Surprise Trips, especially Day One, is always full of excitement.

Wake up early in the morning and make our way through the shuttle, airport, train, to eagerly arrive at our gate, where a mystery awaits us all.

As per usual, Nikki had a secret trip set up for us!

How exciting to see one of our favorite families, the kids closest friends, “the Johnsons” also at the gate, waiting to join us for an adventure to…. Guatemala!

The kids had figured out part of this already. Not the where, but the with. The Johnson kids and our kids had realized early last week that both of our families were taking secret trips. They became aware over the last few day of school that these trip overlapped and were at the same time. The older boys figured out they were even leaving on the same day and the mystery was starting to unravel. Like footprints in the flower garden under a windowsill of an Agatha Christie special, they started to put it all together.

One of my favorite things about this trip is we can get to know an absolutely different culture in just a quick two hour and four minutes flight!   Guatemala is ridiculously close to our Airport.

After landing in Guatemala City, we picked up our bags and made our way to one of my favorite Central America specialties. Our rental van.

Nikki got me the tourism van special edition again. “The Bus!” Like the same one I would pick you up from your hotel if you’re traveling with a 12 passenger birding tour.

I love me as the bus driver.  Driving this baby around Central America has become a great thrill to me.   One lucky break on this episode was that as I checked in, I got lucky and was given keys to one and only with automatic transmission.

Although I can drive a standard, clutch/brake/gears in the mountains, anywhere in Central America, typically during a downpour and crazy traffic is enough to make me a little crazy. The automatic immediately calmed me down.

I still got to experience the fantasy of driving the bus without the worry of stopping or parking on a 40° grade with a gas trailer semi truck in front or behind me.

Thank God. I can’t tell you how big of a win this was.

First stop.   Antigua.  

The beautiful colonial city, seated in the middle of the mountains, famous for its cobblestone streets, and painted walls.  

The city was cool and with google maps working only when it felt like it, we all got the opportunity to see a little bit of the city up close and personal as I tried to maneuver the van through streets just wide enough to fit if we pulled our side mirrors in.   We did a couple loops and quickly lost the Johnsons before refocusing and finding our first stop.

We have stayed at some pretty cool places. In fact, over the last few secret trips, cool digs has become a big part of our stay. Nikki tells me that often times she booked a trip around the coolest houses she can find. 

The abode on day 1 was no exception.

It was difficult to tell if we were inside or outside.  The house had a traditional Spanish style “open air” sort of “fort” wall with the rooms on the inside. An absolute beautiful house and unlike anything we’ve ever stayed in before.

We had a chance to enjoy our first day with playing soccer outside, swimming, and staying in the lap of luxury.

Dinner was a local unnamed restaurant we found on our walk outside and we all got our first taste of classic Guatemalan fare complete with “Gallo” Beer, wines, lemonades made fresh off the tree!

We finished the night in the roof overlooking the city and mountains listening to cannons and fireworks celebrating…nobody in Guatemala seems to know or care. Somebody was celebrating something and that’s enough!

Day 2 was an amazing drive thru the volcanos and mountain peaks surrounding Pacaya.    The narrow streets, motorcycle madness and steep grades made even the drive to our destination something special for me.    It’s wild.   It’s stressful, I’m on edge, but I’ve come to love it as well.   

I’m still rather terrible in the mountains with a huge van, but significantly better than I used to be. My wife and the kids were laughing about all of the crazy roads and drives that I have been on throughout our adventures across the planet. Central America seems to always take it up a notch as I’m just not used to the loudness and lack of rules.    FUN!  

The Adventure continued, as we all got on horses and packed our way up to the Pacaya volcano.

Hearing the kids giggle as their horses picked up the pace, my oldest on “Capitan” the stubborn horse with only one speed, “slow” and the smiles all around made it a special time for me as dad. 

It’s a family secret but for years and years I have been terrible with horses. The last two times I’ve been on one, however, there has been a noticed improvement and Pepe’ my trusty steed for volcano hopping shared a bond with me! We were buddies from the start and him being a natural leader, needed a cowboy like me…clueless, to just let him do his thing. He was constantly pulling out ahead of our guide to be in the front spot.

One of the coolest surprises and truly one of the most unique places I have ever eaten, was the halfway mark of this trip. Our guide led us to a huge lava flow field left over from one of the eruptions in 2021! That is where we had pizza that was hand made, cooked and served right in front of us in one of the volcano flues. Absolutely delicious- the ambience is one of a kind. You’re not going to find a volcano cooked pizza anywhere else I’m sure.

With the steam escaping the earth and the fog rolling in it felt like something from a Star Wars set.

Honestly, it’s worth checking out his link on Instagram @pizzapacayadavid

After the horse ride, we had a wild and exciting drive down the mountain, through banana plantations and small villages to arrive at our second destination.

Google maps, although delayed again, assured us that our location was just through the farm enterance marked “proparterio privada” which I explained to AJ meant, “welcome friends”, so we kept going.

Incredible, Nikki, as usual, had found a diamond in the rough. An absolute oasis of a casa set inside a coconut plantation and yet, directly on the Pacific Ocean.

There wasn’t anything on either side of this place for miles and yet our five star accommodations came complete with a pool, and maybe the best waves I have ever seen. It was all done up and just waiting for our enjoyment.

The kids were out in the black sand and waves before I could even get unpacked.

With constant waves like thunder, We enjoyed the next four days here. Our own paradise away from it all.

Side trips, including an incredible fishing trip, where everyone on the boat got a sailfish and Nikki and Bray got into a couple great Mahi.   This covered dinner for the next few nights with fantastic fish tacos courtesy of AJ and the carbon grill.    He did great as with this grill, food was Easier written than done!

This was especially cool for me to see as my wife has been on a quest for a monster Sail pretty much since the first trip we ever took prior together, before we were even married. This was a bucket list catch and her smile shows it all.   Excitement, adrenaline, enjoyment.   

It’s one of the WHYs that make us travel! 

On our last night came with another surprise and Nikki led us into the small town of Paredon where we jumped into kayaks to paddle thru the mangroves. 

No joking, we really got the mangroves! Often times ducking limbs and squeezing through a tiny fit, much smaller than even our paddles could handle.

Thank God for Chacko our guide, I’m not sure I could have ever found my way out of that living maze!

As much as I think Nikki booked this mini excision as a little side stop, looking back, it became a big part of our adventure and definitely if I felt it- the kids certainly did.

The “cocos frios” passed around at the kayak shop after we came in were, I’m assured, “the best coconuts ever!”

Our final day is something Nikki perfected throughout the years. She makes sure that we stay somewhat “semi luxurious” for the final night prior to boarding the flight home. 

She told me it was originally done as a safety net because she never truly knows how primitive/rough/tough/wet/muddy our trips could get so she wants to have one final spot to recoup and recover as insurance the kids want to go on vacation again the next time.

Hotel Kawalil did not disappoint. It was extremely high end with a Hot Springs warming up six or seven different pools. The rooms were all built into the side of the hill with a forest view and a flat top roof with grass that the kids could play on.

We had both lunch and dinner at the resort and the meals were great.  

Homemade fruit smoothies for the kids, good wine, and Mojitos for the adults.  

Overall, I thought our Guatemalan experience was spectacular. It is so quick and easy for us to get there- all but ensuring that we will go back again to explore other parts of this amazing country.

Beautiful, safe, adventurous, and cheap compared to many travel standards.   

Guatemala was a hit for the Zoo Crew!