Hasta la Vista — Some Parting Guatemala Trivia

Well, all great things come to an end.  But in parting, for now, let me share some random bits of information and Guatemala trivia that stick with me: Favorite sayings of Daniel, our guide: “If a Guatemalan tells you ‘it … Continued

Blending Mayan Rituals with Catholicism

CHICHI, Guatemala — Chichicastenengo (Chichi) is quite religiously significant.  Here you can see the altars of the largest churches combining traditional Catholic symbolism with Mayan gods and traditions and blending Mayan rituals with Catholicism.  In fact, the Mayan Bible (Popol … Continued

Xela: A City for the Ages

Xela is the second largest city in Guatemala and a major center of indigenous culture, with a rich history. Known more formally as Quetzaltenango, it is also considered a rich city by Guatemalan  standards. An important export is cotton thread … Continued

Guatemala Food Markets – Extraordinary Offerings

XELA, Guatemala — We have visited several Guatemala food markets during our stay, including a huge vegetable market in Xela (see our next blog post for more info on Xela in general) and the Thursday market in Chichicastenango (“Chichi”).  Both … Continued

Guatemalan Tamales – Christmas comes early

The traditional Christmas dish in Guatemala is tamales.  Each family has its own distinct recipe and makes them as gifts to share with friends.  Well, we were able to convince Angela to celebrate Christmas in February and share with us … Continued