Marty O'Malley, '64

Guatemala: Estudio fotográfico

      The following photos are from around Guatemala. I visited Guatemala forty years ago, so the second time around was rich with context from my earlier travels. Guatemala is the size of Tennessee, with over thirty volcanoes, many of them active; it has highlands and lowlands, bio-diversity eco-systems, is bordered by the Pacific and Atlantic. The population doubled since my last visit, now 14 million. The population is distinctly Mayan indigenous and over twenty different languages are spoken. Most Mayans are bilingual, speaking Spanish as a second language. There are over 5,000 archaeological ruins, mostly in the lowlands, in the state of Petén. Antigua, the most important Spanish colonial capital after Mexico City and Lima, is now a spectacular ruin devastated by volcanoes and earthquakes. The lake region is more spectacular than Lake Como because of the volcanoes. The pueblos that dot the lake are brilliant in indigenous color. The sequence of photos on the following pages feature Antigua and the pueblos around it.