I spent an entire month in Guatemala, a place of preserved beauty and modern living, known for its mountainous landscapes and vibrant indigenous Maya culture.  Honestly, I would have loved to spend more time here, and am hopeful I will return.  A country with a bit of everything— coastlines, a volcanic mountain range with 30+ volcanoes, rainforests and well-preserved colonial towns and villages steeped in tradition. The city of Antigua, hands down, is probably one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the world. This ancient city, surrounded by volcanoes, experienced significant earthquake destruction. This destruction led to the preservation of some of its most beautiful ruins, declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like most Latin American countries, Guatemala also experienced a long history of armed conflict—36 years of it—one of the longest and deadliest conflicts in Latin American history ending in 1996 with over 200,000 people (mostly Mayan communities) killed or disappeared by government forces (with help from the CIA).  This story is part one of a two-part series about what makes this place a ​”must​” to learn about and visit…