Guatemala, 2007

Travelling to a new country, and soaking up the sights and sounds of a different culture, gives me a real high. It has something to do with discovering the unexpected, observing the world with senses on high alert, mentally registering similarities and differences, and being inspired by the stories (like that of my Antigua guide, who escaped into exile in the USA at age 12) and the aesthetics (like the luminous craft markets and the earthquake-crumbled ruins of convents and cathedrals).

Today, as I began to explore Guatemala with a trip to Antigua, I felt strangely at home. I put that down to the “third worldliness” of the place – its colourful, jumbled, hustling, diesel-smoke belching, smiling friendliness. Of course, the uniqueness of the country is also invigorating, especially the traditional dress of the women, and the rich Mayan history, which happily still shines through in the people, the architecture (like the Mayan arches) and the art (like the mask and two paintings I bought).