Guatemala English language Magazine
Allegro to Guatemala: An Expatriate Journey Through the Land of Eternal Spring by Mark D. Walker Most of the more than 6,000 U.S. expatriates who live in Guatemala have a distinct way of appreciating and expressing their love for Guatemala. Several years ago, I met poet Earl Vincent de Berge and his wife, Suzanne, over lunch in Phoenix. discussing fundraising […]
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by Ana Flinder photos: Vicoria Stone. Panajachel’s patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi, is honored in October with a combination of town fair, cultural dances, religous ceremonies, pyrotechnics and parades Next month brings another great opportunity to experience Guatemalan culture and festivity in a way that is very easy on the visitor, especially with the spectacular backdrop of Lake Atitlán. […]
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Guatemala is particularly blessed by these immense conical peaks and dozens of them line up along the eastern edge of the Pacific coastal plain. Three of these cones are considered active: Santiaguito, Fuego and Pacaya, while others, like Atitlán, are considered semi-active due to the presence of steam-emitting fumaroles.
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by Linda Conard Sharing a passion for boating with the next generation of sailors In a workshop in land-locked La Antigua Guatemala, a mile above sea level, boat builders Jean Vayssier and Pierre Turlin, and their team of Guatemalan artisans, are handcrafting sailboats to exacting standards. Their workshop, which looks like a small plane hangar, is filled with the aroma […]
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Mayan Weavers is a group of four hardworking women from the Highlands of Guatemala who have over 100 years of combined experience. They work using both the back-strap loom and the foot pedal loom, depending on what they are weaving.
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The Traditional Dish of November To appreciate fiambre imagine it is the middle of the eighth century. Until this time, All Saints Day was celebrated on May 13 and experts believed that rituals were deeply rooted in a similar pagan celebration, Feast of the Lemures, a day when evil spirits were mollified by Earth-dwellers. Pope Gregory III consecrated a new […]
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by Shannon McCullough Rafael del Cid is the owner of Organica, a unique market stocked with organic and natural food, supplements, lactose free products, gluten free products, beauty and personal care, ecological products and much more. When did you open Organica Guatemala? The first store opened in 2008 in zone 10, Guatemala City. The high demand for our products led […]
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Community tourism leaders from 12 municipalities and three departments in Guatemala (Chimaltenango, Lake Atitlán and Izabal) participated in a community tourism summit on Aug. 1 at the Hotel Villa Colonial.
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“I hope to use my craft to improve the lives of my family and my village and give my children a chance to get ahead,” explains potter Felipe Peréz.
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September 15 is best known for the civic ceremonies, children’s marching band parades and marathons with Olympic-style torches as Guatemala celebrates its independence from Spain (1821). Spanish America declared independence between 1808 and 1826 and many efforts were intertwined. While women participated behind the scenes—influencing family members and friends at home—some outstanding women also participated openly. Before independence, Guatemala included […]
Read moreRecycled Roots is a small wood workshop in the western highlands run by three brothers who use tropical wood and coffee root to create a variety of pieces, including puzzles, animal napkin rings, jewelry boxes, coasters and spoons.
Read moreMars Orbiter Crashes: NASA Should Have Consulted Guatemalans In late 1999 a would-be Mars orbiter, manufactured for NASA by aerospace titan Lockheed Martin, entered too low an orbit around Mars, burned up and crashed, costing U.S. taxpayers at least $125 million. The subsequent investigation revealed that one of the engineering teams had been calculating using metric measures (meters, kilometers) and […]
Read moreFunny thing about Margaret Blood. She fits no profile of North American do-gooders who come to Guatemala. She hails not from the Bible Belt. Nor is she a hippie-esque proletarian or a homeschooling missionary mom. But a mission she has, a mission of such scope that some of her friends thought it could never be realized. But she may prove them wrong.
