Category: From the Publishers

October’s arrival should give us more confidence to venture out without umbrellas as the rainy season yields to more sunshine and more reasons to enjoy Guatemala’s treasures. Looking for getaways? With a mirror-like cenote surrounded by a rainforest, Laguna Lachuá in Alta Verapaz is a stunning destination (p16). Meanwhile, San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta in San Marcos offers a […]

September is always a festive month with Guatemala’s Independence Day on the 15th. Expect lots of fireworks, parades, music and events as Guatemala celebrates 190 years of independence (page 15). And with presidential elections coming up on Sept. 11, this month will be especially significant (page 54). Also in this issue: Unicorns in Guatemala? Conservationist / photographer Thor Janson reports […]

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, the Fotokids NGO could fill a library with its successes. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this month, Fotokids was founded in 1991 by photojournalist Nancy McGirr with the aim of using photography to break the cycle of poverty for the children of the Guatemala City dump. From six students using three cheap plastic cameras, […]

A pageant like no other commands our attention this month as young indigenous women from across Guatemala trek to Cobán and compete for the title of Rabin Ajau—Daughter of the King. Featuring some 80 contestants proudly dressed in regal traje, it’s among the most spectacular events of the Mayan world. Thor Janson attended last year’s coronation; his words and emotive […]

This month’s cover story features the gem of the Highlands, Quetzaltenango (aka Xela), Guatemala’s second-largest city which is widely regarded as the country’s cultural capital. The story by Xela resident Blake Nelson points out the highlights, accompanied by photos, including our cover shot, by Quetzaltenango’s foremost photographer Harry Díaz. The enigma of Maximón is the topic of Thor Janson’s article […]

On the cover this month is yet another stunningly beautiful photo by Freddy Murphy, one of our regular contributing photographers. Semuc Champey is one of those special places that Guatemala has an abundance of, and the story of this getaway for a first-time visitor starts on page 17. On page 14 is an inspiring story of hope. Rescued from violent […]

There is a lot of bustle going on in La Antigua. Matt Bokor notes some noisy, noticeable events unrelated to Semana Santa, and it’s true—though horn honking has been (effectively) banned, every weekend central park is set a flurry with noisemakers and music makers, helicopters buzzing overhead, “bombas” and firecrackers bursting and snapping at the ground, church bells ringing, some […]

On our cover this month is the majestic Ceiba pentandra. It is the national tree of Guatemala and was revered for thousands of years by the ancient Maya as the sacred “world-tree.” In one of our feaure articles Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth describes the ways that the ceiba influenced Mayan art. The influence of man on Manatees is the subject of […]

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 drinking? If it’s a toad-juice […]

She glances at the photo, and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes. —Frank Deford The technical definition of a photograph is: An image, especially a positive print, recorded by a camera. Sounds simple enough. Obviously the definition falls very short of what a photograph actually is. After reviewing the hundreds of photographs we received for this annual […]

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 whirlwind tour of La Antigua […]

We feel privileged and excited to be bringing you this special edition. For the past 30 years Thor Janson has dedicated his abilities, talents and resources to attain a goal that any rational human would agree with. Simply put, “To preserve enough cloud forest habitat in Central America to ensure that the quetzal may continue to be the living, legendary […]

As our cover photo suggests, this is the time of year when sea turtles are arriving on the shores of Guatemala’s Pacific coast to make a nest on dry land in which to deposit their eggs. Matt Bokor’s article on page 14 describes some of the wonder and the perils that exist for these gentle creatures at the Monterrico-Hawaii Natural […]

The tomb was found on May 28 of this year. Co-director for the bi-national Archaeological Project El Zotz, Edwin Román Ramírez, believes it is the burial chamber of King Chak’ Ahk, one of the first kings of a Mayan dynasty to settle in El Zotz. The tomb contained caches of elaborate stucco masks and ceramic vessels as well as 1,600-year-old […]

And so August is upon us. As we look for our joy this month, our Joy Houston looks for the center of old Santiago. With new analysis techniques, recent excavations and research, it appears that Ciudad Vieja is probably not the true Old Town as traditionally thought. Full story on page 12. Our cover photo this month by Rudy Girón […]

Green has pervaded our July pages in several shades and forms, starting with Jungle green on the cover. Few can capture natural beauty as vibrantly as phototographer and wildlife conservationist Thor Janson. From the palette of Ken Veronda’s Sensuous Guatemala we are offered Emerald in all of its splendor. In Could Weeds Turn Guatemala Green?, Oliver Thornwhistle looks at two […]

On the cover this month is Dr. Richard Hansen, director of the Mirador Basin Project, in front of an archeological excavation going on at El Mirador. His interview by Joy Houston includes some historical perspective and some future plans for this critically important region of Guatemala. Matt Bokor takes us on two quick side trips: tranquil El Remate and the […]

We start off with some storytelling this month with The Nahual. It is a word that signifies “moment of radiance” and if that’s not enough to grab your interest, wait until you read what happened to Don Chequel when he followed a trickster nahual into a tunnel. Ever wonder how much of Guatemala you can see in just a couple […]

Our cover this month features the work of internationally renowned ethnographic photographer Jeffrey Jay Foxx. More of his beautiful photos can be viewed in the DateBook Highlight by J. Claire Odland on the upcoming exhibition 70 plus 30 Years of Mayan Culture. The exhibition also features textiles from the Hank duFlon collection. Other photographers gracing our pages this month include […]

Though this is a Revue anniversary issue, to keep things in perspective, the cover Cucurucho by Iván Castro symbolizes the incredible grandeur of Holy Week in Guatemala. But even before there were religious processions and celebrations, Joy Houston takes us back in time to Turning Points. The year was 1541 and “thatched-roof shelters went up all over in Santiago de […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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.

Don’t be insulted if someone tells you to “go fly a kite” this month. As the cover photo by César Tián demonstrates, kite flying is a serious subject for celebrants of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos). In her article on page 14, Ana Flinder explains: “Celebrated in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints Day on November 1 and All Soul’s Day on November 2, this holiday is especially important in Latin America. While Mexico is best known for its Día de los Muertos celebrations, which include pageantry, processions and public display of altars to the dead, in Guatemala it is more often celebrated as a family holiday, and usually called Día de los Difuntos.”

Groups of school-aged drummers practicing daily in the streets alert us that Independence Day is soon upon us and a celebration is in order. Although September 15 is the specific holiday, throughout the month there will be parades, concerts, fireworks, torch-wielding marathon runners and general flag-waving fun.

September also brings the month-long FOTO▶30 Festival. This series of over 30 exhibitions and workshops spotlights photography with events country-wide.

Kilómetro Cero (Kilometer Zero) is located at the National Palace in the Historical Center of Guatemala City’s Zone 1. From there the distances on all roads in the country are measured. The National Palace is located on the Plaza Mayor, and when you turn the next page writer Michael Sherer will take us on a fun sightseeing tour of this beautiful area.

Our thanks once again to the talented photographer Iván Castro for this month’s cover of the National Palace. August 15th is Guatemala City’s patron saint day. All month the city will be celebrating in honor of the Virgen de la Asunción, including many events in the historic center.