Ok, I'd like to share with you my experience of traveling to Guatemala and El Salvador this past February.
I was blessed by my aunt-in-law and friend with an opportunity to visit all my dear friends down there for for about 12 days.
I flew into Guatemala city at night after a layover in Atlanta.
I found that my phone did not (contrary to Verizon's assurance) function down there. So being alone in a foreign country without any ability to communicate with home or finds was interesting. Thankfully the Guatemalan people are a kind and generous people and they helped me find a decent hotel that offered free pick up from the airport.
The next day I took a taxi to my best friend Hectors house outside the capitol in a town called Amatitlan. I have been down there twice before to visit with him and his dear family, about once every 5 years or so. I was so pleased to rekindle friendships with his 2 oldest children, and maybe even more pleased to meet his youngest daughter Marian. That girl is hilarious! Funniest kid Ive ever met. Her and I became instant friends! they live in a small house, and despite the generous offer to let me take one of the 3 beds I chose to stay in a hotel. The first night I stayed in a cheap hotel, which was horrible! The next step up, and a necessary one a that, was a fancy hotel.
architecturally I was very impressed and it inspired me with new possibilities.

Above you see the tops of 14 rooms, which are built into the hillside creating a very park-like setting.

Here is my friend Marian down in the entrance to the rooms.

Here is the room, The back side is open to the view of the volcanoes of the area. The doors open wide and allow for lots of fresh air and light. I finally had a good nights sleep after 3 nights of poor sleep.

Two day later Hector and I borrowed a car and went off in search of adventure. We headed into the mountains of Guate.
I have a very good employee by the name of Hector, he is from a remote village in Guate. He has little if any communication with his family. So I decided to pay them a visit and let them know their boy is a good man and a hard worker, and that he is ok.
His parents weren't there but I got to meet his sis-in-law and nieces. Very nice people.

here you see them in their traditional clothing which most Guatemalans outside the capitol (and many inside) still wear daily.
Later that day we arrived at Lake Atitlan. Here is a pic from above the lake in the town of Solola'.

W spent the night in a $20 hotel (not bad!) then the next day we headed to a village that sits in the bay you see between the two volcanoes.

Here's a pic from the boat trip over. We had to haggle with about 7 different boat owners to find a good boat at a good price. This one let Hector drive, so they won!

We had some great food. and visited the wonderful artisan markets.

We got around the village of Santiago in little 3-wheeled motorcycle contraptions with a canvas top called Tuk-tuks. Here is me and Hector riding along in one.

We had a hard time finding any place to stay the night and the boats had already stopped running. Thankfully we found some missionaries from our religion and they helped us find a member who had a spare room. $20, nice!
The next day we took a public boat. $1. to a smaller neighboring village to see what we could find there. We met some really nice locals (although they don't LOOK it in this pic) and learned a lot about the area. It was a beautiful day and ride. After we got our hotel ($15) we decide to hike to the top of the volcano. Lake Atittlan sites at 5400'. We took a tuk-tuk up another 600' or so to the trail head.

The views were amazing. But the trial was so steep, and the altitude was so high, I could not go on past about 7400' There is just no air up there. At least for a guy who's house sits at 63' above sea level! I went back into town while my friend went up and back. The tuk-tuk driver was supposed to be reachable by phone to pick him up, but was not, so Hector had to walk all the away back into town! I would have died.
Here's me back in town before we left the next day.

This is out on the lancha (boat) heading back to our car on the main shore. Nice eh?

From there we took an old Kia Sportage and drove around the entire lake. It was a very primitive road. if you could even call it that in places. It was so high and steep we had to shift into low gear just to move forward on asphalt! For anyone who knows me well, you'll know I was just dying to have my Land Cruiser there!
We met a poor man, who did not speak Spanish, His native language is Tz'utujil. He was in the middle of nowhere fixing the potholes, and then putting his hat out for a donation. Hector said about 5Quetzales would be a nice tip. I gave him 10Q. Then as I drove off, feeling so blessed to be experiencing such a place, I realized that I had so much, and him so little. I honked to signal him, and then backed up to give him another 20Q. More money than he would make in a week. $4 for me!

moving road block. Or should I say "mooooving"? Sorry, could pass it up.
As we climbed out of the massive super-crater that hold this lake and all it's wonders we struggled to keep our little vehicle moving upwards. When we finally got out we had reached 8630'!

From there I spent one more night at the fancy hotel, and my last time with Hectors amazing family. We had a great diner at Pollo Campero. (Country Chicken) If you find yourself in Guate you should find one of these, It's like KFC but really good. As I said goodbye to his family his kids got a little teary-eyed. I might have too.
Early the next morning we took a chicken bus to the border of El Salvador. It was hotter than heck. We walked across the border, and got a ride in a pickup to the city of Sonsonate. We found a hotel. The the next morning we went to the church house to see what we could find. I was able to get a hold of some old friends and we hung out with them for the afternoon. We had great food, great conversations, and I had a great nap in a hammock under the shade of a mango tree.

Here is an old building In Sonsonate. It's made of mud bricks, as many homes still are. This building is probably 120+ yrs old

Then we went to my favorite city on earth: Ataco. i feel so at home here. And I have many close friends who live here. it used to be a poor community, then it got 'discovered' - darn! But they are fixing things up and restoring them to their colonial brilliance. Ataco is an artist community and so many, many buildings have these wonderful murals painted on them.

Hector was called home after our first day there for important business. I was lonely without him. I had 3 more days to spend there. So as a way to ward of loneliness I decided to serve those I love so much. There is a lady there who I call Mama Fita. She took very good care of me when I was a missionary there 17 years ago. She is very poor and her home in poor condition too. So I took here into town (by chicken bus) and we went on a shopping spree. We went to the hardware store and bought paint, and lights. We went to the market and purchased good and healthy food.

That night, me, her son, and her granddaughter painted the living room while listening to the local 80's radio station. (random, i know!) It was so fun.

I am so blessed that I can visit people that mean so much to me and be in a financial position to help them in their poverty.
I am so blessed to be able to see their happiness despite poverty, and to be able to come home with a renewed sense of gratitude, contentment, and perspective on what is really important and necessary in life.
We are so blessed here in the US, yet I feel many people have no clue as to the extent.
Perhaps more people should travel abroad.
Not just to Disneyland.