

To showcase the real effects of the global rise in food costs the BBC has put together an interesting piece featuring six families from around the world, their shopping lists and exactly how their shopping habits have changed because of the rise in prices.

The six families are from Guatemala, India, Kenya, China, Egypt and the UK. In Guatemala the Rodas family has gone from eating meat five times a week to two. In Egypt the Abdulwahab family speculates a household used to be able to eat for one Egyptian pound; today it costs more than five.

The article also itemizes each family's shopping list, which provides for some eye-opening figures. The Classik family from the UK spends 10% of its monthly income on food, while in Egypt, the Abdulwahab family spends about 80%. Makes you think twice about complaining about how expensive everything is going to be on your next trip to Europe; travel is still a luxury.

Read the whole BBC article here.

There's so much to love about the Caribbean, and so much to hate.

The "hate" category exists because the Caribbean we have all come to love is now loved by too many; there are too many hotels, too many tourists, and too much development.

But there are exceptions.

Thankfully, the fine folks over at Condé Nast Traveler have compiled a fantastic guide to the less touristy places along the Caribbean side of Central America that "are still under the radar" -- such as Corn Island in the photo above. This also includes the coasts of Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

No, you won't find the swank, sophistication, and luxury yachts that populate the rest of the Caribbean, but you will find the peace and solace that comes with small coastal villages, empty beaches, and modest accommodations.

This is the true Caribbean, the way it used to be. Visit now before it becomes just another Cancun.

I talked yesterday about a little known alternative to Machu Picchu. Today, I bring you the Mayan version: the ruins at Tikal in Guatemala. But here's the zinger: they're actually more impressive than the much better known pyramids at Chichen Itza in Mexico.

Here's what one American had to say about the place. "I saw the Pyramids [in Egypt] ... This is better, because you can go on top of them, and see what they saw." The best part is that they're in the middle of the jungle. Yes, that does make it harder to get to the place, but once you're there, it feels like you've traveled back in time 3,000 years. There's also authentic Mayan rituals performed every once in a while, since the government opened the national park to Mayans in 1996.

Has Grant's alert about cheap fares to Guatemala got ya thinking about planning a spontaneous getaway? Or maybe you want to expand your travels beyond Guatemala City and the old capital of Antiqua and spend a week or more exploring the scenic wonders of this magical country?

Consider picking up a copy of Moon's guide to Guatemala to throw in your pack. The second edition of this handy guide has just hit bookstores. The first two places covered in the book are the ones mentioned here already, but it then goes on to provide equal attention to El Oriente and Izabal, Las Verapaces, Peten, the Western Highlands and the Pacific Coast regions. Special sections include background about the Mayan culture and tips for those who love bird-watching or adventure hiking.

The 480-page book was written by Al Argueta, a Texas-based photographer of Guatemalan decent who lived there for two years and has explored much of the country. His passion for the joys of this nation can be sensed throughout the book. Be sure to check it out before making your own visit to discover Guatemala.

There appears to be some squabbling for the Los Angeles -- Guatemala City (LAX-GUA) route today. Spirit, American Airlines, Taca and Mexicana all have been showing excellent fares between LA and the Latin capital, and I'm currently seeing a price of about 200$ on Taca starting this weekend through Q1 2008.

Usually, fares departing on such short notice are hard to come by. So if any of you left-coasters are free this weekend, surprise your significant other or mother with a trip down to Guatemala.

Don't even think about telling me that you think Guatemala is dangerous. I was there in March and got there and back just fine, even with a white girl in tow.

If you want to be super safe, the trick is to leave Guatemala City as soon as you touch down and head straight for Antigua, the old capital of Guatemala. Here you'll find an historic Central American village high in the mountains surrounded by volcanoes. Head out to see La Merced Church or stick around for a few weeks to attend spanish school.

There are a variety of activities in this safe, colonial town that will keep you busy for a long relaxing weekend without breaking the bank. And to put the safety issue in perspective, I ran into a guy from my home town, Ann Arbor as I was walking down the street one day; tourism is fairly common in Antigua.

