CHAPINADAS

Located in the more extensive forrest of Central America, El Salto de Chilasco in Salama, Baja Verapaz comes down from a branch of the Sierra de Las Minas to form a cascade of about 130 meters high.  This affluent is 1880 meters above sea level and 146 kilometers away from Guatemala City.  El Salto de Chilasco means "Dark Mountains" in Poqomchi’ language.  This cascade is formed by various streams of clear water running in the mountains.  Access to this place is hard in the last three kilometers because of the inclination of the terrain.  It can only be reached on foot or by horse.  This cascade is only one of the attractives of this area.  Ecologists have the opportunity of enjoying the diversity of flora and fauna of the place.  There are other waterfalls along the way such as Lomo del Macho and Rincon del Paraiso.  It is also possible to arrange trips that include living with the locals so that you can get to know their costums, crafts and other actitivies.  Here is a link to this place.

http://www.chilasco.net.ms/

Ricardo Arjona with his album "Adentro" won the Grammy for Best Pop Latin Album in the Staples Center of Los Angeles.  This Grammy, the first Grammy ever won by a Guatemalan singer confirms the success of this Guatemalan Artist.  His album "Adentro" was also awarded on November 2006 as the Best Male Pop Vocal Album on the Grammy for Latin Music.  Congratulations Ricardo Arjona and keep them coming.

Naj Tunich means "Stone over the humid area".  Replicas of the paintings on the Naj Tunich Caves are being exhibited in another cave located 460 meters away from the original cave. Naj Tunich located in Poptun, Peten was discovered two decades ago but was closed to the public to protect the paintings from vandalism and to treat the paintings against fungus.  With this exhibition turists can appreciated the Mayan representations with include petroglyphs, human faces and a representation of the ages of spitituality. 

The Garifunas or "Black Carib" have survived legal and geographic barriers for over 200 years but after the signing of the Peace Agreement they have claimed their place as a musical and turistic gem in Guatemala.  New turistic interests of the international community like rescuing nature, visiting exotic places and ethnical curiosity have made this community located in Atlantic Coast of Central America the prefered destination of choice. Two of the foundations of the Garifuna people are its music known as "Punta" that combines sensuality and eroticism and its african amerindian roots.

The Guatemalan Garifuna population shares its origins with their neighbors of Belice, Honduras and Nicaragua.  Garifunas live from artesanal fishing and ecoturism.  Livingston, Izabal is visited by many turists attracted to the rythms of the Garifuna music and their rich culture.  The Garifuna people have a defined geographic space, their own language and culture but it was until the signing of the Peace Agreement in 1996 when they started gaining legal space even though they were recognized as and entity in the middle of the 1980’s.

The Gariguna presence in Livingston, Izabal started in the XVIII century when groups of black slaves escaped persecution of the English colonies on the islands.  Their language is a combination of the Arawak and Kalipuna.  The Garifunas were recognized by United Nations for Science and Education as a masterpiece of the Oral Language for humanity.