Adventures in Guatemala
Compiled footage of some of my time in Guatemala, around the city of San Raymundo.
De compras en el mercado de San Juan Ostuncalco
Visita a San Juan Ostuncalco Quetzaltenango
Guatemala City, Guatemala, Central America, North America
Guatemala City, is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala, and the most populous in Central America. The city is located in the south-central area of the country and has a large number of green areas. In 2009, it had a formal population of 1,075,000, but the metropolitan population is believed to be at least 2.3 million. Guatemala City is also the capital city of the local Municipio de Guatemala, and Guatemala Department.
The city is located at 14°38′N 90°33′W, in a mountain valley called Valle de la Ermita in the south central part of the country Guatemala. Guatemala City is the economic, governmental, and cultural capital of the Republic. The city also functions as the main port of entry into the country, with international airport, La Aurora International Airport and most major highways in the country originating or leading to the city. The city continues to be a pole for the attraction of immigrants from the country's rural areas as well as foreign immigrants. In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels, shops, and a modern BRT transport system (Transmetro), the city has a wide variety of art galleries, theaters, sports venues and museums (including some fine collections of Pre-Columbian art) and continually offers an increasing amount of cultural activities. Guatemala City offers all the modern amenities along with important historic sites that a world class city can be expected to have ranging from an IMAX Theater to the Ícaro film festival (Festival Ícaro) featuring films produced in Guatemala and Central America. Despite its location in the tropics and the many micro climates found within the country, Guatemala City's elevation and the resulting moderating influence of the higher altitude enable it to enjoy a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb), though depending on location, it also borders on a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Guatemala City is generally mild, almost springlike, throughout the course of the year. It occasionally gets warm during the dry season, but not as hot as other sea-level cities located in the tropics. The hottest month is April. The rainy season extends from May to October while the dry season covers the remainder of the year. The city is also very windy, which may decrease the apparent temperature. The average annual temperature ranges from 22 to 28 °C (72 to 82 °F) during the day, and 12 to 17 °C (54 to 63 °F) at night. Guatemala City is subdivided into 22 zones designed by the urban engineering of Raúl Aguilar Batres, each one with its own streets and avenues, making it pretty easy to find addresses in the city. Zones are numbered 1-25 with Zones 20, 22 and 23 not existing as they would have fallen in two other municipalities territory. Addresses are assigned according to the street or avenue number, followed by a dash and the number of meters it is away from the intersection further simplifying address location. The zones are assigned in a spiral form starting in downtown Guatemala city. The city's metro area has recently grown very rapidly and has absorbed most of the neighboring municipalities of Villa Nueva, San Miguel Petapa, Mixco, San Juan Sacatepequez, San José Pinula, Santa Catarina Pinula, Fraijanes, San Pedro Ayampuc, Amatitlán, Villa Canales, Palencia and Chinautla forming what is now known as the Guatemala City Metropolitan Area. Zone One is the Historic Center, (Centro Histórico), lying in the very heart of the city, the location of many important historic buildings including the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura (National Palace of Culture), the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Congress, the Casa Presidencial (Presidential House), the National Library and Plaza de la Constitución (Constitution Plaza, old Central Park). Efforts to revitalize this important part of the city have been undertaken by the municipal government and have been very successful thus far. In an attempt to control rapid growth of the city, the municipal government (Municipalidad de Guatemala) headed by longtime Mayor Álvaro Arzú, has implemented a plan to control its growth based on transects along its important arterial roads and exhibitting Transit-oriented development (TOD) characteristics. This plan denominated POT (Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial) aims to allow taller building structures of mixed uses to be built next to large arterial roads and gradually decline in height and density as you move away from such. It is also worth mentioning, that due to the Airport being in the city, to the south, many Aeronautic Height Limits have been applied to the construction code. This limits the maximum height for a building, at 60 Meters in Zone 10, up to 95 Meters in Zone 1. The city is located in the South-Central area of the country and has a lot of green areas. The city offers a portfolio of entertainment in the region, focused on the so-called Zona Viva and the Calzada Roosevelt as well as four degrees North.
Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala - Ancient Guatemala
Antigua Guatemala is a small city surrounded by volcanoes in southern Guatemala. It’s renowned for its Spanish colonial buildings, many of them restored following a 1773 earthquake that ended Antigua’s 200-year reign as Guatemala’s colonial capital.
It is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches. It served as the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Architectural landmarks include baroque La Merced church, noted for its ornate yellow-and-white facade. It's integral to the city’s famous Semana Santa, a holy week with parades and rituals.
