“Easter Week ”
The Easter Week (April 8 – 16, 2006) in Guatemala is famous throughout the world. The religious fervor of the Guatemalans is pronounced in every region of the country. Most famous for this tradition is Antigua, where residents elaborate colorful carpets of sawdust and flower petals only to watch their work be trampled by huge processions of thousands of penitents and Roman centurions. The penitents carry huge biers with colonial effigies of Christ, the apostles and the Virgin Mary. These traditional processions date back hundreds of years and attract visitors and Catholic pilgrims from all over the world. And during the entire week, parishioners celebrate the passion of Christ in the various Catholic churches in Antigua and the rest of Guatemala.
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Airport Improvments in Guatemala City and Flores (Tikal)
Reconstruction of Guatemala City's International Airport La Aurora got underway on Oct. 1. The purpose is to obtain classification "A" for the airport by adding a second runway to have two planes landing or taking off at the same time. Phase I, to be completed in two years, has been budgeted at US$40 million and will cover the removal and clearing of surrounding land, such as couriers, hangars, a horse racetrack ground, etc. Phase II has been budgeted at $120 million and will cover the completion of a modern and functioning airport according to international regulations. Completion has been contemplated for the year 2014.
Remodelation of Flores Mundo Maya Airport will start in March 2006. Its purpose is to increase space to provide up to 18 airlines (actually 9 that serve Flores) with comfortable check-in counters and to provide more travelers with a seats in the departure area. This US$2 million project also includes the implementation of A/C throughout the airport building. Rumors have it that the Spanish flagship carrier Iberia might use the Mundo Maya Airport as their local hub to serve the Central American region. This would certainly open possibilities for more European tourists to visit Guatemala.
Cableway Reopens!
Guatemala is reopening its cableway by Lake Amatitlan. With computerized cabins, that allow for constant computerized safety inspections of each cableway, changes in the engine station and new painting, Guatemala is proud to annouce its reinauguration of its cableway at Lake of Amatitlán. At 30 kilometers from the Guatemalan capital, it reaches a height of 2800 meters within a mountain peak in Park Filon. Up on the mountain visitors will find a restaurant and a picnic area.
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New flight to Guatemala
Copa Airlines increased its frequencies with incorporating a second non-stop flight to Guatemala. This new flight, along with the 2 connections that stop in Managua, sums up 4 daily services between Panama and Guatemala. The increase of flights is due to ascending tourist volumes in Central America and commercial relations between Panama and Guatemala.
Continued: Easter Week
These rich traditions originate from the Colonial times when La Antigua de Guatemala was at the center of the efforts by Spaniards to conquer the new world. These imposing processions are also held in the capital city of Guatemala with similar sawdust carpets and flower petals. During the processions, participants dress in violet robes to accompany daily processions in remembrance of the crucifixion. Sometimes these wooden biers are carried by up to a 150 man. They are very heavy and loaded with statues of Christ, crosses and many other sculptures that date from the colonial days.
The celebrations last the entire week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, with the main processions occurring on Good Friday. All these rituals and processions give the visitor an indescribable sensation that will not be found in any other place of the world. And not only Antigua and Guatemala City have their processions carried out. Most other towns and cities organize processions according to their best abilities. If you come to spend Easter Week in Guatemala, we guarantee you a very special and intense experience, one that will last forever.
RABINAL ACHI DECLARED WORLD PATRIMONY BY UNESCO.
UNESCO declared the Guatemalan Dance “Rabinal Achi” as World Patrimony in Paris, France on Saturday.
Achí Xajooj Tun or “Baile del Tun” is the mayan name of this dance which is from Rabinal, Baja Verapaz. Rabinal Achi represents society of the periods between 900 AD and 1524AD. This period is known as PostClassic period. The story of the dance, is a dispute between the Quiches and Rabinachi. It is possible to witness this dance during the Rabinal fair in January of every year. It is a great honor for Guatemala to get this and especially for all the indigenous communities. This award will allow this piece to be conserved and recognized for all the world as one of the great traditions of the mayan culture. This is the only piece in Latinamerica which is conserved in its original form, without any changes of phrases from european origen. This piece also reflects a historial fact and it also represents the political structure of the time. This dance has survived for centuries. The Rabinal achi was presented clandestinly from 1625 to 1856. In the year 1856, Brasseur de Bourbourg witnessed it in person because he had already read the text. The Achí Xajooj Tun has been pass down orally from generation to generation. Brasseur de Bourbourg translated it to french. Achí Xajooj Tun, when traslated by Bourbourg became known as “Rabinal Achil”.
