Tag: chicken tenders

Isla de Flores, Gateway to Mundo Maya and Party Town

M's Adventures
A colorful house on Isla de Flores.

In the district of Flores is an island called Isla de Flores and it is a picturesque place to visit. It is not just a stop on the way to Tikal.

A side street on Isla de Flores.

Before I went to Guatemala, friends who had lived there told me to spend the night in Flores because it’s quite a party town… well, let me sign myself for that! We went on a Saturday night and I can attest that the nightlife was booming (through the hot sticky tropical night) all the way to my air conditioned room.

In a traffic circle near the airport.

We were in Isla de Flores because we flew from Guatemala City to Isla de Flores airport, or Mundo Maya International Airport. I was surprised that the Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City had signed in Spanish, English, and Korean. But, we did see lots of Koreans even on our domestic flight (the Koreans are in Guatemala due to the textile industry).

Domestic terminal in Guatemala City.

I was entertained on the plane with the amount of advertising (see photo).

The plane to Flores is not so small.

I had arranged for us to be picked up from the airport to the hotel. It was overpriced at $20 but on the way back, we took a mototaxi for 15 Quetzal ($2). Isla de Flores even has an electric bus which is like a large blue and yellow golf cart.

Isla de Flores is located in Lake Petén Itzá in the region of Petén.

The first day that we were in Isla de Flores, we were caught in a sudden rain storm. We hailed a mototaxi to go back to the hotel. When I got in and tried to shut the half door, it came off in my hand. So I held it against the side of the mototaxi while we whizzed around the island on an unintentional “windshield tour” as the rain splashed around us and on my arm, holding the door… I wish I had video of it, but it didn’t occur to me to film it until afterwards.

The mototaxis have signs listing the price glued to the side of the vehicle.

The town of Isla de Flores is on a small island and it’s possible to walk around it several times in an hour or so. The buildings are painted in many colors and there are many hotels, hostels, restaurants, cafes, and tourist shops. Clearly this place hosts many tourists during prime season.

Walking around the island was fun. I am curious about the PITZ sports bar (see photo) that has been around since 1400 BC.

Another thing we discovered in Isla de Flores was how good the food is in Guatemala. We had food from Mangos/Achiote and it was excellent. Delicious fried chicken tenders (Pollo Campero is from Guatemala).

Tourist stuff.
A street going up.

We were there during low season so had a relatively quiet walk around the town. It was fun to see that there are boats and barges that ferry motorcycles and trucks back and forth to the “rich” shore of the lake (which incidentally is the second largest lake in Guatemala).

A local walking by.
More locals walking.

I find the people watching the most interesting, although I do love small windy streets and alleys.

Place Your Pollo Under the Seat – Guatemalan Food

M's Adventures
The freshest chicken breast tenders, delicious fries, and giant stuffed chile peppers.

The pilot let us know that the airplane was packed so Pollo Campero (an international fried chicken chain) needed to be placed under the seat in front of us. I did not know anything about Guatemalan food when I went to visit.

Fresh chicken breast tenders and the best fries…

What I learned was that fried chicken tenders are excellent almost everywhere. This was so evident, quickly, that I ordered chicken fingers/tenders at every meal (not at breakfast). The Guatemalans also make excellent fried potatoes. I was loving it!

Pepian with rice and avocado.

Sure, the national dish is called “pepian” — a stew of vegetables served with rice and avocado — but it’s easier to order fried chicken.

Garnachas are fried tortillas topped with shredded beef.

To make sure that we tried some of the traditional dishes, we went to El Adobe, a chain of restaurants that serves traditional food. We had stew, tortillas with things on top, tamale-like things, and excellent tamarind juice.

Fried tostadas with tomato, beans, and avocado.
Chuchitos are thicker than tamales.

For breakfast, eggs with “sofrito” which was a blend of vegetables, not always cooked. The best part about the beans is that they are black beans which are pureed and strained so that they become like a hummus but smoother. Fresh cheese and plantains are also standard with breakfast.

Classic Guatemalan breakfast.
Another typical Guatemalan breakfast.

Guatemalan food is not really known on the world stage, but it’s really good.

Tamarind juice.