Read moreText/Photo by Shannon McCullough What kitchenware is most in demand at House & Green? There is a wide spectrum of cooks that shop at House & Green. For example, for those who like to bake, we have a large variety of cake and cupcake molds; cookie sheets; decorating tubes; and many other items that add to the joy of baking. […]
Read moreThe search is on for ancient flavorings After four years of searching, we still have not been able to find seven of the flavors used by the Maya 1,000 years ago. For example, where is an actual orejuela tree (muc in K’ekchi Mayan)? Two years ago its leaves were common in the markets of Cobán, Alta Verapaz. Last month not […]
Read moreDiscover an oasis of tranquillity at El Jardín Botánico Hidden alongside one of the busiest roads in Guatemala City lies El Jardín Botánico—an oasis of tranquillity on the chaotic Avenida de la Reforma in zone 10. Ever since it opened in 1922, the site has been a protected landmark displaying over 650 species of both native and exotic flora. The […]
Read moreThe most fun you can have with your feet! “Vamos!” My friend Doña Irma was excited as she told me that clamming season was here on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. Clams (almejas) exist in Guatemala? I hadn’t heard of anyone clam digging in Guatemala; however, I had seen them served every now and then in the famous caldo de […]
Read moreby Shannon McCullough “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Personally, I would prefer a fresh lemon tart or a jar of artisan lemon curd. I long for baskets of delicious lemons in markets that are so plentiful in other parts of the world. In the Highlands of San Martin large yellow lemons, with sweet citrus flavors, are grown on […]
Read moreA journey of the individuals and events that have shaped Guatemala’s art scene Proudly centered around the Quetzaltecan artist Carlos Mérida, Guatemala’s Museum of Modern Art takes visitors on a journey of the individuals and events that have shaped the country’s art scene. Originally built as a salón de baile for President General Jorge Ubico in the 1930s, the beautifully […]
Read moreEver notice how your home environment feels different after returning from a vacation? Perhaps you note changes in your perspectives and feelings after completing a project. We notice this often after teaching workshops and being with so many amazing world travelers at Lake Atitlán. These transformations in our perceptual field are courtesy of the reticular-activating system. Its role is to […]
Read moreGuatemalan Ambassador to the U.K. There’s not a cocktail bar in Central London that doesn’t stock Ron Zacapa, an English Starbucks that isn’t preparing to launch a “Guatemala cappuccino” or a high-end British supermarket that doesn’t sell petit-pois straight from the country’s Highlands, according to Guatemalan Embassy staff in the U.K. Outside the U.S., Guatemala’s biggest export market is Great […]
Read moreImproving the well-being of others When David Elron first visited Guatemala in 2001 he was a carefree backpacker who thought he’d stay for a couple of weeks and move on. However, after meeting a shaman in the highland town of Todos Santos, the Israeli’s plans quickly changed. “I ended up traveling with the shaman, studying with him and eventually teaching […]
Read moreTom enjoyed the color, sound, taste, touch and smell of Guatemala on his first visit last year, but suggests we’re missing one more important sense. Tom’s an artist from Atlanta, delighted by all he encountered here, but especially pleased to uncover a sense of timelessness in Guatemala. Meanwhile, historian Elizabeth Bell’s mother came back to her home in La Antigua […]
Read moreThe search is on for student funding at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala by Tomas Cernikovsky Famous for its breathtaking Mayan ruins, Guatemala has “great archaeological potential” for future studies, scholars say, but university tuition is beyond the reach of many potential archaeology students, especially those from indigenous families. That’s why leaders of the Archaeology Department at the Universidad […]
Read moreGuatemalan Bus documentary wins awards at film festivals Guatemala is no stranger to the iconic symbol of North American transport—big, yellow school buses crowd the streets of tiny pueblos and carry thousands of Guatemalans up and down the country every day. But how do these buses go from the United States down to Guatemala and become transformed into camionetas? Mark […]
Read moreIt can happen to anyone, at any time and without warning by Lori Shea The subject matter was fascinating. Dr. Zetina was presenting detailed clinical reviews of complex cancer cases recently brought before the newly formed “Tumor Board” of top-notch oncology specialists, in alliance with Hospital El Pilar in Guatemala City. I need to know all about these important developments […]
Read moreThe Most Elegant of Avian Tribes If I were to conduct an informal survey on the streets of any town and asked 100 or 1,000 people a few questions about the national bird of Guatemala, it would become immediately evident the extent and the depth of ignorance of the population concerning perhaps the most beautiful winged creature on Earth. How […]
Read moreArriving in Guatemala is a fascinating moment. Navigating the airport and arriving at your destination will certainly offer you glimpses of stunning landscapes. You will also be greeted by a cacophony of colors that seems bright in contrast to taupe-painted traditional western wear. For many years prior to making the “leap” and moving here we would visit often and consistently […]
Read moreA Recipe for Your Guatemalan Christmas Noche Buena in Antigua—a time for family and firecrackers, midnight mass and a bounty of tamales. Festivities last long into the night and as the clock ticks closer to 1:00 (or 4:00) o’clock in the morning, many celebrants need a little splash of life to keep the party going. For Guatemalans, that little splash […]
Read moreRegulating the electrical rhythm of your heart by Lori Shea Just like the kitchen is the heartbeat of your home, the blood pumped from your heart muscle delivers sustenance, stability and the elements of reconstruction to all parts of your body. Your cardiovascular system draws life-giving oxygen from the lungs and delivers it to the brain and organs in a […]
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