You may not know this, but Guatemala isn't entirely what one would call safe. It has a very high murder rate per capita and I can't even visit three of my kids because they live in what is called a "red zone."
Here is a link to an article about a life in the red zones - areas so unsafe that the police won't even enter because they're outnumbered.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12385301
Here is another link that describes these communities below. As Mexico (directly North) and Columbia (a bit South) both wage war on the drug cartels in their countries, the drug cartels are squeezing into the middle - in part into Guatemala.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asentamiento
Because of the rather violent state of things in Guatemala, I have registered (and I recommend others register) with the State Department. This ensures they know to look for me should any major violence break out or a hurricane or other natural disaster occurs. Fortunately, all of these things are unlikely since I'm traveling outside of hurricane season and I have planned well to try to avoid the situations most likely to end in violence. The below link will allow you to see the current travel info about Guatemala, look up any other countries of interest, and register for Safe Traveler if interested:
United States State Department - Guatemala
Having established the relative lack of safety in the country, I will stick with visits organized by the group I sponsor with (Children International) and other organized tours. More info to come later on my tours!
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