Guatemala English language Magazine
written by Ralph Anske The American Society of Guatemala (ASG) was founded on June 14, 1960 by a group of American citizens residing in Guatemala. The society was created to provide a focal point to strengthen community ties and provide an institution to represent the interests of its members. It helps them contribute in situations where citizens of the United […]
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A rewarding excursion to Guatemala’s first winery to produce wine from locally-grown grapes since colonial times text and photos by Ira Lewis Hidden behind a coffee finca on the lower slopes of volcano El Agua is the first winery to produce wine from Guatemalan-grown grapes since colonial times: Chateau DeFay. Jacques and Angie DeFay recently presented their first vintage after […]
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Learning a new language is neither for the timid nor the middle-aged. Many afternoons I thought that my brain was overheating and sending smoke out my ears
Read more“The indigenous seem to understand instinctively what I want from them; we communicate with looks and gestures. The most important thing is empathy and mutual trust. This is a formula that has never failed me.”
—Los Todos Santeros, Hans Namuth,
The Festival Atitlán returns for its 9th year, once again celebrating springtime with music, dance, theatre, graphic art displays and workshops, plus a great kid section, and a promise of a beautiful day with family and friends outdoors on the shores of Lake Atitlán. As is the custom, the proceeds are donated to a local good works project. In the […]
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Deciding where your next dining out experience is going to take place entails some decisions. What kind of food do you and your companions feel like indulging in? Gourmet? Local? International? What price range? What kind of ambience? Formal? Casual? Breakfast or lunch? Dinner here, dessert there? The decisions become even tougher when there are so many wonderful eateries to […]
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To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy. —Henri Cartier-Bresson
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101 photographers responded with submissions for our 7th Annual Revue Photo Issue, and what an assortment of wonderful, beautiful, amusing, touching and creative images we received. Again this year it was extremely difficult choosing only one from each photographer, and we will be publishing some of the extras over the next few months. Our heart-felt thanks go out to all […]
Read moreby Betsy Cerezo AnEcho is celebrating its first anniversary! La Antigua’s Educational Cultural Home Office is much more than a conventional community center. Because of Antigua’s international populous, AnEcho has been able to weave a multi-faceted program to include not just our retired and semi-retired foreign nationals, also our Antigüeño neighbors, tourists, Salvemos Antigua members, and even Guatemala City dwellers. […]
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An evening of piano music with Roman Rudnytsky Tuesday, December 8, 7:00 p.m. Teatro Dick Smith, IGA, ruta 1, 4-05, zone 4, Guatemala City Sponsored by the U.S. Embassy Admission free Roman Rudnytsky is an American concert pianist of Ukrainian background and a graduate of the world-renowned Juilliard School for music, dance, and drama, in New York. As of 2009, […]
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The mission of Thirteen Threads is to empower organized groups of indigenous women to bring about changes, through their own efforts, that will alleviate the adverse effects of poverty and improve their quality of life.
Read moreAll year he hides under the bed or in the junk piled up in the corner, casting misfortune or worse on helpless mortals. But on Monday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. sharp, the devil gets his comeuppance, as he is tossed out of the house along with the trash and set ablaze in the Quema del Diablo (Burning the Devil), a tradition in many Guatemalan towns that literally sparks the beginning of the Christmas season. —Juan Carlos Ordóñez
Read moretext and photos by Dorothy Kethler Las Manos (The Hands), Los Cuates (Buddies), Talleres (Metal Workers), Areneros (Sand Diggers), Las Muñecas (The Dolls), Los Dragones (The Dragons), these are a few of the 36 soccer teams participating in the Barrio Norte Soccer Project. Every Saturday and Sunday the raucous cheers and thuds of the games can be heard throughout the […]
Read moreby Sue Patterson and Laurel White Last May, Emma, a 35-year-old mother of nine, passed away from cervical cancer, now considered a sexually-transmitted disease. Her premature death was a terrible and preventable tragedy. After hearing a radio announcement about a WINGS-sponsored screening in Chimaltenango, she came for her first such screening two years ago, but the test revealed Emma had […]
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‘‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa, Not a creature was stirring ¡Caramba! ¿Qué pasa? Los niños were tucked away in their camas, Some in long underwear, some in pijamas, While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado, In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado, To bring all children, both buenos and malos, A nice batch of dulces and other regalos. […]
Read moretext and photos by Anthony Brindisi Using an abundant local resource the women of San Rafael Chilascó bolster the incomes of their families by working together Let us take a moment to appreciate the role of women in rural Guatemala. Outside the major cities the average number of children in a Guatemalan household is eight. EIGHT! When you add in […]
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Dr. John Cheatham passed away Monday afternoon, Nov. 2. He succumbed to a heart attack while climbing Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, USA. Hiking was a favorite recreational pastime. He recently climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and had made multiple trips to the Grand Canyon. This year, he completed a 50-mile hike from the canyon’s south rim to the north […]
Read moreTo improve their competitive standing, the foundation PROCAFE, with the support of the Salvadoran Coffee Council (CSC), is developing Certificates of Origin for the country’s various coffee-producing regions. The Apaneca-Llamatepeque mountain range has been selected as the pilot area, known for its quality coffee, and due to its unique history, climate, tradition and geography, the region has been named by […]
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We are excited to bring you this Christmas potpourri starting with the cover image taken by photographer Ricardo Gándara. We hope our annual Guatemala Holiday Calendar is useful; Joy Houston extends an invite to tour nacimientos; Elizabeth Bell highlights Festivities in Ciudad Vieja, accompanied with photos by Gary Kaney; there is also a host of other holiday photo ops taken by additional talented photographers; Charlie Brown in Santiago was penned by humorist Dwight Wayne Coop and Ken Veronda’s monthly “Sensuous Guatemala” is the delicious Holiday Scents.
