Guatemala Local Customs

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

by tampa_shawn

I've only read a few books on Guatemala so far - here is the best book I have read so farTree Girl - by Ben Mikaelsen -This is a true story of a 15 year old girl and her fight for survival during Guatemala's bloody civil war. This Anne Frank type story was written for 6 to 12th graders and told from a child eyes, giving it a purity and simplicity that makes the story easy to read despite the subject matter. This is a true story of Gabriela Flores who witnesses two massacres, first of her own village (and family) and then that of a neighboring village. She survives the second massacre by climbing into a lone tree in the plaza and has a close up view of days worth of atrocities. Gabi then tells of her solo flight to the Mexican border and life in a refugee camp.

Panajachel, baptism in the lake

by sachara

In the morning we went to the lakeside for the boat tickets, we saw a lot of people close to the landing stages. At a closer look we saw what was going on. Some people got baptised in the lake going under water for a while.From a small distance at the lake side people were watching the ceremony and were praying.

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Chichicastenango, procession

by sachara

We were lucky to visit the sunday market in Chichicastenango at a very special day, the first of november. All the streets adn alleyways looked filled with peopel from all the surrounding villages carrying colourful images of their saints. Many of them were ornamented with colourful ostrich feathers.There were also lots of musicians in the procession, playing marimba and trumpets. It's was an impressive and joyful happening. That was the nice part. There were also lots of fireworks in the streets including loud bangs of carbid. Here my friend got severe hearing damage. That was the bad part.

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current issues in human rights

by tampa_shawn

CURRENT ISSUESThe civil wars ended with the signature of the peace accords in 1999 but the country has yet to settle into a peaceful co-existence.Amnesty International (AI) believes that little progress has been made in Human Rights since the Peace Accords were signed (Amnesty International, 2006a). Recent reports show that indigenous farmers are continuing to be forcefully evicted from their land (Amnesty International, 2006a) and crimes against women are increasing (Amnesty International, 2006b). Since 2001 over 2,200 women/girls have been brutally murdered with 665 registered cases in 2005; 527 in 2004; 383 in 2003 and 163 in 2002 (Amnesty International, 2006b). Discrimination against women can also be seen in the CIA Fact Books current literacy rate which is 78% for males but only 63.3% for females. The UN’s Gender Development Index, which compares the overall Human Development Index...

Human Rights - crimes against women and minorities

by tampa_shawn

Many NGOs give Guatemala low ranking when it comes to human rights and equality - especially against the indigenous population, women, rural populations, and those of lower and socioeconomic status (United Nations, 2006). HISTORY OF DISCRIMINATIONUnited Nations Human Development Reports note the links between ethnic diversity/racism and inequality, which they trace back to the Spanish conquest in the 16th century (United Nations, 2006). Spainish dominance created two classes of people, the wealthy and ruling Spaniard class and the poor and horribly exploited Mayans. This placement of the indigenous people at the bottom rung of society still exists and has created a saying that I've been told is still heard in Guatemala today: 'Mejor pobre que indio' (Better to be poor than to be an Indian). This hierarchal society continued long after the conclusion of Spanish dominance in 1800; at first...

TI Corruption Perception Index

by tampa_shawn

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX - Is another ranking that gives an idea of how countries compare – this index ranks the perception others have of a countries corruption Guatemala is 2.6 out of a possible score of 10 Ranking 111 out of 163 of the countries rankedThis shows the world thinks Guatemala is highly corrupted. For comparison purposes: New Zealand is 9.6; UK is 8.6; US is 7.3, Kuait is 4.8; Turkey 3.8; Mexico 3.3; Iran 2.7; Nicaragua 2.6; Honduras 2.5; Hati (with the lowest score) 1.8Countries, like Guatemala, that are seen as being high corrupted often have problems getting FDI (foreign direct investments) which is a crucial component in the growth of developing countries

Info on Guatemala - CIA world fact book

by tampa_shawn

Studying the developing world is a passion of mine (I am working on my doctorates in this area) and I think its important to look at some indicators to really understand a country. Here are some stats that provide some good information on Guatemala and how the country and its people are doing as a whole The following info is from the CIA world fact book - this book contains info on ALL countries and is a great resource Size - slightly smaller than TennesseeReligions:Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs Languages:Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca) Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1%...

Understanding Guatemala

by tampa_shawn

I have provided information on the human rights issues in Guatemala in other tips. The following is a list of references of the websites of internationally recognized human rights organizations. These websites are great resources for information on all the of the world's countries - especially to those of you who, like me, have a special interest in the developing world and post conflict countries. It is important to remember that it is the job of these NGOs and their websites is to look for and detail human rights violations - many of these organizations are very passionate about their mission - - and so problems reviewed on these website may appear worse and more widespread then they actually are. Problems detailed may be regional and in some cases people may spend their lives in these countries and never see the issues. These sites do provide great information for compairson...

Scourge of Alcohol

by vaticanus

The government of Guatemala is deeply involved in the production and sale of hard liquor. Anyone who travels through Guatemala- particularly in the highlands- will see the devastating effects of alcohol. Although used by the Indians for ritual purposes and festivals- it is a familiar and distressing sight to see semi- or unconscious men exposed to the wet and cold, lying along the sides of roadways on the outskirts of towns.

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Feel free to bargain

by Suzie3

We chose to go to a local market day in Solola rather than the more touristy one on Chichicastenango. Both are just a short drive from Lake Atitlan.What an incredible sight! We had heard how the different mayan villages had different patterns and colors on their clothes and we were able to really see this in Solola.Downside was that we were the only tourists and were followed constantly by several women. They could make money teaching people here in the states how to sell!!!

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Local traditions and culture in Guatemala

Top 3 Hotels in Guatemala

Palacio de Dona Leonor  Antigua Guatemala

 6 Reviews and 43 Opinions  On a business trip we stayed at the Palace Hotel Dona Leonor. I really liked the decoration of the... 

 Hotels in Antigua Guatemala

Jungle Lodge  Parque Nacional Tikal

 4 Reviews and 154 Opinions  We stayed two nights here, choosing it because of its nearness to the ruins. The plan was to be able... 

 Hotels in Parque Nacional Tikal

Barcelo Premium Guatemala City  Guatemala City

 1 Review and 202 Opinions  Nice hotel in a comfortable safe neighborhood in Zone 9. An easy walk to the Los Procures Mall and... 

 Hotels in Guatemala City

166 Hotels in Guatemala
 
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Reviews and photos of Guatemala attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Guatemala sightseeing.

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Local Customs: Cities in Guatemala
  1. Antigua Guatemala Local Customs
  2. Guatemala City Local Customs
  3. Parque Nacional Tikal Local Customs
  4. Panajachel Local Customs
  5. Lago de Atitlán Local Customs
  6. Flores Local Customs
  7. San Pedro La Laguna Local Customs
  8. Chichicastenango Local Customs
  9. Quetzaltenango Local Customs
  10. Cobán Local Customs
  11. Santiago Atitlán Local Customs
  12. El Remate Local Customs
  13. San Antonio Aguas Calientes Local Customs
  14. San Antonio Palopó Local Customs
  15. San Juan Cotzal Local Customs

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Popular Regions in Guatemala

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  My husband and I want to go to Guatemala for 5 weeks starting the last week of March 2012. We had planned to travel all over and... 

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A: I have two good friends that travel to Guatemala frequently. One supports an orphanage, the other does general social work with kids in the area. Both find the... 

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