Guatemala Local Customs

Market in Santiago Atitlàn

by toonsarah

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Market in Santiago Atitlàn
by toonsarah
In San Antonio Popolo
by toonsarah
Selling fresh herbs
by toonsarah
Chicken bus in Antigua
by toonsarah
Chicken buses in Antigua
by toonsarah

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Where Most People Can't Read....

by vaticanus

Public education in Guatemala is severely hobbled by incompetence and patronage. School supplies sit in warehouses and schools (when not closed for innumerable holidays) close after half a day. Literacy is a luxury for "Guatemaltecos". Bookstores are unheard of. Other than newspapers and a few magazines there is little to read besides pulp fiction novellas printed in Mexico. Because of widespread illiteracy, shop owners, particularly in rural areas, paint their walls to advertise their products and services. Keep your camera going and you'll bring home some striking pictures. A little off topic, but another theme to follow with a camera (particularly in Guatemala) is doorways.

IODINE, SALT AND RETARDATION

by vaticanus

The relationship between mental development in children and iodine has been known for many decades. Most nations of the world require that salt be iodized- but not Guatemala.Although the cost of iodizing salt is negligible, Guatemala does not iodize its salt.Nor does Guatemala import iodized salt.The reason? To protect the producers of domestically mined salt.The most visibly effected are the children of the Maya in the mountain villages. But children everywhere suffer from the negligence of Guatemala's leadership.EXCERPT FROM EMORY.EDU:Hallmarks include mental retardation, pyramidal neurological signs in an upper limb distribution, extrapyramidal signs, and a characteristic gait related to the neurological disorder, as well as joint laxity and deformity.Squinting of the eyes, deafness, and persistence of primitive brain reflexes are frequently noted (33). In some populations, there are...

Studies on Guatemala - CIA world fact book

by tampa_shawn

Life expectancy at birth: (Lower than industrial countries – BUT I have learned from experience not to totally trust this number – in many countries the people in the poorer areas are not counted so are not reflected in the number – I do not believe this number is this high) total population: 69.38 years male: 67.65 years female: 71.18 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate (studies have found a direct correlation between birth rates and education and a countries economic prosperity – so this high birth rate is a reflection of the countries poor economic state):3.82 children born/woman (2006 est.)Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and write (this is pretty low – even for a third world county – study after study has found education, particularly of women, is the most important factor in predicting the future success of a country)total population: 70.6% male: 78% female: 63.3%...

Studies on Guatemala - Human Development Index

by tampa_shawn

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX (HDI) is another index that really tells how a country is doing. The HDI measures a countries progress in human development in an attempt to show how they rate to different countries. The categories are (1) living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), (2) being educated (measured by adult literacy and enrolment at the primary, secondary and tertiary level) and (3) having a decent standard of living (measured by purchasing power parity, PPP, income). A “perfect score is 1” - The HDI for Guatemala is 0.673, which gives Guatemala a rank of 118th out of 177 countries in the world. The HDI gender-related development index (GDI) measures the same achievements in the same indicators as the HDI but looks at the inequalities in achievement between women and men. So basically it is HDI adjusted to reflect gender inequality. The greater the...

Information on Guatemala from the World Bank

by tampa_shawn

It has been ten years since the Peace Accords that ended a debilitating 36-year civil war were signed. The World Bank (to my surpise) defines Guatemala as a middle income country. Take a look at the indicators below to form your own opinion...In 2000 - - 56% of all Guatemalans (and 76 percent of indigenous groups) lived in poverty- 16% of Guatemalans lived in extreme poverty (defined as poverty that kills - at this level people lack the basics for life - food, clothes and shelter - the UN often defines this group as living on less than $1 to $2 US a day)Poverty and therefore the poverty indicators that we track are improving + Gross national income has increased from $1740 in 2000 to $2400 in 2005+ Childhood mortality have decreased from 53/1000 children under 5 dying in 2000 to 45/1000 childhood deaths in 2004 + Secondary school enrolment (Jr High) has increased from 38% in 2000 to...

