Historic sites in Guatemala, Belize on global watch list
The Mayan ruins of Quiriguá in Izabal and El Zotz in Petén, as well as the historic architecture of Belize City, have been included on the World Monuments Fund (WMF) 2012 Watch, a list of cultural heritage sites around the world at risk of damage or destruction from a variety of threats. With a mission [...]
Antigua International School
Teaching kids how to think, not what to think As the founding director of a new, international school in La Antigua Guatemala, longtime educator Jim Pastore is confident that the 21st century curriculum will launch kids on a lifetime of learning that will prepare them for the jobs of the future, those that may not [...]
Red-letter Days
This month is doubly patriotic Brace for a double dose of patriotic fervor this month in Guatemala. In addition to the Sept. 11 national elections (see page 54), Guatemala celebrates its 190th Independence Day on Sept. 15 with ear-shattering fireworks, resounding drumbeats from marching bands, festive concerts and more. Guatemala is hardly alone in its [...]
Santiaguito
Volcanic offshoot beckons trekkers to the Highlands A mere infant in geologic time, the Santiaguito lava dome is a steam- spewing, smoke-belching spectacle just outside Quetzaltenango in Guatemala’s Western Highlands. Rising more than 8,000 feet above sea level, Santiaguito (Little St. James) is one of the world’s most active lava-dome com- plexes, consisting [...]
Fugitive’s arrest closes the book on frying-pan caper
U.S. authorities recently arrested one of their most-wanted fugitives in California–an alleged mobster-murderer from Boston who had been in hiding or on the run for 16 years. For two businessmen in La Antigua Guatemala, the June 22 arrest of James “Whitey” Bulger, 81, dashed hopes of ever claiming a million-dollar reward (later upped [...]
Nelson Lunding
Like thousands of his New Orleans neighbors, blues piano player and singer Nelson Lunding was uprooted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “There was eight feet of water in the street, three feet of water in the house, cars were underwater…my neighborhood didn’t exist,” Lunding recalls. “People became insane, angry, heartbroken—including myself.” After more than a [...]
All Aboard the Xela Express
Train-like tour hits Highland highlights With so many cultural, culinary and spiritual destinations in and around Quetzaltenango, visitors can enjoy a leisurely sampling of the area’s most interesting attractions simply by boarding a street-wise locomotive. Suited to travelers’ time-challenged schedules, Tranvia de los Altos shuttles visitors to significant sites in Guatemala’s second-largest city (commonly known [...]
WINGS celebrates 10 years of serving families
Serving over 30,000 people in seven departments, WINGS recently celebrated over a decade of achievements in the fields of family planning, reproductive health and improving the lives of Guatemalan families. With the theme “It All Begins With Family Planning …,” WINGS’ 10th anniversary launch party in March brought 150 guests to Mesón Panza Verde in [...]
Peace Corps volunteers honored at 50th anniversary celebration
Finishing two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Totonicopán, Samra Brouk summarized her experience in three words: “challenging, surprising, satisfying.” “It was probably the two hardest years of my life but at no point did I think there was anyplace else I should be,” said Brouk, 24, a native of Rochester, N.Y., who plans [...]
Some noisy, noticeable events unrelated to Semana Santa
The carpets, floats and sorrowful dirges of Semana Santa carry centuries-old tradition reserved for the holiest period of the Catholic calendar. But, in Guatemala during this special season, you’re also likely to encounter sights and sounds that are common year-round. Before you panic thinking there’s a shootout down the street or a UFO hovering nearby, [...]
Peace Corps volunteers honored at 50th anniversary celebrations
Hundreds of Peace Corps volunteers serving in Guatemala joined U.S. Ambassador Stephen G. McFarland and guests recently to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the global service organization. Nearly 500 volunteers, members of host families, Peace Corps staff and special guests gathered at the ambassador’s residence in Guatemala City on Friday, March 25, for the occasion, [...]
150 attend WINGS’ 10th anniversary celebration
Serving over 30,000 people in seven departments, WINGS recently celebrated over a decade of achievements in the fields of family planning, reproductive health and improving the lives of Guatemalan families. With the theme “It All Begins With Family Planning …,” WINGS’ 10th anniversary launch party on March 17 brought 150 guests to Mesón Panza Verde [...]