If you get bored, you can pay a few pesos for a trip to Lake Atitlan or the top of one of the local volcanoes. I would recommend a tour in that case though, because things can get a little dicey outside of the Antigua bubble.

Use a flexible search engine such as Kayak to locate the best itineraries for your window. And as always, fare sales can disappear in the blink of an eye. If there's any question, book now and ask questions later.

Ah yes, the old hand painted political slogan on the side of a building. This particular one happens to be San Juan Cotzal, Guatemala. I just love the way the colorful slogan, so very amateur in nature, contrasts almost cheerily against what must surely be a very poor residence in some godforsaken town.

Congrats go out to Sir Isaac Lime for capturing an election in its most primitive form--something so very refreshing compared to what we are currently dealing with here in the United States.

Be sure to visit the Gadling Flickr Pool and upload your favorites for a possibility of Photo of the Day fame.

Here's a tip from a woman I met who is finishing up her master's degree at the Ohio State University. If you want a cheap place to learn Spanish or brush up on the Spanish you know, try Guatemala. She was in Antigua for two weeks last summer and found it cheap, fun and an extensive Spanish language lesson.

From what she said, you can just basically show up in Antigua and find a school and a place to stay. Lodging with a family as a homestay is readily available and schools are everywhere. If flying-by-the- seat-of-your-pants travel isn't your thing, here are a couple of links to websites for language schools so you can plan ahead. The first one, Casa de Lenguas has been around since 2001. The website includes information about the program, activities, lodging and who your fellow students might be. The average age is 30. People are as young as 18 and go up to age 65. I'm sure if you're over 65, you won't be kicked out.

One thing that caught my attention about the Casa de Lenguas program is there is a volunteering component. If you bring materials and supplies to donate to a charitable organization and donate your time to a cause, you can get a discount off tuition.

The Ixchel Spanish School, in business since 1999, emphasizes speaking and also includes homestay information and extracurricular opportunities. For even more options, check out Conexion. This is an internet café in Antigua that lists several Spanish schools and their contact information. "¡Buen viaje!" Have a good trip!

Believe it or not, Guatemala is home to the world's only hot waterfall. Known as "Agua Caliente," the steaming waters from a thermal spring bubbling into the Rio Dulce pour over the falls into a cool pond below. Surrounded by foliage and ancient pocked rocks, Agua Caliente looks like a scene from a coming-of-age movie.

As if the anomaly of standing in cool waters as hot waters pour over you weren't enough, visitors can creep behind the falls and find just enough room for a natural sauna, letting you steam from the shoulders up while staying cool down below. Como se dice, "Ahhhhh..."?

Located on the extreme northwest tip of Lake Izabal -- Guatemala's largest lake -- Agua Caliente is relatively easy to reach, by car, bus, or boat. Moreover, it may be among the most picturesque destinations in the world, as this photo by Justin.Slammer proves.

George W. Bush and Laura are in Guatemala checking out various sites there---some government, some agriculture and some tourist related.

Next week, Bush is heading to Guatemala's archeological site, Iximche, the once capital of the Mayan kingdom Kaqchiqueles before the Spanish showed up and did a number on it in 1524. The Mayan descendents are not too pleased that Bush is coming and plan to have a Mayan priest hold a purification ceremony of the site after he leaves. I bet, though, there will be a spike in visitors now that the site is in the news.

If you want to visit the site yourself one of these days, check out Ecotourism and Adventure Specialists' website. The company operates a variety of tours. Some of them include Mayan ruins. This is a good place to find out what interests you and what's available. When I did a search on Iximche, a lot of what I found was articles about Bush 's visit. Here is an interesting blog post by Kambiz Kamrani that I found on Archeology.net. Kamrani writes a bit about this convergence of ritual and politics. The photo is from the post and is of a Mayan purification ceremony.