Guatemala City is where
I did most of my growing up,
and the sights, scents and tastes are still very vivid in my mind. The city has
sure changed in fifteen years, and not for the better. There I
was, on vacation with my friend Dave, and still my heart ached to see the
condition of what once was my home. There was a strong sense
of nostalgia and deep sadness attached to that place.
The pictures below are pretty much
downtown.On the first one, I am standing in front of the fountain in the middle of the central park.
Distances to anywhere in Guatemala are measured from this fountain. The pink church
is the Yurrita, all the beautiful work in great jeopardy of being lost (due
to crumbling and time you silly!). The next picture shows Dave having a nice cold
Guatemala beer. I figured if I kept him drunk, the city wouldn't look too bad.
The big arch crossing the street is the main post office. The following picture
is funny, the big truck selling Gallo Beer had backed up right up to the gates
of the sacristy of the main cathedral (big party coming up I guess). Dave is
standing in front of the Cathedral facing the park, and I am on the same park
standing in front of the National Palace.
Antigua Guatemala on the other hand although it does not hold the sentimental value of
the city, I think it is the most beautiful
city in the world. There is something about the cobble stone streets, the
indigenous people with their colorful clothing, the history represented in both the architecture
of the buildings and the character of the people, the fantastic food, and the volcano watching over
your every move on the city, that makes this place pure
magic.
There was not many spots I did
not wanted to photograph, the colors vibrant and true teased my every sense.
During my childhood I took many trips with my family to this place. I remember running through the convent
ruins with my cousins Chofo and Claudia playing, always scared and cautious not
to run into the many ghost that live permanently in these ruins.
Antigua is a place where the ghosts are as real
as the bed you sleep on, god is still in business, the devil walks the streets a
night, and the lines between good and evil are very clear. The catholic
religion is very much present and years of tradition are respected as you can
see the pictures of the processions that take place during Easter week. There is
one bar in the whole city where they have a sort of gay friendly night on
Thursdays.
The last night we
were there, we
went to eat at this great place we had been eating all week. The food was so good and our time was so
limited, that we would order three to four entrees at each meal. It was
the only way for me to catch up with all the food
I hadn't eaten in so long, and it was a great crash course for
Dave on Guatemalan cuisine. You can see the picture of the woman
making tortillas by hand. Tortilllas that would practically melt in your
mouth along with the black beans, fried plantains and cold cervezas. I was
so fucking happy right there and then!
The last night we were there, the manager of the
restaurant came over to thank us for eating there for the last four days (and
spending a lot of money), and to offer us a table on the upper balcony, so
we could see the volcano erupting. Dave and I sat there in marvel starring at
the lava come down the mountain put a fantastic show, specially as you recalled
that the city had been destroy twice by the volcano already.
"I guess if the volcano was going to explode and
it was dangerous, there would be people running" said Dave looking around at
everyone watching the volcano erupt.
To what I replied, "I am sure someone in Pompeii
said the exact words back then" and I kept on eating.
You can see pictures of the volcano erupting
below.
Taken from the web site of the Guatemalan
embassy in Washington:
Guatemala is, culturally, one of the most diversified
societies in Latin America. It is a multi cultural,
multilingual and multiethnic nation formed of Mayan, "Ladina", Spanish,
European, Asian, Garifuna and Xinca Cultures. In this Era of Peace and
Democracy, based on the "Guatemalan Accords of Long and Lasting Peace", it is
recognized that our country is a merger of cultural values, philosophies,
scientific and technological knowledge. Guatemala has a historical collective
memory, of millenary cultures.
The
Mayan society was one of the most advanced Precolombine cultures in the World;
the Garifuna culture, which is abundant in colorful expressions and very warm
people; and the Xincas, who are highly spiritual. Each of these ways
of seeing life and all its facets, combined with the influence of the Western
World brought in by the Europeans, as well as the mystic ways of the Asians,
make Guatemala a nation with a bright future towards prosperity and
peace.
Besides
Spanish, which traditionally was considered the official language, there are 23
indigenous languages with a common Mayan root. The
communities use their native languages within the region, but Spanish is widely
used to communicate amongst indigenous groups due to the marked differences in
the 23 Mayan languages. Nevertheless, the daily contact of tourism
from all origins of the Globe has also made of English an important
factor. Therefore, Spanish is spoken everywhere, and increasingly, English
is also becoming a tool of communication. Nowadays, education,
execution of the law, and religious activities are conducted in both Spanish and
the local dialect.
Even the
Modernization Process of the Judiciary Branch, when applied to the rural area
includes the use of cultural and linguistic characteristics, not only because of
high respect towards the local community, but also for efficiency
purpose.
Guatemala Facts:
TOTAL AREA:
108,890 sq km (42,042 sq mi)
COASTLINE: 400
km
DISPUTES: claims
Belize, but boundary negotiations are under way CLIMATE: tropical; hot, humid
in lowlands; cooler in highlands TERRAIN: mostly mountains with narrow
coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau
(Peten)
ETHNIC
DIVISIONS: 56% Ladino (mestizo--mixed Indian and European ancestry), 44%
Indian RELIGION: predominantly Roman Catholic; also Protestant, traditional
Mayan LANGUAGE: Spanish, but over 40% of the
population speaks an Indian language as a primary tongue (18 Indian dialects,
including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
