I just wanted to touch base with you all to let you know that I’m back from being away in Guatemala for a month — yes, if you didn’t recognize the iconic archway and volcano, that photo was taken from the main road in Antigua — a 500-year old colonial city on an active tectonic zone in the vicinity of four volcanoes: Agua, Fuego, Acatenango, and Pacaya. The city—once the country’s capital — was razed by an earthquake in 1773 and the new city has grown around the old. Sprays of red and purple bougainvillea brighten the walls of old brown brick, now exposed through the crumbling plaster. Through gaping holes, that were once windows, one can see layers of ruins, collapsed arches, chunks of massive columns.
Guatemala truly is a study in contrasts — so much beauty set against a backdrop of 70 years of repression and brutality.
I’m working on an article/ photo essay about Guatemala — its history and the tenuous present in which it finds itself.
There is more to tell you, but for now I just wanted to let you know to expect something in your inbox early next week.
Welcome back Linda! So happy you were able to spend a month in Guatemala, and look forward to your photo essay.