Stand in the middle of the Grand Plaza between Temple I and Temple II at Tikal, Guatemala and imagine what life must have been like in this Mayan city over 1,200 years ago when Tikal was at its peak. The size of the temples and surrounding acropolis indicate that this must have been a rich and sophisticated city-state. Yet the ruins are only partially exposed and understood, as thick rain forest still covers most of the park.
And the grand mystery remains: Why was Tikal abandoned in 900 AD?
We can’t answer that question, but we can give a sense of what it’s like to sit in the middle of the Grand Plaza and wonder. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Guatemala, Panorama by: Audrey Scott
12 Comments | 6 September 2011
Ever wondered what sawdust carpets have to do with Good Friday? Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Central America, Guatemala, Panorama by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
9 Comments | 22 April 2011
What does a family-run small business launched or expanded with the help of a microloan look like? We offer a couple of answers…in three dimensions.
Maybe you’ve seen our photo essays from microfinance programs in Guatemala and India. Now we share a three-dimensional inside look – via 360 degree panoramic photography – at two small family-run businesses in Guatemala. Continue Reading »
- The Face of Microfinance in Guatemala
- Microfinance Panoramas from Guatemala
- Microfinance Diaries: Seeing is Believing in West Bengal
- Machu Picchu? Not Yet. A Slideshow of the Other Peru
Filed Under: Central America, Guatemala, Panorama, Perspectives, Photography by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
2 Comments | 1 August 2009
Guatemala surprises with its variety and delivers a diversity of humanity and landscape that belies its size. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Central America, Guatemala, Photography by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
5 Comments | 13 June 2009
Descendants of shipwrecked slaves from Nigeria; Jerry Garcia’s rumored Caribbean seaside bungalow hideout; warrior dances (see video below) and turtle shell drums; echoes of an accented pigeon pidgin English that smacks of Jamaica; and a remarkable coconut seafood soup called tapado.
This is Livingston, home of the Garifuna. This is the other side of Guatemala.
Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Central America, Guatemala, Travel, Videos by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
15 Comments | 10 June 2009
Some friends have suggested that we attach helmet cameras to our heads to give viewers the unabridged full monty version of our lives.
Trust us, you really don’t want to see all of it. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Central America, Guatemala, Travel, Videos by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
10 Comments | 14 May 2009
There we were at the dock in San Pedro bargaining for a boat to Santiago. The price seemed prohibitively high for a whimsical afternoon side trip on Lake Atitlan. Natasha, another traveler hoping to take the same boat, also questioned the price.
“You know, I have a car here. We could drive. You can just give me some gas money.”
Sounded like a reasonable alternative.
Just as we turned to leave, the boat ticket salesman’s voice rose, “Carretera. Banditos. Peligroso.” (Highway. Bandits. Dangerous.) Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Central America, Guatemala, Travel, Videos by: Audrey Scott
17 Comments | 28 April 2009
Filed Under: Central America, Guatemala, Perspectives, Photography by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
9 Comments | 23 April 2009
The other day we broke down in Guatemala City — in front of a piñata factory no less.
I helped push the stalled PT Cruiser whose motor had knocked, pinged and spoken of better days. Back then forward, we rolled the car out of traffic and into a parking lot.
Guatemala City is notorious for guns, violence, drugs, blighted neighborhoods and danger lurking around every corner. And there we were in a sketchy little parking lot in the middle of the city at dusk. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Central America, Guatemala, Perspectives, Travel by: Daniel Noll
4 Comments | 20 April 2009
Sawdust carpets adorned with brightly-colored designs and cut fruit line the streets, giant carved floats sway on the backs of local men and women, and depressing dirges creep out of battered horns. Ceremony is high with marching Roman soldiers and elaborate crucifixion ceremonies as Guatemalan communities come together to mourn Jesus’ crucifixion and celebrate his resurrection and the close of Lent.
This is Semana Santa (Holy Week). And in Guatemala, no place takes to the occasion like the town of Antigua. We’ve never experienced a lead-up to Easter quite like it. The slideshow and video below show why. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Central America, Guatemala, Travel, Videos by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
13 Comments | 12 April 2009
