guatemala – Page 4 – THGuatemala

Chichicastenango, a colorful market! || Chichicastenango, a colorful market!

20 July, 2015 admin 54Views

Chichicastenango is one of the most common places to visit in Guatemala. And, there is a really good reasons to do that, actually is more than one reason….

Let me tell you that Chichicastenango has the lucky to have the Guatemala’s largest and most colorful indigenous market. Stalls and blankets are set up on the plaza and around streets; also is easy to find fruits, vegetables,cloth, all kind of textiles and much much more…
Is easy to arrive to Chichicastenango, we are going to leave from Quetzaltenango in the bus, and approximately two and a half hours is going to take us to arrive this wonderful market.
You will see the big difference between other cities to this marvellous mayan town.
Following the history of Guatemala, in Chichicastenango you can see the fusion between mayan religion and catholicism. History says when the conquistadors came to Guatemala, they tried to force indigenas to change their religion, so they destroy their altars to construct a church. But mayan people was convinced to the mayan religion and they, even in a catholic church, they get into the church and trust on their Gods and they ask, inside catholic church, for their familia, agriculture, nature and more.
All things we cannot see in Quetzaltenango, Catholicism is stronger and people forget and stoped believing in mayan culture as was in the past.

Church in Chichicastenango — Guatemala’s largest and most colorful indigenous market.

Still we recomend you, if you are planing to visit Guatemala, you would contact us to organice all you trip or you should take Spanish Classes to know some Spanish before arriving here.

Just clic on this “Yessika Spanish On-line”

Fuentes Georginas, Hot Spring. || Hot Spring, Fuentes Georginas

9 July, 2015 admin 23Views

If you love nature, spa and hot spring; you are welcome to Quetzaltenango and Travel & Health Guatemala. Because we have an amazing trip where you can enjoy a superb…

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Trek to Chicabal Lagoon

3 July, 2015 admin 23Views

As always we say, Guatemala has a lot of culture, traditions and nature to share with people from all over the world. But Quetzaltenango, our second more important city in the country has a lot of nature and culture on each small village, so now we have the trek to “Chicabal Lagoon” . This is a volcano but in the crater you will see a lagoon, this is magic and the mysticism.

I you like to have a contact with nature, this is the perfect “little volcano” you can climb, you can use this as a practice, because this is no to hard to climb, so is prefect for the first time to climb a mountain or volcano.

Travel & health is now traveling to this wonderful volcano, all surrounding areas are full of forest and has a special touch of mysticism, because this reserve is us for ceremonial activities by the Mayan culture.

Once we arrived to “San Martin Chile Verde” start the adventure, this little town is door to the volcano, we walk around three hour (always depending on the people) now we are traveling with a old man with his daughter and they want to enjoy the nature, forest, birds etc.. So, we decide to walk slowly but people can arrive to the lagoon in two hours.

Eco tourism in Guatemala — Guatemala is full of nature and culture!

When you arrive to Chicabal lagoon you will reach the most peaceful place you can reach,. This is important; in the lagoon is not allowed to touch the water, to swim or to take a bath, because this area is sacred, Mayan people comes here to make ceremonies to pray for raining, , nature, peace, agriculture etc… so, if you are in contact with the water of the lagoon something bad is going to happen to you ( is the history) but, is important to respect all beliefs and this religion is carefully with nature.

For sure, this trek is full of unforgettable moments for us and for our friend who are join us at the agency, Travel & Health is located on Quetzaltenango, interior Entremundos Building. Here we have all information about our treks to different places, communities and reserves around Quetzaltenango and all Guatemala.

We try to focus on discover routs or paths that few people know, this is why we want you to join us on our great adventure.

Why balance ‪‎work‬ life and ‪‎leisure‬ life?

29 June, 2015 admin 47Views

What happen when you focus on having a good job, a stable life, and when I say “stable life” I mean to have a schedule every day, a plan for…

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The Girl of Guatemala, the girl that died of love.

27 June, 2015 admin 24Views

This is a lovely history of love, that story was written by José Martí when he arrived to Guatemala. Months later he wrote this poem saying his tragic history of love.

At a wing’s shade, I want to tell
This story, like a flower:
The girl from Guatemala,
The girl that died of love.

The flowers were lilies,
And mignonette ornaments
And jasmine: we buried her
In a silk casket.

She gave to the forgetful
A perfumed sachet:
He came back, came back married: She died of love.

She was carried in a procession
By bishops and ambassadors:
Behind were the town’s people in groups
They were all carrying flowers.

She, wanted to see him again,
She stepped out to the balcony:
He came back with his wife:
She died of love.

Like ardent bronze,
When he kissed her goodbye,
Her forehead was¡ The forehead
That I have loved the most in my life!

…She went into the river at dusk,
She was dead when the doctor pulled her out:
Some say she died of coldness:
But I know she died of love.

There, in the chilling crypt,
They set her on two benches:
I kissed her slender hand,
I kissed her white shoes.

Silently when it grew dark,
The undertaker called me:
¡I have never again seen
The girl who died of love!

Día de mercado || Market day

12 June, 2015 admin 58Views

Let´s go shopping!!

Usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday Saturday or Sunday can be “market Day” or like we say en Central America “Día de Mercado”.

Because this way of market is one of the biggest support the national economy has, the Guatemalan people offer a different kind of fruits and vegetables in a really good condition and good price. But, I have to say and explain the traditions into de market because is important to know it to be part of the environment. The traditional markets in Guatemala has variable prices, that´s why you can negotiate with the seller a best price for you. Is common to ask “¿cuánto cuesta?” Which means “how much is it?” for food like vegetables and fruits , things or anything you would like to buy in the street market, the sales man is going to answer “100 Quetzales” (Guatemala money) and then you ask “¿Tiene rebajas? or ¿lo menos? Which means “the discount is? “ and then you start the negotiation because he or she is going to offer you a new price like “85 Quetzales” and the negotiation continuous until both are in agree.

Only I want to advise; don’t do a big negotiation with a really small price because usually this products has a hard history of work because in agriculture people has to work 10-12 hour a day, with rainy, sun or other weather conditions and is necessary to show respect to all this job. Is just a tradition to ask for a less price but is not a big significance in the price. Actually, the prices for frouts is to chip with a really good condition of the fruits.

For example:

There is seasons when you can buy 15 bananas for only 5 Quetzales, in USA dollas is 0.65 for 15 Bananas, can you imagine what the benefit of this people is?

Is amazing how cheap is why fruits in our markets. The most important thing is, to buy fruits or vegetables in the street market is better compared with supermarket, because the productions of the surrounding areas is sold on the street market and in supermarket or moll the majority part of the vegetables and fruits is imported from other countries, so, it is not to fresh as in the street market.

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