You may know it as the Day of the Dead in Mexico. In Guatemala November 1st is called All Saints Day. Families flock to cemeteries to decorate graves and visit their ancestors, but the wonderful surprise about this special day is the kites. Guatemaltecas create colorful kites, tiny and gigantic, artistic or whimsical or with sociallyContinue reading “Kites”
Category Archives: guatemala
Picking favourites
A fellow blogger and travel photographer, recently posted her favorite three photographs (the title above has the British spelling, as does her post). It was Sarah’s entry into a Lens Artists Challenge on her Travel With Me website. I usually don’t participate in these popular themed challenges, reluctant to spend hours looking through gigabytes ofContinue reading “Picking favourites”
Antigua doors and windows
Although I have pages of photos in the Photography section of this website, I prefer a mix of writing and images in this blog. However, these doors and windows on the streets of Antigua, Guatemala are worth sharing along with the Antigua posts. So many stories behind those doors and through those windows… More AntiguaContinue reading “Antigua doors and windows”
Antigua saints and ruins
Christianity came to Latin America with the Spaniards, with missionaries following conquerors and colonizers. In Guatemala, there is an interesting mix between traditional Catholicism and Mayan religions. The stories and beliefs of the indigenous peoples have somehow infused even today’s culture. Every town and village in Guatemala has a Catholic church, and it also hasContinue reading “Antigua saints and ruins”
Antigua
The old, beautifully preserved Spanish colonial city of Antigua was at one time the capital of Guatemala until it was decimated in the 1700s by a massive earthquake. Now one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country, Antigua Guatemala, or Old Guatemala, sometimes called La Antigua, features countless charming shops in aged buildingsContinue reading “Antigua”
Turquoise pools of Semuc Champey
A Peace Corps volunteer had just completed a trail building project in the Semuc Champey Natural Monument and invited friends and donors to the opening, during my last semester teaching in Guatemala, 2006. It was a five-hour drive, and Sarah, our host, promised the opening ceremonies would wait until we arrived. We made good time,Continue reading “Turquoise pools of Semuc Champey”
Zona Viva
On my first few days in a new place, everything strikes me as fresh and fascinating, then becomes more familiar and taken for granted. So when I travel, I try to venture out early in my visit to immerse myself in the sights and sounds. There is something invigorating about strolling through streets and scenesContinue reading “Zona Viva”
Semana Santa
No one celebrates Easter the way Antigua, Guatemalans celebrate Semana Santa, Holy Week, with rituals that date back to old Spain. Magnificent, ephemeral festival art comes to life and is lovingly trampled. Along the streets, people cluster in groups around artists creating beautiful but fleeting works of art in the form of carpets on theContinue reading “Semana Santa”
Basket women of Chilascó
After weeks of torrential rain and mudslides, I joined a friend to visit artisans in a remote village, detouring around road cave-ins under reconstruction until, after a four-hour drive from Antigua, we reached the turn-off to Chilascó in the central Guatemala department of Baja Verapaz. There stood an old man with a worn backpack, hisContinue reading “Basket women of Chilascó”
Parramos & Pastores, bootmakers
Returning to Guatemala for a visit after living in other countries, I joined a Habitat for Humanity build in the pueblo of Parramos near Antigua. To be accepted by Habitat for a project, applicants had to meet certain requirements. They had to be a family rather than a group of individuals, own the land, andContinue reading “Parramos & Pastores, bootmakers”
Ruth Rosenfeld 