El Pilar
The final article of a three-part series exploring El Pilar—a raw and wild reserve where the proprietors have a vision for developing it into a sustainable resource for valuable research and first-rate birdwatching.
Read moreFÚTBOL: Barrio Norte Style
text and photos by Dorothy Kethler Las Manos (The Hands), Los Cuates (Buddies), Talleres (Metal Workers), Areneros (Sand Diggers), Las Muñecas (The Dolls), Los Dragones (The Dragons), these are a few of the 36 soccer teams participating in the Barrio Norte Soccer Project. Every Saturday and Sunday the raucous cheers and thuds of the games can be heard throughout the […]
Read moreCervical Cancer: A killer in the developing world
by Sue Patterson and Laurel White Last May, Emma, a 35-year-old mother of nine, passed away from cervical cancer, now considered a sexually-transmitted disease. Her premature death was a terrible and preventable tragedy. After hearing a radio announcement about a WINGS-sponsored screening in Chimaltenango, she came for her first such screening two years ago, but the test revealed Emma had […]
Read moreTouring the Nacimientos
For centuries, all over the world artistic expressions of the birth of Jesus have touched people of all ages and stages, the right and the poor, the merry and the melancholy, the proud and the profane.
Read moreCharlie Brown in Santiago Atitlán
Or, How the Peanuts gang finds relief from the big northern syndicate this Christmas When I was a child, the holiday season’s shortest half-hour passed during the broadcast of Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown. That, and the other seasonal Peanuts specials, were always over too quickly. These cartoons enraptured everyone—even grownups who otherwise despised cartoons, like those vapid Flintstones. I might […]
Read moreThe Night Before Navidad
‘‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa, Not a creature was stirring ¡Caramba! ¿Qué pasa? Los niños were tucked away in their camas, Some in long underwear, some in pijamas, While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado, In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado, To bring all children, both buenos and malos, A nice batch of dulces and other regalos. […]
Read moreA Journey to Inner Space
Space isn’t a concept our minds can easily wrap itself around. It’s not tangible, nor can it be perceived by any of the senses. The ego, which thrives on control, is gripped by fear at the notion of boundless regions of the infinite! This empty space—what is it? Space is to growth what air is to the breath. All living […]
Read moreCommunity Industry
text and photos by Anthony Brindisi Using an abundant local resource the women of San Rafael Chilascó bolster the incomes of their families by working together Let us take a moment to appreciate the role of women in rural Guatemala. Outside the major cities the average number of children in a Guatemalan household is eight. EIGHT! When you add in […]
Read moreDr. John Cheatham
Dr. John Cheatham passed away Monday afternoon, Nov. 2. He succumbed to a heart attack while climbing Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, USA. Hiking was a favorite recreational pastime. He recently climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and had made multiple trips to the Grand Canyon. This year, he completed a 50-mile hike from the canyon’s south rim to the north […]
Read moreCertificates of Origin for Salvadoran Coffee
To improve their competitive standing, the foundation PROCAFE, with the support of the Salvadoran Coffee Council (CSC), is developing Certificates of Origin for the country’s various coffee-producing regions. The Apaneca-Llamatepeque mountain range has been selected as the pilot area, known for its quality coffee, and due to its unique history, climate, tradition and geography, the region has been named by […]
Read moreHoliday Scents
These days of celebrations bring colorful treats of greens, reds, golds and other holiday shades. All the senses enjoy December, with its rich foods to taste, velvet cloths to touch, carols to hear. The laughter of children, the ringing of the bells, the singing in the streets, all the sounds of the month join the colors and savors to enjoy.
Read moreDecember 2009 in Revue Magazine
We are excited to bring you this Christmas potpourri starting with the cover image taken by photographer Ricardo Gándara. We hope our annual Guatemala Holiday Calendar is useful; Joy Houston extends an invite to tour nacimientos; Elizabeth Bell highlights Festivities in Ciudad Vieja, accompanied with photos by Gary Kaney; there is also a host of other holiday photo ops taken by additional talented photographers; Charlie Brown in Santiago was penned by humorist Dwight Wayne Coop and Ken Veronda’s monthly “Sensuous Guatemala” is the delicious Holiday Scents.
Read moreNovember Ferias
Late November brings us the opportunity to celebrate and observe another round of distinctly Guatemalan festivities, the ferias or town fairs of towns whose patron saints are St. Catherine (Santa Catarina), St. Martin (San Martín) and St. Andrew (San Andrés).
Read moreThe Blooming of Lake Atitlán
Panajachel unites and digs with defiance In The Green Felt Jungle, the story is told of a dapper man in pinstripes who rides a Cadillac into Las Vegas one night, seeking the neonized excitement of that gilded city. But he finds little more than a dreary gas station. “Where is Las Vegas?” he asks the Navajo attendant. “Right here,” is […]
Read moreA Guide for Architectural Tourists
My partner and I are architectural tourists. We are captivated by old houses and love to view them through a lens of culture and history. We came here to learn how history and domestic life merged to create the houses of this old Spanish colonial city.
