Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth

Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth, founder of FLAAR — Foundation for Latin American Anthropological Research

Most people who read the Popol Vuh, the Mayan book of creation, are historians or anthropologists who do so only once to gain an insight into Mesoamerican culture thousands of years ago. Nicholas Hellmuth, Ph.D., has read the text around a dozen times. He and his team are committed to separating history from legend by verifying the authenticity of every […]

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Humboldt Penguins Arrive at La Aurora Zoo

Humboldt Penguins Arrive at La Aurora Zoo

Twelve Humboldt penguins have become the star attractions at La Aurora Zoo in Guatemala City. The aquatic birds arrived from a conservation park in France in May as part of a European threatened species program and have been settling in well to their new habitat. “They’ve been adapting to the environment really well and to the people too. They really […]

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Game On!

Mayan Pitz videogame is fun, educational and made in Guatemala An ancient Mayan ball game has been brought back to life by a Guatemalan company aiming to encourage youths to reconnect with their ancestry through modern technology. Mayan Pitz is the first videogame for mobile phones that has been produced in Guatemala and was recently chosen from a pool of […]

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Thirst Quencher

Ecofiltro has been using ceramic pot filtration technology to bring clean water to the rural poor on a mass scale since 2009 What started out 30 years ago with a man named Fernando, directing artisans working potter wheels in the small town of Rabinal in Alta Verapaz, has resulted in a worldwide water Revolution. There are approximately one million families […]

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Rigoberta Menchú, Changing the World

When a Guatemalan indigenous woman stepped forward to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992, a light was momentarily cast upon indigenous people throughout the world. Rigoberta Menchú Tum, who was living in self-imposed exile at the time, was awarded the prestigious accolade in recognition of her work: highlighting the exploitation and persecution of the country’s indigenous people during its […]

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Time Capsule: 2013 – 2065

A sealed container to be opened in 52 years A time capsule that was inspired by the ancient Maya has been installed by cultural officials in Guatemala City to show the country’s future generations what life was like in 2013. Messages, cards, articles from the present day and predictions for tomorrow were deposited into the container, which will be opened […]

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Botanics Gardens

Discover 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 […]

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Museum of Modern Art Carlos Mérida

A 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 […]

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Leslie Nanne

Art Exposition at Museo Ixchel showcases Guatemalan artist’s book illustrations When Leslie Nanne first decided back in high school that she wanted to be an illustrator, she admits having a few concerns: “I was afraid of becoming a starving artist,” she says. “But I was even more afraid of choosing a ‘safer’ profession and always wondering whether I could have […]

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Youth Leadership

Seres works with young people to help instill environmental awareness and create future leaders In the small pueblo of Chimaltenango a group of young people from across Guatemala and neighboring El Salvador gathers for a four-day youth leadership congress, organized by the NGO SERES. In a scene that could be mistaken for an acrobatics class, they discuss how in teams […]

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Asisclo Valladares

Guatemalan 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 […]

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David Elron

Improving 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 […]

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25 Years of El Attico

An art gallery that doubles as a research center It’s not just technology that has changed since El Attico first opened its doors in April 1988. Back then it was an antique shop that doubled as an art gallery; now it’s an art gallery that doubles as a research center. “The antique shop was dwindling, while the art gallery was […]

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La Camioneta

Guatemalan 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 […]

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Motorcycle Diary

There is something undeniably cool about motorbikes, cobbled streets and rock and roll. Combine all three and you have one of the most exhilarating ways to explore La Antigua Guatemala: driving through the pueblos of Sacatepéquez, on the back of a trike, with the Rolling Stones blaring from the speakers. CATours has been specializing in creating tailor-made motorbike tours of […]

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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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Guatemala’s First Organic Market

What is normally a fairly toxic section of Avenida las Americas was converted into a haven of health last month as Guatemala’s first Organic Farmers’ Market came to town. The event, held at Plaza Mexico during the capital’s popular Sunday activity Pasos y Pedales, showcased a diverse selection of natural and organically grown Guatemalan produce and opened with a short […]

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Golden Fork Award

Christian Rossell (photo: Isaac Castellanos, courtesy of febos productions)

Christian Rossell voted Chef of the Year, 2012 The name Christian Rossell has long been synonymous with fine Italian dining: in 2005, the chef opened the doors of his first restaurant, Pecorino, before unveiling a chain of deli’s, and then launching the exquisite pizzeria Romano’s, which introduced Guatemala to thin-crust pizzas. But this year, the name is also synonymous with […]

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Picture Window

Lyn Hovey (left) checks the stained glass window with the printed plans

The creative craft of stained glass is alive and well For over 50 years, Lyn Hovey has been working with stained glass, using 13th and 14th century painting techniques to create complex and authentic works of art. From a 30-foot-tall window in a school chapel in the U.S., to a spherical steel and stained glass awning in Taiwan, his designs […]

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Guatemala launches Central America’s first Braille newspaper

Guatemala launches Central America’s first Braille newspaper (photo Anna-Claire Bevan)

“You don’t need to see to be able to read” was the message Publinews Guatemala sent to the world last month when it launched Central America’s first Braille newspaper. Together with the Committee for Blind and Deaf People in Guatemala (Prociegos), Publinews produced 2,500 copies, which were distributed to visually impaired people throughout the country. The project, which is financed […]

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Helping Hooves

Local organization helps Antigua’s carriage horses When an accident forced her to stop riding five years ago, California-raised Suzanne Divoff was determined to keep working with horses, and on the streets of La Antigua Guatemala she saw an opportunity; Helping Hooves (HH) was born. Made up of three women, Helping Hooves started working with Antigua’s horse and carriage drivers with […]

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One-Man Band: Soapbox aka Rodrigo Rosales

One-Man Band: Soapbox aka Rodrigo Rosales (photo by Alan Benchoam)

Anyone who listens to music radio in Guatemala will no doubt be familiar with the name Soapbox. The talented musician had a No. 1 hit with his first solo single Time, and his second release, Now I’m Gone, looks to be heading in a similar direction. But not everyone may be aware that the man behind the name, Rodrigo Rosales, […]

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