Guatemala English language Magazine
“My name is Thompson because da Vinci was already taken,” Al quips in his typical, quick humor. In fact, there are similarities between the 15th century artist and Al Thompson, born in 1928. Both justly claim a diversity of talents: painting, sculpting, inventing, writing, to name a few. An exhibition of Al’s most recent creations opens December 3 at el […]
Read moreThird Annual CasaSito’s Art Festival. by Maritza Ortiz. CasaSito will host its Third Arts Festival on December 3 at La Cooperación Española in La Antigua Guatemala. Over 100 Guatemalan children and youth will enchant locals and visitors with their artistic talents. The festival will delight everyone with a wonderful art exhibition, music shows, and theater and dance performances. The […]
Read moreThe Caribbean Cultural Festival was held in Quintana Roo, Mexico this year. One of Guatemala’s foremost photographers, Harry E. Díaz of Quetzaltenango, was invited to present his impressive exhibit Luces de Xelajú. “Because of its magnitude and relevance, this festival could be called the Pan American Games of Art & Culture, to give a comparison,” said Díaz. At the […]
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by Andrea Pennington www.andreapennington.info Crowds gather on the beach in Monterrico during this sea turtle nesting season to make sure the hatchlings make it to the sea.
Read moreThe magnificent Casa Quinta Boutique Hotel in La Antigua Guatemala (5a avenida sur #45) recently hosted its official inauguration with an evening press conference that included Walter Fischer, regional director of INGUAT (Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo); Ana Lucía Fernández, representing Conde Naste Johansens for the Americas, the Pacific and Caribbean; and Licenciado Luis Méndez, who highlighted the services, comfort and […]
Read moreNovember 18, La Antigua. Last night was the inauguration of XIAN’s new showroom of exquisite home furnishings and antiques from China, Tibet, Mongolia and India. With one established location in Guatemala City, owner Norma Rodas has remodeled and created a beautiful second showroom 3 blocks from the main park in Antigua (4a calle oriente #23). This is a wonderful new […]
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Alert, Alert. This past year there has been much written about the bank fraud here in Guatemala with visitors using ATM cards from the US, Canada and other countries. Literally millions of dollars were stolen from accounts all over the world after using ATM’s in Antigua at many of the local banks, especially the BAC bank. This week, November 15th […]
Read moreToday waiters and waitress from many restaurants ran with trays in hand in the 10th annual Carrera de Las Charolas (Race of the Trays) at the central park in La Antigua (photos by Luis Toribio)
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A rehearsal hall in Guatemala City has been filled with the sounds of Christmas since mid-September as the Guatemala Community Choir prepares for its annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. The production, now in its eighth year, will feature U.S. soloists J.J. Hobbs, Liz Cass, Sam Lowry and, making his Guatemala debut, baritone Phillip Hill from Austin, Texas. Trumpeter Randy Sonntag […]
Read moreFeaturing great music and food at three of Lake Atitlán’s top hotel restaurants, the first Atitlán Jazz/Blues Cruise and Gourmet Food Festival will take place on Saturday, Nov. 19. Limited to just 150 patrons, the cruise departs Panajachel, with a troubadour aboard, at 11:30 a.m., bound for Santiago Atitlán and La Posada de Santiago for its American-style barbecue and a […]
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For most people, home is where the heart is, but for Gerri and George Chester, home is where Guatemala is—whether they’re in Florida or in La Antigua Guatemala. Tired of moving around every few years for work, the retired Foreign Service officers decided to set up house in Florida just over 10 years ago and build their dream home where […]
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Where we love is home, Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. —Oliver Wendell Holmes Photo by Thor Janson: The town of Ixchiguán
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María, 21, mother of four, fled dire poverty to come to La Antigua Guatemala hoping for a better future. But she didn’t find the tranquil, colonial paradise that makes Antigua so appealing to travelers worldwide. Instead, she and her older daughter were forced to work long hours for the owner of the house she lived in and barely got anything […]
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There are two species of crocodiles and one species of alligator in the Mayan regions of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and Mexico. Caiman crocodilus is a caiman, but considered an alligator (not a crocodile) despite its name “crocodilus.” The pattern of scales on this creature is very distinctive: no spikes or sharp spines but lots of raised bumps in a regular […]
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Mystery tantalizes the memory of Amelia Earhart, who disappeared somewhere over the Pacific during her attempted flight around the globe in 1937, piloting her twin-engine plane with only a navigator aboard. The world watched and waited as communication broke, came again, broke again and eventually fell silent. In the early days of aviation, Earhart’s gutsy solo flight across the Atlantic […]
Read moreSeven Macaw is the False Sun deity, featured in the Mayan myth of the Popol Vuh. His name in the K’iche’ Mayan language of Guatemala is Vukub-Cakix. The perch and favorite food of Seven Macaw is specifically identified as a nance tree in most translations of the Popol Vuh. “This is the great tree of Seven Macaw, a nance, and […]
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I am so pleased and honored to be receiving the gold “Orden Diego de Porres” this month in a ceremony celebrating the Consejo’s 42nd anniversary. I am so excited!
