Guatemala English language Magazine
Guatemala Chocolate… a Sweet Love Affair by Kerstin Sabene – photos by Kerstin Sabene and Gg For chocolate lovers, Guatemala is a sweet place to be on Valentine’s Day. This is especially true if you visit La Antigua Guatemala, where chocoholics can indulge in so many delightful ways. Luscious chocolate bars, exquisite truffles and liquor-filled bonbons are but a few […]
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The streets were buzzing with excitement when news hit that John Alexander Serna, a renowned Colombian street artist aka ‘Chota,’ would be part of a team to help kick start an urban renewal initiative in Jocotenango. Our tuk-tuk zigzagged around a steep hill until we reached ‘aldea’ Vista Hermosa, one of four barrios that comprise the community of Jocotenango, a […]
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Home is where the art is, an interview with Guatemalan artist Ernesto Argueta Fraatz at his art studio. It was a beautiful afternoon in early April when I hopped off the bus in San Pedro Carchá, a predominantly Q’eqchi-speaking, Maya municipality located about 10 kilometers east of Cobán in the forested Highlands of Alta Verapaz. I was on my way to […]
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“Maya Studies with the Maya is visually captivating, containing photos and graphics on Maya art and culture to illustrate his work and theses”. For those who hold a deep fascination with Maya culture, Ruud van Akkeren’s compelling new book takes you on an insightful and personal journey that begins in his native Holland and ends in the lush Highlands of […]
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The Procession of Jesús Nazareno de la Salvación de Santa Catarina Bobadilla (Sunday, February 18th, 2018) Each Sunday during Lent, and leading up to Holy Week in La Antigua, Guatemala, several local congregations sponsor religious processions that depart from their villages, following various routes through its cobbled streets and then returning to their respective churches late in the evening. The […]
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In the beginning, so long ago it no longer can be remembered, all was peaceful. There was abundant space to gather food and hunt, goods were traded fairly, air and water were pure, children could run and shout and explore. But one day signs appeared in the neighboring valley that indicated “No Trespassing.” Soon the fertile hill just beyond had […]
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Kaq’ik is a spicy Guatemalan Turkey Soup. In the predominantly Kekchi-speaking Maya municipality of Cobán, Alta Verapaz, I recently had the very good fortune of experiencing some of Guatemala’s most ancient and traditional food dishes. One of these dishes, Kaq’ik, is a savory and spicy red broth made from puréed tomatoes, tomatillos, lots of natural herbs and chilies that are […]
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In the Highlands of Guatemala, one Maya Community is taking back its Cultural Identity. Innovative educational programs help the indigenous Poq’omchi’ of San Cristóbal Verapaz regain their voice after decades of oppression. On a sultry afternoon in late June, dozens of men, women and children pour enthusiastically into the “Salon Esperanza” at a high school in San Cristóbal, a predominantly Poq’omchi’-speaking, […]
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This year The Procession of Jesús Nazareno de la Dulce Mirada de Santa Ana will occur on Sunday, March 31. Despite thousands of visitors from around the world who descend upon La Antigua Guatemala for Lent or Cuaresma each year, I don’t think I will ever tire of its pageantry or elaborate celebrations. To be sure, the crowds during Semana Santa […]
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The ancient Maya dance drama, the Rabinal Achí, is one of the best examples of surviving pre Columbian culture in Mesoamerica. Place of the Lord’s Daughter It was a beautiful Sunday morning in late January when I set out from Guatemala City with an adventurous group of friends for the remote Mayan town of Rabinal in Baja Verapaz. One of […]
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Holy week at Lake Atitlán is a blending of Mayan and Christian Tradition. Living in La Antigua Guatemala affords me the opportunity of being right in the heart of one of the grandest celebrations of Lent (Cuaresma) in all of Latin America—Semana Santa! Last year, I even had the good fortune of experiencing some of the Holy Week festivities on […]
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5th Sunday of Lent. March 13, leaves at 6am, returns at midnight. Passes Antigua’s Central Park at 4:30pm. For the online mobile interactive 2016 PROCESSION ROUTE click here. A day of pageantry and devotion. I remember waking at the stroke of 6 last year on the fifth Sunday of Lent in San Bartolo, a charming suburb of La Antigua Guatemala where I was […]
Read moreAll Saints Day, Nov. 1. text and photos by Kerstin Sabene. I returned to La Antigua Guatemala last October because I so enjoy living among the ancient ruins and architecture that give this city its stunning colonial atmosphere. I especially love the Guatemalan people and their many sacred traditions and was excited to experience for the first time the colorful […]
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