Read moreEl Pilar
photos by Thor Janson Experimenting with a Vision The second of a three-part series exploring El Pilar, home to a large diversity of animal and plant life—much of which remains to be discovered and researched. The vision for transforming Finca El Pilar into a protected natural reserve is something of an ongoing experiment. Manager Juan Rivera says constructing a haven […]
Read moreThe Antigua Photography Club
The local community of photographers will officially introduce itself to La Antigua this month with its first collective exhibit. The sentiment is a common one and spills from the lips of most residents and visitors alike: walking the streets of the quintessentially colonial town of La Antigua is like walking through a living painting, an everlasting photograph. Thus, it is […]
Read moreThe Guatemalan Hospitality Bug Bites All
In Guatemala, it is easier to “just drop in” on your friends than it would be in Minneapolis or Melbourne. One reason, I think (write me if you disagree) is that until the end of the previous century telephone calls were something you rarely tried at home. That was when Italy’s telecommunications monopoly brought Gua-temala’s system into the 20th and […]
Read moreEl Grinch Returns to the stage
“We are having so much fun!” bubbles Paloma Pérez-Templado, coordinator of this season’s production of El Grinch. Since April she has worked together with producer Johnny Long, Debora du Flon, director of scenery and costumes, and a team in charge of choreography, music and narration. Her expression changes dramatically as she leans forward and lowers her voice, confiding, “The Grinch […]
Read moreHandel’s Messiah
It is that time of year again—a Guatemala City rehearsal hall fills with the sounds of celestial music as preparations begin for one of the Christmas season’s most-anticipated events in Guatemala: the annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. For the sixth year in a row, the Guatemala Community Chorus will be joined by members of the National Symphony and soloists from […]
Read moreCooking with Audrey
text by Dianne Carafino Cooking with Audrey is Audrey Buderus’ gift to her family and friends, including the Antigüeños who have been her friends for the past 26 years and to those of us who would like to be her friends. Through her small catering business, limited to “friends and friends of friends,” Audrey’s sticky buns at the Cloister in […]
Read moreGablesHomePage.com
Sister City in Florida gets new online voice La Antigua Guatemala’s Sister City in Florida has an innovative, new website with news, information and citizen commentary. Launched in October, GablesHomePage.com is packed with content about the Coral Gables community. A stately suburb of Miami, Coral Gables has been a Sister City of La Antigua for nearly 20 years. The relationship […]
Read moreAgua y Fuego Fires Up Eco-Tourism on Ometepe
Nicaraguan ultra-marathon not for the faint of heart… literally. One word sums it up: extreme. A new ultra-marathon in Nicaragua is drawing the most audacious of athletes to its volcanic island of Ometepe. Fuego y Agua 100k and 50k is Isla de Ometepe’s first-ever racing event, challenging true adventure seekers to summit not one, but two looming volcanoes … by […]
Read moreHomeward Bound
The word “home” is strong, magical and filled with the power to invoke deep sensations. It’s an English word which is virtually impossible to translate into other tongues. No translation catches the associations, the mixture of memory and longing, the sense of security and the freedom from wariness that cling to the word. There’s no universal definition for home because […]
Read moreEl Salvador Launches Coffee Forest Geotourism Initiative
El Salvador has started a project that intends to turn its coffee forests into world-class tourist destinations. “Iniciativa de Geoturismo en los Bosques Tropicales de Café” will enhance the coffee forests’ geographical character, environment, legacy, aesthetics, culture and people. The program is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Multi-sectoral Investment Bank and the Salvadoran Coffee Council, […]
Read moreFind the Heliotrope
Here’s a challenge for November — find the heliotrope. It’s there, around us, hidden among the rainbow of prolific colors in the Guatemalan spectrum, in weavings, on some walls, along the roadways. I said heliotrope, mind you, not fuchsia, indigo, lilac, mauve, periwinkle, or any of those other shades of violet that are also to be found in the Highlands. […]
Read moreNovember 2009 in Revue Magazine
Welcome to the November issue. Maintaining our specified purpose, this month’s magazine is chock-full of things to do, places to go, eateries to enjoy, services to partake of, and other useful information. The DateBook allows you to be able to plan to attend over 80 cultural events if you so desire.
Read moreExploring a Hidden Gem in Guatemala
El Pilar is a unique, natural habitat located just 3.5 km from La Antigua’s central park. A little-known natural sanctuary is located just outside of La Antigua Guatemala where pools are brimming with fresh, mountain spring water every day and where multi-colored hummingbirds buzz around in sporadic sprints by the dozens.
Read moreDía de los Muertos in Guatemala
A time for families to gather together and go to the cemeteries where they paint and clean up the graves of family members, honor their ancestors with flowers, candles and prayers, burn incense and bring picnics to share.
Read moreThe Woman Behind the Crusader
A chat with Vida Amor De Paz, Guatemala’s crusader for protecting the planet Her smile is electric. Her energy is vibrant. Her achievements … inspiring. My brief interview with Vida Amor De Paz has certainly left me with a powerfully affecting impression. I am new to Guatemala and can claim no more than five months of exploring the country and […]
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