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Brown gets bad press. People feel bad and say they’re in a brown mood. When one U.S. president wore a brown suit, his staff knew they were in for a tough day. But watch some of the street artists under the golden-brown arch in La Antigua Guatemala as they mix their oils to make a brown: a squeeze each of […]
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Teaching kids how to think, not what to think As the founding director of a new, international school in La Antigua Guatemala, longtime educator Jim Pastore is confident that the 21st century curriculum will launch kids on a lifetime of learning that will prepare them for the jobs of the future, those that may not even exist today. “My concern […]
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Nesting season for sea turtles is in full swing along Guatemala’s Pacific beaches, where from July to December, the olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) comes ashore to lay eggs. To raise awareness of this endangered species, the third annual Sea Turtle Festival will take place the weekend of Nov. 18-20 in Monterrico and nearby Hawaii. Events include lectures, workshops and […]
Read moreHandmade bags reflect the creativity of a tradition The morral (bag) is a common textile item found all over Guatemala and is often distinct to specific municipalities. Bags likely developed because men’s traje does not have pockets, and they became a necessary accessory for men to carry small items when walking to the milpa fields or market. Women sometimes use […]
Read moreLike Shangri-La, the name beckons from the maps–enticing, mysterious and alluring: Ixchiguan! I had noticed the place many years ago, and I was always looking for someone who could tell me more about this far-flung outpost. Ask anyone on the street in La Antigua Guatemala if they know anything about Ixchiguan and 99-to-1 they will say that they’ve never heard […]
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At the beginning of time, according to ancient Mayan legend, the gods from their center spun out the cosmos, setting in place the universe. The corn god laid out the four corners and erected the World Tree in the center, from whose branches grew one of everything to come. When they became too full, the ‘fruit’ fell, scattering seeds. The […]
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Fiambre is an extremely rare and unique dish which includes over 40 ingredients; basically it’s a salad made from cold cuts, all kinds of meats, fish, vegetables and pickled vegetables. It’s served on the 1st and 2nd of November for Day of the Dead and All Saints Day. Fiambre is a cold meal of Spanish origin, possibly from the Extremadura provinces […]
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For over 100 years, one of the biggest celebrations has taken place on Nov. 1 in the predominantly Kaqchikel town of Santiago Sacatepéquez, 25 kilometers from La Antigua Guatemala, where giant circular kites, up to 15 meters (50 feet) in diameter, along with hundreds of smaller ones, take flight.
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Guatemalan journalist Harris Whitbeck has been nominated for an International Emmy award for his production La Expedicion, Mas Alla de lo Imposible (The Expedition, Beyond the Impossible), which was broadcast last year on Televisa and produced for Fundacion Teleton. Competing in the field of reality programs, La Expedicion tells the story of 11 people with disabilities who undertake an […]
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The 3rd annual Festival de la Tortuga will be held this month on the Pacific beaches in Monterrico and neighboring Hawaii. The festival’s purpose is to raise awareness of the endangered olive ridley sea turtle; Alice Lee provides details, including a rundown on the events and activities. This month Thor Janson brings us Getting High in Ixchiguan, and he means […]
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El llego a mi vida una tarde de verano mientras estaba en el trabajo. Lo llevaban escondido debajo de una chumpa. Al verlo fue amor a primera vista. Se miraba tan tierno y lloriqueaba porque tenia frio. Nunca me imagine que este pequeno labrador amarillo de dos meses iba a llegar a ser mi mejor compania y mi inspiracion. Despues […]
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