CHAPINADAS

Faith without borders in Esquipulas, Chiquimula. During the month of january, there is a proverb that is heard more than the others.  The proverb is "All the roads lead to Esquipulas".  During january, the Black Christ is venerated by people from all over the country and also by catholics from Central America, Mexico, United States and Canada.  The Black Christ is considered to be miraculous by its many faithful followers.  Esquipulas was founded between 1560 and 1570.  The image of the Black Christ was sculpted by Quirio Catano in 1594.

Dona Flora is the name of a traditional candy factory in Huehuetenango.  Dona Flora was awarded last year with the "Order of the Cuchumatanes" in recognition of its commercial labor and most of all because it put the Huehuetenango name up high in a national and international level.  One of the main characteristics of the candy is that it is made using manual craftmanship.  According to the founders of Dona Flora, the way the candy is made gives the company that special touch.  All of their candy is made in the oven. 
Almost 80 years ago, Efrain Lopez and his wife had the idea of making a product that was able to identify Los Cuchumatanes and that at the same time the visitors could take with them the special flavor of candy made in the oven.  Some of the ingredients used in preparing the candy are flour, honey, mermelade, sugar, eggs and fresh fruit.  Every day 1,300 units of every one of the 17 varieties of candy are made.     

The beaches of Sipacate, Escuintla are the perfect place to enjoy and rest during any season.  Located 140 km. away from Guatemala City, the Sipacate Beaches have a great deal to offer to national and international turists because of the tranquility of the sea.  In Sipacate, it is possible to enjoy different kinds of food, however the traditional food of the area are the lobsters of the place.  Thousands of visitors go to Sipacate during the year but it can not be compared with the amount of visitors that San Jose Beach gets.  The main advantage of Sipacate is the tranquility that the places provides.  Sipacate beach is a nice place to surf because even though the waves are small during day time, early in the morning and at night time they have the appropiate size to practice aquatic sports.

In Tecpan, Guatemala there is a collection of more than 300 archeological pieces collected in the lands around Tecpan.  These pieces are exhibited since 1992 in the community museum of Kumatzin Jay, which was declared Cultural Patrimony of the Nation in 1995.  The majority of the pieces corresponds to the Post Classic Period of the kaqchikeles.  Visitors can see vases, whistles, ceremonial incense holders, grinding stones, jade and obsidian pieces.  The main focus of the museum is to conserve and rescue archeological pieces found in the zone and to show the kaqchikel culture. 

During many years, the paintings of San Juan Comalapa have been recognized because of its quality and precision with regards to the custums and traditions of this town.  The art form of San Juan Comalapa started in the 1930’s when a painter by the name of Andres Curruchiche started painting  with oil and his creativity was noted so much that he started showing his art in the United States.  In his exhibits, Curruchiche got to surpass the record set by the exhibits of Spanish painter Picasso.  Because of his world and international successes, Curruchiche felt compromised with his place of birth and decided to teach the new generations his form of painting.

In San Juan Comalapa there are 500 painters and the majority of them still use the techniques used by Curruchiche.  These painters are dedicated to paint the costums, life experiences and traditions of the indian towns.  The fame obtained by these paintings bring visitors from all over the world.  One of the main characteristics of the paintings of San Juan Comalapa is that every single one of them is original and unique because they are not painted again.  The name of Comalapa comes from the kaqchikel "chi royal xot" that means "Beside the fountain of comales".