Information on Guatemala from the World Bank II

by tampa_shawn

In 2000 - - 56% of all Guatemalans (and 76 percent of indigenous groups) lived in poverty- 16% of Guatemalans lived in extreme poverty (defined as poverty that kills - at this level people lack the basics for life - food, clothes and shelter - the UN often defines this group as living on less than $1 to $2 US a day)Poverty and therefore the poverty indicators that we track are improving + Gross national income has increased from $1740 in 2000 to $2400 in 2005+ Childhood mortality have decreased from 53/1000 children under 5 dying in 2000 to 45/1000 childhood deaths in 2004 + Secondary school enrolment (Jr High) has increased from 38% in 2000 to 48.6% in 2005 (meaning 48.6% of secondary school aged children are attending school)However, social indicators for Guatemala fall below those of countries with lower per-capita incomes. - Average schooling of the adult population is 5.4 years and...

Traditional costume

by toonsarah

One thing that is bound to strike you in Guatemala is the high number of people, especially women, wearing their traditional costume as an everyday matter of course. In areas with a high proportion of native Mayan residents, such as around Lake Atitlàn you may find it hard to spot anything else other than on tourists. We were told that the reason is that the people believe it keeps them closer to their ancestors and gives them a sense of continuity. The most distinctive element of the local dress is the huipile, the colourful loose blouse which is gathered into the skirt. The latter is usually a simple length of fabric wound round and fasten with a wide belt, although I did see some young women wearing a huipile with a regular skirt. Traditionally every village has its own distinctive design of huipile. So in San Antonio Polopo you will find that almost every woman and girl is wearing...

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Chicken buses

by toonsarah

I’ve said already that Guatemala is a colourful country, and it is not only the people’s costumes that make it so. Just look what they do with the old school buses that they import from the US! These form the mainstay of public transport in the country, and are known colloquially as “chicken buses”. I’ve heard two theories behind the name. One is that you are as likely to find yourself travelling next to a chicken (or sheep, or goat, or ...) as to a person, because local people use the buses to transport livestock as well as themselves. The other is that the people on board are often packed in so tightly they look like caged chickens. Either way, a journey on a chicken bus is reputedly an experience to remember – although I have to confess that it’s one that we wimped out of! It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. The drivers travel at high speeds and take enormous risks on the roads....

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Market day

by toonsarah

As it is almost everywhere, market day is when each town or village really comes alive, and it’s a perfect opportunity to observe local customs, check out local food stuffs and take some great photos. Some towns are rightly famous for their colourful markets, most notably Chichicastenango, which has become a major tourist draw for that reason. We didn’t make it there as our timings in the area didn’t coincide with the best days for the market, but we were very pleased instead to experience several markets more local in character – in Antigua (surprisingly local given the city’s large number of tourists), in Santiago Atitlàn and especially in Petzun, a lively local hub in the Guatemalan Highlands. We stopped here briefly on our drive from Panajachel to Guatemala City and enjoyed squeezing our way through the crowds (watch your bags and pockets!), dodging the chicken buses and grabbing...

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Public laundry

by toonsarah

Every town or village in Guatemala has its public laundry – a communal space in the centre of town with stone basins, running water and usually a roof for shade. In the past these would have been essential as houses didn’t have their own water supply and streams can be arid and waterless in the dry season. Even nowadays remote villages will still not have water piped to each home, but many places do, yet the custom of the public laundry persists. Why? Well, it’s a great opportunity for a good gossip! Washing for a large family is hard work when it all has to be done by hand – how much better to do so in convivial company with friends to chat to and to distract you for the tedium of the chore.This photo was taken in San Pedro Huertas near Antigua, but there is also a large public laundry in that city itself, in the Playa Union, although on the two occasions we were in the square washing...

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