Read moreMy partner and I are architectural tourists. We are captivated by old houses and love to view them through a lens of culture and history. We came here to learn how history and domestic life merged to create the houses of this old Spanish colonial city.
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“We are having so much fun!” bubbles Paloma Pérez-Templado, coordinator of this season’s production of El Grinch. Since April she has worked together with producer Johnny Long, Debora du Flon, director of scenery and costumes, and a team in charge of choreography, music and narration. Her expression changes dramatically as she leans forward and lowers her voice, confiding, “The Grinch […]
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It is that time of year again—a Guatemala City rehearsal hall fills with the sounds of celestial music as preparations begin for one of the Christmas season’s most-anticipated events in Guatemala: the annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. For the sixth year in a row, the Guatemala Community Chorus will be joined by members of the National Symphony and soloists from […]
Read moretext by Dianne Carafino Cooking with Audrey is Audrey Buderus’ gift to her family and friends, including the Antigüeños who have been her friends for the past 26 years and to those of us who would like to be her friends. Through her small catering business, limited to “friends and friends of friends,” Audrey’s sticky buns at the Cloister in […]
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Sister City in Florida gets new online voice La Antigua Guatemala’s Sister City in Florida has an innovative, new website with news, information and citizen commentary. Launched in October, GablesHomePage.com is packed with content about the Coral Gables community. A stately suburb of Miami, Coral Gables has been a Sister City of La Antigua for nearly 20 years. The relationship […]
Read moreEl Salvador has started a project that intends to turn its coffee forests into world-class tourist destinations. “Iniciativa de Geoturismo en los Bosques Tropicales de Café” will enhance the coffee forests’ geographical character, environment, legacy, aesthetics, culture and people. The program is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Multi-sectoral Investment Bank and the Salvadoran Coffee Council, […]
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Welcome to the November issue. Maintaining our specified purpose, this month’s magazine is chock-full of things to do, places to go, eateries to enjoy, services to partake of, and other useful information. The DateBook allows you to be able to plan to attend over 80 cultural events if you so desire.
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“Diamond” kites range up to 10 meters in diameter and have a diamond-shaped frame and long tails. “Moon” kites are large circles of bamboo framing with a circular center, and range from 10 to 15 meters in diameter.
Read morewhitten by Christine K. Wilson photos: Santiago Albert Pons Socrates once said “I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.” Teaching someone how to think instead of what to think is the hallmark of a good education. A student who thinks is capable of analyzing, of making decisions, and forming opinions—skills badly needed in today’s world. Fortunately […]
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text and photo by C. Ibarra In bygone days, Guatemala’s rulers presented distinctive landmarks to the capital city in praise of their own ideals: reform, modernism, development and patriotism. This has made the city an eclectic mixture of architectural styles and monuments. Among the most interesting and charismatic monuments in the city is the statue of Christopher Columbus. Its history […]
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2nd in a series by Judy Cohen The natural healing properties of honey cover a wide range of ailments, and more uses are still being discovered. Doña Gavi’s tienda, located on 3a avenida behind the cathedral in La Antigua Guatemala, carries all-natural products, including several types of honey. Her favorite is gravilea, which she buys from nearby farms. I learned […]
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