I accidentally timed my arrival in Antigua with the blooming of the jacarandas in its main square. No accident though, was my plan to see its Semana Santa celebrations, the most elaborate in Latin America. The city’s holy week is particularly notable for its combination of two cultures: Roman Catholicism that was brought by the…
San Pedro La Laguna on the shores of Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan is home to a unique mixture of Spanish students and traditional Tz’utujil Maya, helping it to stand out on the backpacker trail. Why go? Most visitors spend a few weeks in this lakeside town to attend one of its many Spanish schools, however for me,…
“The borders that encircle the countries we recognise today as Belize, Guatemala and Honduras mean little in the story of the Maya.” Copan: A mysterious piece of the Maya jigsaw puzzle Then: Although the Copan Valley is thought to have been inhabited since 2000BC, little is known of its society and rulers during that period.…
“The borders that encircle the countries we recognise today as Belize, Guatemala and Honduras mean little in the story of the Maya.” Tikal: A centre for political and economical power Then: It’s thought that this site, originally named Yax Mutal, was one of the largest cities of the ancient Maya. Construction of Tikal’s temple complexes and…
“The borders that encircle the countries we recognise today as Belize, Guatemala and Honduras mean little in the story of the Maya.” Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave: Sacrificial ritual at the heart of an impending crisis Then: In Maya belief, ancient ritual sacrifices played an important part in appeasing the gods so that humans could continue to…
“The borders that encircle the countries we recognise today as Belize, Guatemala and Honduras mean little in the story of the Maya.” Xunantunich: A tumultuous battle for Maya supremacy Then: No one knows what the Maya called this city, as the name Xunantunich meaning Stone Maiden was given in 1925 by British explorer Thomas Gann…
“The borders that encircle the countries we recognise today as Belize, Guatemala and Honduras mean little in the story of the Maya.” While long abandoned, the Maya’s ancient cities are arguably just as important today as they were at the peak of the civilisation. They provide jobs for local people, encourage visitors to more remote…
