| Central American is home to many secret treasures for tourists who like to avoid the crowds, including numerous ancient Maya settlements. The seven countries of Central American -- Guatemala, Panama, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica -- are full of natural beauty and cultural treasures. Many of the region‘s nature reserves, ancient Maya settlements and colonial cities have been declared world cultural heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. There are lots of volcanoes and an exotic animal kingdom to explore, yet few people outside the region know of them. The view into the crater of the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua is a breathtaking experience, enlivened by the accompanying strong smell of sulphur and the loud screaming of parrots. Yet the car park on the edge of the crater is nearly empty. This is a boon for daring travelers who can enjoy all the beauty without having to share it with hordes of others visitors. El Salvador has a “ road of flowers,” and Nicaragua has a “ road of white villages” connecting villages from the colonial period. Honduras is developing a means of connecting the native American communities in the Atlantic coast from the Garifuna, descendents of the Carribean Indians and Africans, to the Miskito Indians in the jungle. Geological enthusiasts could also follow a volcanic trail through Central American. There are many volcanoes in just a small area, some with perfectly cone-shaped peaks constantly emiting smoke from their craters. Some of them are partially accessible. A bus travels to the edge of the Masaya craters in Nicaragua,an active volcano just 500 meters high.For safety reasons,every traveler should get local information from the local tourism authority before climbing a volcano. The Arenal Volcano in northern Costa Rica terrified local inhabitants and tourists in August 2000 when it spouted hot gas and ash. Individual travelers can easily find travel information. The long distance buses that connect all countries in the region are very comfortable with air conditioning and TV. And if you travel through the villages in small, local rundown buses, you will swiftly come into close contact with local inhabitants and their animals. You are just as likely to have a hen thrust into your lap as a small child. 颖青 摘译 摘自《英语文摘》2002年第1期 | 中美州是那些喜欢远离喧嚣人群的旅行者的理想之地。对他们而言，那里埋藏着太多的秘密宝藏，其中包括远古玛雅人的遗址。 中美洲的七个国家--危地马拉、巴拿马、伯利兹、洪都拉斯、萨尔瓦多、尼加拉瓜和哥斯达黎加，遍布自然美景和文化宝藏。其中不少地方的自然保护区、古玛雅人遗址和殖民时期城市已经被联合国教科文组织列入世界文化遗产。 那里有许多外人鲜知的火山和千奇百怪的动物正等待人们去探索研究。游览尼加拉瓜的玛莎雅火山是一次惊心动魄的历程。置身其中，你会被从火山口喷发出来的强烈硫磺气味和鹦鹉的尖叫声所震撼。大胆的旅游者甚至把汽车停在火山口边缘，借此独览火山口的全部美景，而不必簇拥在一大群游客中与别人一同分享。 萨尔瓦多有一条"花之路"，尼加拉瓜的"白色村庄之路"连接殖民时期留下来的各个村庄。洪都拉斯也正尝试用各种方式将由大西洋沿岸的土著美洲人--加里福那人(加勒比印第安和非洲人的后裔)、生活在丛林中的墨斯奇陶印第安人等--所组成的居住区连接起来。 地理学爱好者也可以沿着由众多火山构成的道路穿越整个中美洲。中美洲火山众多，即使是一小块土地上也有许多火山。有些火山的顶端呈完美的圆锥形，火山口不断喷出烟雾。有些火山不能完全接近。 旅游汽车可以到达尼加拉瓜玛莎雅火山口的边缘，这座活火山仅有500米高。为安全着想，每个旅游者得先到当地旅游局了解情况才能开始攀登一座火山。 去年8月，哥斯达黎加北部的阿雷纳尔火山就曾经突然爆发，吓坏了当地居民和旅游者。 独立的旅游者也能轻易地取得有关旅游资料。带空调和电视的长途汽车非常舒适便捷，是这一地区的跨国交通工具。 如果你搭乘的是当地破旧的小型公共汽车，你很快就可以与当地居民和他们的动物亲密接触。很可能会有一只鸡像小孩一样蹿到你的腿上! |
