Paradise within a Paradise

Roatan’s Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum by Monish Welcome Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum is a paradise within a paradise, a tropical Eden located on 160+ acres on the island of Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras. It is home to the only tropical botanical conservatory in the Caribbean, and lettuce and herbs from the Blue Harbor Plantation are sold in local supermarkets and […]

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The Bird-bound, Labyrinthine, “No Name Gardens” of Atitlán

Guatemala’s exquisite botanical colony plays push and shove with weed and water — and sometimes with people Everyone knows that cacti need little water. But in Guatemala’s most spectacular garden, the cacti are more watered than other plants. This is hardly the fault of the gardeners. They are not the ones doing the watering. This botanical garden abuts another Central […]

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Fair Trade Christmas Gifts

by Julie Potvin Lajoie From Dec. 7 to Dec. 9 the third edition of the Feria Nacional de Comercio Justo y Solidario will be held in La Antigua Guatemala. Within the walls of the Centro de Formación y de la Cooperación Española, more than 30 groups of artisans, skilled in everything from textile and agricultural products to woodwork and crafts, […]

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Baskets of Love

Sending holiday cheer and warm wishes this Navidad season with culinary delights The holidays are a time for family and loved ones; it’s a time to take a few moments, sit around a table, preferably sans iPhones, with a glass of wine or hot spirits, chatting about the events of the year past and exciting times for the coming year. […]

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Ponche

A 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 […]

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Photo Gallery of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Antigua Guatemala

Throughout Guatemala and Central America children dress in typical clothing paying homage to Our Lady of Guadalupe. One such procession begins at La Merced Church at 3pm in Antigua Guatemala. Typical food for sale outside the church of La Merced located at the north end of Calle del Arco in La Antigua Guatemala.

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Cardiology Procedures in Guatemala

Regulating 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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Rab’inal Achí

Cosmic Dance of the Ancient Maya The Rab’inal Achí dance-drama traces its roots to pre-Columbian times and is probably the best-preserved, authentic Mayan cultural event in Mesoamerica. The choreographed dance/play depicts creation myths, dynastic political rivalries and even predicted the Spanish conquest of the land of the Maya centuries before it occurred. Since remote times the Maya used musical theater […]

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Are you an Enlightened Holiday Traveler?

One of the blessings of traveling is the opportunity to gain some fresh perspectives, especially during the holidays. When we visit another culture we expand our own perspectives and gain valuable insights. Guatemala travel experiences stimulate a greater appreciation for the magnificence of life and a greater appreciation for ourselves. Touching exotic and ancient cultures activates our awareness that there […]

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The Devil Gets His Due

Burning of the Devil in Antigua Guatemala by Nelo Mijangos - www.NeloMH.com

All year long he hides under the bed or in the junk piled up in the corner, casting misfortune or worse on helpless mortals. But on Wednesday, December 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 of […]

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Q & A with Dr. Marion Popenoe Hatch

Parque Nacional Tak’alik Ab’aj by Tomas Cernikovsky Parque Nacional Tak’alik Ab’aj (TA), a Mayan site on the South Coast of Guatemala, is unusual in two ways. It is the only site in the Mayan world that displays both Olmec and Mayan monuments concurrently and it has been continuously under exploration by Guatemalan archaeologists. At a well-reported press conference in October, […]

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Which Sense?

Poinsettias are native to Mesoamerica (Rudy Girón)

Holidays in Guatemala bring overwhelming input to all five senses, even more than any other time of the year. So which sense should we highlight for December? The dazzling sunlight, velvety nights, brilliant colors of holiday decorations, lush plants in every color, give evidence that the sense of sight is primary. Deep red pascuas, poinsettias to the gringos; golden bougainvillea […]

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More about the new cycle of the Maya calendar

Much has been speculated by foreign writers about the “end” of the Maya calendar, including that it is the end of the world. According to Professor David Stuart (Mesoamerican Center at the University of Texas), much of this evolved out of the book Mexican Mystique (1975), which we all read in our classes at the university. Written by an author […]

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Yaxhá and Topoxte

Land of the Blue Green Water and Ramon Seed in El Petén Here we are, December 2012, the end of the great Mayan calendar cycle, known as 13 Baktun. Many people will be visiting Guatemala this month to make the pilgrimage to Tikal in El Petén to celebrate the actual day on Dec. 21, the winter solstice. However, I would […]

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Revue Gift Giving Guide 2012

by Revue Elves It’s always a slugfest to the end—holiday shopping. You know it—your list is longer than that of Mr. Claus and inevitably, there’s never enough time to buy everyone the perfect gift for Christmas morning. But this year, your legwork is done and suggestions abound from experts at some of the best stores in La Antigua Guatemala. Armed […]

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The Doll Project

Santa’s Helpers Doing it Right “Last year, I helped with a Christmas gift delivery to the school in El Hato and it was an amazing experience. But I noticed as we drove down the mountain that there were many children for whom Santa didn’t come. That was the seed—to make sure those kids weren’t forgotten about again,” says Catherine Humber. […]

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