Recent Articles
La Antigua Guatemala has become THE wedding destination for Central America!
by Elizabeth Bell, author/historian November heralds weddings in La Antigua and guests come from all over the world to celebrate. Antigueños recently founded Asociación Destino Antigua to provide better service and to promote the city’s tourism. Due to the continual increase in the wedding segment, they have helped co-found the Honeymoon and Wedding Guild through the […]
Benefit Art Project: Ecofiltro
Ecofiltro hosted 50 professional and aspiring artists at the factory Saturday (Dec. 6) to paint ceramic receptacles to raise funds for the Albergue Hermano Pedro and Ecofiltros for rural schools. The event was oversold and was definitely a ‘Go To’ event of the year!
Guatemala’s Most Famous Nun
Sor Juana de Maldonado y Paz by Elizabeth Bell, author/historian Guatemala’s most famous nun is Sor Juana de Maldonado y Paz (1598-1668), who lived at the Convento of La Concepción (La Antigua Guatemala). Ironically, very little “real” information is known about her although there is quite a bit written about her. We find her mentioned in […]
Key Lime
Sensuous Guatemala by Ken Veronda. With highly acidic taste, a strong aroma and yellow-to-green color shades, the limes in Guatemala hit several senses—including touch, especially if a sharp spine pricks you while picking some off a tree. Those spines let you know these are Key limes, not the Persian lime more common in other parts […]
Revue Photo Contest, Dec. 2014: Celebrations in Guatemala / Celebraciones en Guatemala
Attention Photographers! It’s time for the monthly Revue Photo Contest. The theme for December is “Celebrations of Guatemala” — To enter, send one hi-resolution photo (no watermarks please) to photos@revuemag.com — Photos will be accepted from Nov. 1st to Nov. 11th (midnight), 2014. Voting will be open from Nov. 1st through midnight Nov. 17th, 2014. There will […]
From the Publishers
Food is the focus this month—included are the photo contest entries featuring mouth-watering images, quotes about food that will make you both ponder and laugh, plus a sprinkling of articles that we hope will enlighten and entertain you. Matt Boker brings us Fuel Efficient Cooking, Thor Janson introduces The Three Sisters: Corn, Beans and Squash, […]
Adopte un Kilómetro!
by Elizabeth Bell, author/historian. At the end of a year in the late 1990s La Antigua Guatemala was full of street trash and potholes, and many of us complained to the mayor. Victor Hugo del Pozo kindly advised that the city had no funds. We sent a “spy” over to the treasury to, indeed, find that […]
Ayuda – for the Health of Dogs and Cats in Guatemala
Interview by Susanne Kennedy. Though homeless, sick, injured or starving dogs and puppies are still conspicuous in villages surrounding Lake Atitlán, the situation has been greatly improved by the tireless efforts of Selaine d’Ambrosi and her animal welfare organization Ayuda Para La Salud De Perros y Gatos. She explained how Ayuda helps these dogs […]
Impact Hub: Antigua’s New Space for Synergy
text and photos by Linda Conard. Many people dream of working from a home office in beautiful La Antigua Guatemala, but the reality isn’t always so dream-like. Telecommuters often deal with spotty Internet coverage, distractions, isolation and a “home” that starts to feel like “work.” Even working from local restaurants and cafés has its drawbacks. […]
Star Wars Celebration, Exposition, Convention
THIS SUNDAY, Oct. 5 — if you are a Star Wars Fan, this event is not to be missed.
New U.S. Ambassador isn’t new to Guatemala
by Matt Bokor. A familiar face is returning to the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City. This time, Todd D. Robinson will carry the title of Ambassador. Robinson, a career diplomat with extensive experience in Latin America, served as deputy chief of mission in Guatemala City from 2009 to 2011. President Barack Obama nominated Robinson in […]
From the Publishers
The photo cover Faithful Friend by Gerardo Elías Cotuc Pérez is our tribute to animals, coinciding with this month’s photo contest subject Pets and the Blessing of the Animals/World Animal day on Oct. 4. Following this theme, we bring you Susanne Kennedy’s interview with Selaine d’Ambrosi on Ayuda and its unique approach to helping animals. […]
Revue Photo Contest, November 2014: Food of Guatemala
Attention Photographers! It’s time for the monthly Revue Photo Contest. The theme for November is “Food of Guatemala” — To enter, send one hi-resolution photo (no watermarks please) to photos@revuemag.com — Photos will be accepted from Oct. 1st to Oct. 10th (midnight). Voting will be open from Oct. 1st through midnight Oct. 15th. There will be […]
Owning Real Estate while Living Abroad
Many U.S. Citizens are aware of the $250,000 ($500,000 if married filing jointly) exclusion on the gain from a sale of a home in a qualifying transaction. The following general requirements must be met to qualify for the exclusion: You must have owned and occupied the home as a principal residence for at least two […]
What Are You Building Today?
