Here I go again... I'll be in Central America from July 10-23, my fourth visit of the year. First I'll be staying with the kind folks at Tranquility Bay Resort in Ambergris Caye, Belize. After that, I'll be heading back to Cayo, Belize, and the Flores/Tikal region of Guatemala.

I haven't been to El Peten for several years, and I'm curious to see how it's changed. And I'm eager to see the Tikal ruins again. It's such a haunting, evocative place -- I think it's impossible to visit and leave unchanged.

Will any of you be in Central America during those dates?

Yum. Traveling in Central America is tasty. Some of my favorite dishes are easy to make, but they never taste quite the same as they do from a Central America street cart -- just beware the dreaded Guat Squats! In my Central America cuisine guide, you'll find photos and definitions of quite a few Central America dishes. Among them:

• Platanos Fritos: deep-fried plantains, an indispensable side dish; all over Central America
• Anafres: a refried black bean and cheese fondue served before the start of a meal; Honduras (shown)
• Fry Jacks: deep-fried pieces of dough often accompanied by beans and eggs, or jam and honey; Belize
• Elotes: roasted or boiled ears of corn, smeared with butter, cheese, salt, lime juice and chili powder; Guatemala and Mexico