Guatemala – country of the Mayans

During the Catholic Festival of the Dead, which is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, an annual horse race takes place in the town of Todos Santos, western Guatemala. In 1998, when these pictures were taken, Guatemala was ravaged by the powerful hurricane Mitch, and rain was pouring throughout the race. (Photos copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

Guatemala is a Central American country, bordering Mexico to the west and north, Belize, the Gulf of Honduras, Honduras, and El Salvador to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. A majority of the inhabitants are direct descendants of the Mayans, who, between c. 600 B.C. and 1500 A.D., created an advanced civilization in Central America. They built large cities, some of which had more than 100,000 inhabitants, ruled by despotic kings, whose palace was situated in the centre of the city, together with temples, which were huge limestone pyramids. In these temples, priests made numerous sacrifices – often human – to the Mayan gods. But these people were also intellectuals, being excellent mathematicians and astronomers, whose calendar, it seems, was more accurate than the Gregorian.

Ruins of the ancient Mayan cities are dotted all over southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras, the most famous of these being Chichen Itza in Mexico, Tikal in northern Guatemala, Caracol in Belize, and Copàn in Honduras. When the ruins of Tikal were re-discovered in the 1850s, they were overgrown by thick rainforest, but most ruins have now been cleared of vegetation. Today the ruins, and a large tract of jungle around them, have been declared a national park. The jungle here is host to an incredible wealth of plants and animals, among them the jaguar (Panthera onca), which was a fertility symbol of the Mayans.

White-nosed coatis (Nasua narica) are often seen among the ruins of Tikal, begging food from tourists – or stealing it out of their bags. (Read more about coatis on this website, see Animals: Long-nosed coatis – charming bandits). (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

The ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata) is a rare gamebird of Central America, which has been hunted almost to extinction. In Tikal National Park, however, it is very confiding, as no hunting takes place here. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

Interesting towns

Much of Guatemala is highland, and most towns are situated here. The present capital, Guatemala City, is not particularly interesting, but the nearby old capital, Antigua, is a well-preserved town with many beautiful houses, painted in vivid colours, and often adorned with flowers. Another interesting town is Chichicastenango, which has steep streets and many churches. On November 1st and 2nd, during the Festival of the Dead, hundreds of people gather in the cemeteries to decorate the graves of their relatives, burning candles or incense while enjoying a packed lunch. During this festival, an annual horse race takes place in the town of Todos Santos.

In the highlands, between looming volcanoes, lies a beautiful blue lake, Lago Atitlan, numerous villages dotting its shores. In the fertile volcanic soil of this area, many different crops are cultivated. Not far from the lake is the town of Solola, with a colourful and interesting market.

Antigua, former capital of Guatemala, is a well-preserved town. This picture shows Arco de Santa Catarina (built 1694), with Volcan Agua (3766 m) in the background. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

During the Festival of the Dead, hundreds of people gather in the cemeteries to decorate the graves of their relatives, and to burn candles or incense. In 1998, when the hurricane Mitch was creating havoc in Guatemala, people still went to this cemetery in Chichicastenango, despite heavy rainfall. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

Bromeliads, of the pineapple family, are ubiquitous in forests of Latin America. This one is a species of Werauhia, clinging to a tall tree in a Guatemalan montane forest. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

Traditional dress

In rural areas of Guatemala, most people still wear traditional garments. The men’s trousers are very distinct, looking like pyjama trousers, often with local patterns and colours. The women wear a blouse, called huipil, consisting of several layers of cloth, sown together into intricate patterns. Every village has its own distinct huipil colours and patterns, and every woman weaves the cloth for her huipil herself. A huipil is not only worn at religious festivals or other important events, but is part of the daily dress. A group of women, each wearing a distinct huipil, is indeed a very pretty sight, and a market scene in rural Guatemala is a blaze of colours.

Most women in Guatemala weave their own huipil. This one was seen in Antigua (top). This woman in the village of Santa Catarina Palomo, on the shore of Lago Atitlan, is busy weaving blue cloth, typical of this village (bottom). (Photos copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

(Uploaded February 2016)

(Revised September 2017)

Kaj Halberg - writer & photographer

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Guatemala – country of the Mayans