Magic Moments
‘I Do, Guatemala’ creates dream weddings amid Antigua’s romantic settings With volcanic backdrops, a signature arch, cobblestone streets and centuries-old ruins, La Antigua Guatemala couldn’t be more picturesque. Diana Sciarrillo of Guatemala City and colleague Romie Black of Atlanta (USA) want those and other images unique to Guatemala in wedding albums around the world. So [...]
February 2011 in Revue Magazine
February is one of my favorite months—not because of Valentine’s Day. I love February because it means January is over. And except for New Year’s Day, I hate January. Everyone who coasted since Thanksgiving is enthusiastically sending e-mails with ideas, projects and goals for the New Year. To which I ask: What have you been [...]
With transatlantic support, new school opens in Jocotenango
Built with an outpouring of support from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, a modern new school has just opened for over 500 Guatemalan children, many of whom might not get an education otherwise. Located in Jocotenango, just three kilometers from La Antigua, the spacious Escuela Proyecto La Esperanza has 20 classrooms, a computer lab, [...]
Reilly’s Irish Tavern to open Dec. 22 in new location
Reilly’s, the beloved Irish tavern in La Antigua Guatemala, will open Dec. 22nd in its new home, with a festive anniversary celebration set for the next day, Dec. 23rd. “I’m delighted to say Reilly’s will reopen very soon in what had been Café 2000, with the same food and atmosphere that our friends have enjoyed [...]
Dozens in Florida learn about La Antigua from Elizabeth Bell
Author-historian Elizabeth Bell recently brought the story of La Antigua Guatemala to an audience of more than 50 guests in Coral Gables, Fla., an exclusive community near Miami that has been a Sister City of La Antigua since 1993. A California native who’s lived in Antigua since age 14, Bell was featured Nov. 30th at [...]
An Exercise in Futility
The cardio high and other pleasures of climbing Cerro de la Cruz My body is a temple—a temple of doom. Some of the erosion—hair, hearing, back, knee—is beyond my control now that I’m a 50-something. Weight is another story. A good 5-10 pounds would melt away if I simply dropped my beer habit, but in [...]
December 2010 in Revue Magazine
December is here and with it the usual and unusual sights, sounds and flavors of the Christmas season. Elizabeth Bell fills us in on her favorite among the unique ceremonies of the Christmas season, while Joy Houston tells us about festivities honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe. Need some holiday gift ideas? Jennifer Rowe took a [...]
Packed house celebrates Rainbow Cafe’s 18th anniversary
Patrons flocked to Rainbow Café – restaurant, bar, book exchange, reading room – for its 18th anniversary celebration Saturday night, Nov. 13. A delight to travelers and locals alike in La Antigua, Rainbow offers some of the best breakfasts in town, along with salads, homemade soups, fresh-fruit smoothies, crunchy salads and desserts to die for. [...]
Qué le vaya bien, Zac
After bartending at the Monoloco restaurant for four years, Zac Ballentine is returning to the United States to enroll in college and perhaps work as a ski instructor in Colorado. “I love Antigua and I love the Monoloco. I could spend the rest of my life here, but I’m approaching 30 and I can’t do [...]
Season For Marvel
One of nature’s marvels unfolds nightly this time of year on Guatemala’s Pacific coast—a beautiful yet awkward ballet of emerging life that, within minutes of existence, is challenged for survival against natural predators.
El Remate
A quiet place to stay for a El Petén adventure Halfway between Flores and Tikal, El Remate is a quaint, centrally located community within easy reach of breathtaking ruins, mysterious caves, birdwatching, swimming and more. Nestled along the eastern shore of Lago Petén Itzá, El Remate provides a variety of lodging and dining choices, plus [...]
Into The Underworld
Etched by nature and bathed in mystique, the winding network of caves known as Actún Kan in Petén truly earned its place in Mayan legend as the Cave of the Serpent’s Mouth.
Loading ...
Good Gets Better
After living in La Antigua in 2002-03 and moving back recently, I’ve noticed a lot of changes, from striking to subtle. In no particular order, they include: • New landscaping along much of the highway from Guatemala City to Antigua. Medians and shoulders sprout colorful groundcover, lilies and shrubs. Nice. • Traffic cops at busy [...]
Continue Reading