Antigua Guatemala serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. It also serves as the departmental capital of Sacatepéquez Department.
Antigua Guatemala means Ancient Guatemala and was the third capital of Guatemala.
Three large volcanoes dominate the horizon around Antigua. The most commanding, to the south of the city, is the Volcán de Agua or Volcano of Water, some 3,766 metres high. When the Spanish arrived, the inhabitants of the zone, Kakchikel Mayas, called it Hunapú. To the west of the city are a pair of peaks, Acatenango, which is 3,976 metres high, and the Volcán de Fuego or Volcano of Fire, some 3,763 metres high. Fuego is famous for being almost constantly active at a low level. Steam and gas issue from its top daily, a larger eruption occurred in September 2012.
The Fastest Bracelet Maker in Antigua, Guatemala
New friends and guides Josue and Andrea show me the quaint town of Antigua, Guatemala where I have my first hot pink jewelry made from a very talented vendor. I just hope I spelled my girlfriend's name right!
Contact: andyjoshtrips@gmail.com for authentic solo or group tours all over Guatemala!! They were great guides!
Giant Kite Festival - Sumpango, Guatemala
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Semuc Champey, Guatemala: One of the Most Beautiful Places I've Visited
You can read about my experiences at Semuc Champey in my blog post:
One of my favorite spots in the world is a natural wonder called Semuc Champey. This limestone land bridge, which extends about 1,000 feet over a gushing river, is found near Lanquin, Guatemala. Formed into that limestone, there are gentle waterfalls, small caves, and turquoise pools where people can enjoy a leisurely swim, surrounded by tropical paradise.
Things to Do in Antigua Guatemala - Attend a Convite (San Miguel Escobar)
Things to Do in Antigua Guatemala - Convites are a fun way to get to know the local culture. Dates for patron saint festivals can be found on our FREE Antigua Guatemala guide you can download here:
Day of the Dead, Giant Kite Festival | Sumpango, Guatemala
The magnificent Giant Kite Festival takes place every year on Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Sumpango, Guatemala. The practice of flying kites during the Day of the Dead goes back several thousand years. It is believed that the kite (or barrilete) creates a connection of communication between the spirits of the dead and their families here on Earth.
In Sumpango, kite makers (barrileteros) work for months from after work to late in the evening to prepare the kites (some as large as 20 meters) for the festival, which takes place on November 1.
The kites resemble giant paintings, similar to a giant mural you would see in Miami's Wynwood Art District or the Bushwick Collective in New York. They are made, however, using layers of hand-cut, colored paper, the same type of thin paper used to line gift boxes(!). The kites are then folded up and taken to the festival where they are fastened to large bamboo poles for display or for flying. I traveled to Sumpango this year with my teenage daughter to capture a few images from this remarkable festival with my Lumix GH4.
Enjoy...
Video shot and edited by Dan Perez (that's me!)
Music: Floating in the Sun by Azoora
Learn more about the kites and the kite-making process here:
Visit Guatemala:
Guatemala/Antigua /Central America Part 3
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Guatemala/Antigua
Antigua Guatemala (commonly referred to as just Antigua or la Antigua) is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque influenced architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Antigua Guatemala serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. It also serves as the departmental capital of Sacatepéquez Department.
The city had a peak population of some 60,000 in the 1770s; the bulk of the population moved away in the late 18th century. Despite significant population growth in the late 20th century, the city had only reached half that number by the 1990s. According to the 2007 census, the city has some 34,685 inhabitants.
Central Park (Parque Central) is the heart of the city. The reconstructed fountain there is a popular gathering spot. Off to the side of the Central Park, the Arco de Santa Catalina is among the many notable architectural landmarks of La Antigua.
La Antigua is noted for its very elaborate religious celebrations during Lent (Cuaresma), leading up to Holy Week (Semana Santa) and Easter (Pascua). Each Sunday in Lent, one of the local parishes sponsor a Procession through the streets of Antigua. Elaborate and beautiful artistic carpets predominantly made of dyed sawdust, flowers, pine needles and even fruits and vegetables adorn the processions' path.Due to its popularity amongst tourists and its very well developed tourism infrastructure, Antigua Guatemala is often used as a central location in which many choose to set up base and from here, visit other tourist areas in Guatemala and Central America. Cruise ships that dock at Guatemalan ports offer trips to Antigua from both the Pacific and Atlantic.
Antigua also holds a sizeable retirement community from the US as well as Europe as its colonial charm and mild climate has appealed to many who have crossed paths with this enchanting and romantic town.