Quite bluntly, Guatemala city is a place no-one can blame a tourist for giving up on it at first sight. I’m happy that I haven’t yet.
Zona 1 is the city’s historical centre, where you can find some shy signs of buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
I’ve met here Cesar and Daniela last night, at a bar where much of the artistic and cultural life of the capital seems to converge. Cesar is a play writer; Daniela is a painter.
Daniela was telling me how she thinks that the last centuries of Guatemalan history have pushed down the country’s moral, and how easy it is for individuals to find themselves inferior, less-capable than those of other ethnicities and nationalities.
I’ve also met in the last week a few people, including Cesar and Daniela, whose work is dedicated to breaking that cycle. By painting Latin American icons, by writing Guatemalan plays or dancing Mayan folks; by inviting the youth to express themselves and celebrating their culture. That brings self-confidence, and self-confidence helps break the poverty and violence vicious cycles.
Zona 1 is the city’s historical centre, where you can find some shy signs of buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
I’ve met here Cesar and Daniela last night, at a bar where much of the artistic and cultural life of the capital seems to converge. Cesar is a play writer; Daniela is a painter.
Daniela was telling me how she thinks that the last centuries of Guatemalan history have pushed down the country’s moral, and how easy it is for individuals to find themselves inferior, less-capable than those of other ethnicities and nationalities.
I’ve also met in the last week a few people, including Cesar and Daniela, whose work is dedicated to breaking that cycle. By painting Latin American icons, by writing Guatemalan plays or dancing Mayan folks; by inviting the youth to express themselves and celebrating their culture. That brings self-confidence, and self-confidence helps break the poverty and violence vicious cycles.
This is the other side of Guatemala city. The one it’s worth not giving up on.
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