More Things About Guatemala. A Few Facts From Inside.
I have found this interesting source giving away some information about Guatemala, but from the local perspective. So how things look from inside, seen by the eyes of ordinary residents of the country. I’ve picked a few and I would like to share it with you guys!
1. In Guatemala society is still patriarchal, which means that men and women are not euqal. A little progress can be observed, but the position of the women is veru uncertain.
2. Guatemala’s offical religion is catholicism, even though it’s practised by less than 50% of population!
3. Society is torn apart from the ethnical point of view with the benefits on the Ladinos group. Unfortunately, it’s pretty often when Mayans have to confront with the racist attitude towards them.
4. People don’t really have problems with expressing their emotions in any sort of public situation. Anger, saddness or some sort of display of affection tend to be well accepted.
5. Guatemala’s National Heros are fashioned after the Ladinos who shaped and dominated all the spheres of life in the country since Independence (September 15, 1821) until the present day. The heroes from the Independence are: Juan Barrundia, doña Dolores Bedoya de Molina, don Pedro Molina.
“Guatemala is a country with a lot of potential because of its rich culture and its diverse flora and fauna. You can find a huge bibliography about the economic, political, social, and cultural life of the country. If you want to visit tourist areas, you should inquire at the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism INGUAT. Guatemalan cuisine is very rich and varies a lot depending on the area and ethnic group. You can find many different international dishes, particularly in the capital city.
Among other things, you will find ruins which bear witness to the history of the great Mayan civilization, the city of Antigua Guatemala, the splendour of the colonial architecture, the beaches of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean, volcanoes, colourful and intoxicating markets, etc. The large urban centres have great cultural events (museums, plays, internet cafes, hiking paths, volcano climbing, amusement parks and more). In the most important tourist areas, which include Tikal, Antigua Guatemala, Quezaltenango and Chichicastenango, you will easily find agencies that offer very interesting cultural and thematic outings focussing on such themes as the different forms of Mayan art.”
Again – it’s not a long post, but I will be gathering more information to share it with you!
Good Night Folks!
Things you should know about Guatemala. I think you should.
I decided to write this post before I say “Good Night” to the world after a long day, because hey, why not?! Writing can be relaxing (except the eyes. It’s destroying the eyes).
As you already know CyclingForRekko aims in supporting charity organization REKKO in Guatemala. But what exactly we all know about Guatemala? Frankly speaking several months ago I probably had some vague idea of a poor country in South America. Is it because we tend to acknowledge only the tragedy of the countries describe by media in a hysterical and over-emotional way? What about the quite every-day sort of tragedy that no one mentions because it’s not “attractive” enough? Apart from helping REKKO financially, CyclingForRekko would like to edcuate us a bit about Guatemala so we become more aware what’s happening on the other side of the Globe and most important why it’s happening and how we can help.
Guatemala is a country rich in culture and history, but because it’s only me who’s writing this post I am going to educate you about it differently, with another list of random but interesting facts!
1. The name Guatemala means land of the trees in the Maya-Toltec language. It still has the largest protected tree reserves in all of Central America.
2. A scene from the original Star Wars movie “A New Hope” was shot in The Tikal National Park, which a part was also declared as UNESO World Heritage. True Story.
3. In Guatemala hot choclote was known back in IVth century! The Maya civilization grew cacao trees in their backyards, and used the cacao seeds it produced to make a frothy, bitter drink. Documents in Maya hieroglyphs stated chocolate was used for ceremonial purposes, in addition to everyday life. The chocolate residue found in an early ancient Maya pot in Río Azul, Guatemala, suggests the Maya were drinking chocolate around 400 AD. They knew what’s good!
4. Guatemala also had an Oscar nomination for the best foreign film in 1994. It was for El Silencio de Neto (The Silence of Neto) directed by Louis Arguenta. Respect for that.
5. Guatemala is the biggest producer of Cardamom, which is a green gold of the country. If you have no idea how you can use cardamom in the kitchen, this link is going to help you: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/cardamom
6. Guatemalan coffee is believed to be the crown jewel of Central America coffees.
Right. It’s not much guys, but I will keep you posted if I find something exciting! For now – Good Night to all of you!
CyclingforRekko 