by Sri Ram Kaa & Kira Raa. The sun rises over Guatemala and the day begins as possibilities unfold. This is a unique opportunity to be the architect of your day. Guatemala is referred to as the Land of Eternal Spring for good reason: Spring brings birth and renewal. Spring is the gift that comes […]
The Butterfly Watchers
text and photos by Thor Janson. Bird watching is big business. It’s been reported that there are more than 20 million aficionados who are serious about watching these feathered friends in their natural habitat. Birds are often very beautiful and as a group they display a great diversity of color, shapes and behavior. But […]
Murals in Homage to 13 Baktun
San Juan La Laguna by Francisco Sandoval. The Tz’tujil town of San Juan La Laguna is located on the southwest bay of Lake Atitlán. It sits against the foothills of the Rostro Maya, a sacred mountain summit that is reminiscent of a Mayan face gazing skyward. Known for its authenticity and tranquility, now there […]
Carlos Argüello
Visualizing a Digital Future for Latin America PROFILE by Linda Conard. Carlos Argüello—the Oscar-nominated mastermind behind unforgettable visual effects in Hollywood blockbusters like “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Batman and Robin,” “The Devil’s Advocate,” “The Mummy” and “Armageddon,” and groundbreaking music videos for artists like Michael Jackson and David Byrne—has created never-imagined new worlds on the […]
Real Dining at Las Velas
by Shannon McCullough. Camino Real’s chef Walter Martínez has created an exciting new menu. There are so many wonderful restaurants in La Antigua Guatemala, you could spend a month dining out every day or night of the week. Camino Real’s Las Velas restaurant has been on my list so a few weeks ago my partner and […]
The Flag(s) of Guatemala
by Elizabeth Bell. Guatemala’s current flag has flown over the skies of Guatemala since Aug. 17, 1871, although independence from Spain was signed on Sept. 15, 1821. Colonial banners and flags were quite popular before independence and usually incorporated a red and yellow color combination similar to the Spanish flag. In 1822, the Mexican […]
From the Publishers: September 2014
Rainy days are wonderful for crops, trees and gardens—this month’s cover demonstrates that rainy days can be full of fun for humans, too. Honoring Independence Day, Elizabeth Bell gives us the backstory on the evolution of the Guatemalan Flag(s). Thor Janson offers Butterfly Watchers, along with some amazing photographs of these beautiful creatures. Linda Conard […]
Francisco Marroquín: Guatemala’s first bishop and linguist
by Elizabeth Bell, author/historian. Francisco Marroquín (1499-1563) was the first bishop of Guatemala and the country’s first linguist. Born near Santander, Spain, he studied philosophy and theology and was a professor at the University of Osma. He became a Dominican priest and was at the Spanish royal court where conqueror Pedro de Alvarado met him in […]
Ramón Ávila: Abstractions from Within
ARTIST PROFILE by Linda Conard photos: Murphy Byrne. When you step into an exhibit of Ramón Ávila’s paintings, you are surrounded by color, emotion and intensity. Many of his oils suggest organic elements, such as earthy roots, plant fibers and even internal organs, in forms that are progressive and reaching, complex and tangled. In other […]
Bodacious Buses!
text/photos by Capt. Thor Janson Several years ago a well-known Guatemalan photographer was leafing through one of my books and commented on the many images. Rolando especially liked my photos of the quetzal and the orchids, but when he came to the section that featured ramshackle, rural buses, he asked, “Why would you fill your book […]
A Thousand Word Smile
by Sri Ram Kaa & Kira Raa They say a picture is worth a thousand words…but what about a smile? An authentic smile offers such a positive experience. Have you ever noticed that when a person responds to you with a sincere smile that there is an immediate sense of reassurance? Smiles, like words can […]
From the Publishers
This month Elizabeth Bell recounts Francisco Marroquín’s many accomplishments as Guatemala’s first bishop and linguist. Next up, Tara Tiedemann reports on The Collapse of the Ancient Mayan World presented at the VII Convención Mundial de La Arqueología Maya 2014. The cover honors renowned artist Ramón Ávila. Linda Conard calls attention to his life and his […]
Maya Princesses
Rabin Ajau: The paramount indigenous cultural event of the Mayan world text/photos by Capt. Thor Janson – navigator / explorer (facebook.com/nubliselva) – Candaleria Coquix grew up in the little settlement of Cantón Zapotál, part of the Municipality of San Lucas Tolimán in the Department of Sololá. Just a stone’s throw from a little bay on the southern […]
Fiesta Time in La Antigua!
La Antigua maintains its holiday in honor of St. James on July 25th, and the celebration begins now! by Elizabeth Bell. It’s fiesta time again in La Antigua Guatemala! July 25th is our patron saint’s day—St. James—as the city was founded as Santiago de Guatemala. St. James was an apostle, the conquerors’ patron saint and […]
The Gift of Non-verbal Communication
by Sri Ram Kaa & Kira Raa. Science is catching up with intuition! A study published Aug. 19 by PLOS ONE documented the first direct brain-to-brain communication. The words “hola” and “ciao” were sent between two people thousands of miles apart. “The evolution of civilization points to a progressive increase of the interrelations between human […]
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