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A belt of fire
formed by active volcanoes

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entangled with the clouds.

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A thick and rich vegetation
that dresses in green

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never-ending mountain landscapes.

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A country cherishing
one of the greatest histories

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of all the American continent.

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For more than two thousand years,

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these lands witnessed
the rise of a magnificent civilization

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that stood out for its
sociocultural evolution.

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A civilization that developed

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one of the few elaborate writing systems
in all America

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during the Pre-Columbian era.

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A culture that mastered
astronomy and mathematics

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with absolute precision.

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And also achieved great advances
in its artwork,

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architecture and economy.

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A land with extensive natural resources,

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great pristine waterfalls
traveling the mountains,

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feeding the rivers
that nourish fertile lands.

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A country whose diversity originated
from the merge of two worlds

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that five hundred years ago

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clashed in this part of the world.

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These are the lands where was found

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the Heart of the Mayan World.

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Guatemala boasts a variety of flora,

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climate, languages,

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food and fauna.

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The country's main treasure
is the miscegenation of its people,

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and the stories carried
by each and everyone of them...

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Descendants of the Mayan culture
that to this date

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maintain their traditions,

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language and culture,

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and of the new people
that arrived to this land

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more than five hundred years ago.

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They're all part of the same country:

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Guatemala!

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I'm proud of being Guatemalan

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because I'm very aware
of the richness of this country.

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Guatemala is full of forests, mountains,

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lakes and rivers.

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A country surrounded by a belt of fire,

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comprised of 37 volcanoes.

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The Mayas  wouldn't climb up the mountains

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precisely because they worshiped them
as Gods or Goddesses.

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They feared them
because they knew their power.

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A culture that still surprises humanities
with its level of development.

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Guatemala is living culture,

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where you can see, in such small area,

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many wonders.

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It's a natural paradise.

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A country that preserves
archaeological areas

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that endorse the development

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and the peak of the Mayan culture.

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El Mirador is helping us

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understand the Mayan social,

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economical and political development.

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It's amazing to see how that civilization
has reached such a level of development.

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Hidden within the jungle,
there are pyramids, sculptures

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and unique architectural facilities.

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One of Guatemala's characteristics

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is the abundance of a resource
that's limited in some parts of the world,

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water.

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SEMUC CHAMPEY NATURAL MONUMENT

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Semuc Champey,

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or as it's translated,

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"Where the river hides beneath the rocks",

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is a natural bridge of limestone,

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around three hundred meters long,

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that lies over a huge tropical forest.

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The monument's beautiful
turquoise-colored water,

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that travels
along the small cascades of rocks,

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its exuberant beauty,

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and the natural landscape
that surrounds it,

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make it one of the most visited
destinations in Guatemala.

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In the Natural Monument of Semuc Champey,

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time simply stops,

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and Nature takes over our senses.

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Guatemala's surrounded
by a thick and rich vegetation.

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Within this tropical forest,
it's possible to travel in time

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and penetrate
the heart of the Mayan world.

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TIKAL NATIONAL PARK

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The epicenter of the Maya civilization,
one of the most advanced civilizations

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of the Pre-Columbian era in America,
is located in Guatemala.

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It's one of best-preserved
Mayan cities in Guatemala,

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and it's one of the greatest urban
and archaeological sites

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of this civilization.

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More than three thousand structures

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can be seen in this city.

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Surrounded by endless forests,

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that kept it in secret for centuries,

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lies a city

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that during the 3rd
and 5th centuries A.D.,

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was the region that politically,
militarily, and economically ruled

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the Mayan World.

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This is where the Tikal National Park is.

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Studies carried out in this region,

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have revealed that its works
date back to the 4th century B.C.

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This city had relationship
with other major cities of the era,

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such as Teotihuacan,

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located in what we know today as Mexico.

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In 1979, it was declared
a UNESCO World Heritage Site,

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because of both its cultural
and natural treasures.

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Guatemala's history,
as well as the rest of America's,

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has suffered a great transformation.

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After the Spanish Conquest
of the 16th century,

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the city known today as
La Antigua Guatemala,

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was the capital of this country

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from 1541 to 1776.

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The architecture and climate
witnessed as we walk through its streets,

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take us back in time.

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Native peoples and settlers from Europe

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have gone through different processes
that led to the birth of a new culture,

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new customs with the same
sense of belonging,

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the land where they live:

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Guatemala.

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Throughout the last five hundred years,

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its population, architecture and customs

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experienced a changing process

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that built the Guatemala we all know.

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La Antigua Guatemala is also known

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as one of the chosen destinations

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for the celebration of weddings
in its elegant historical monuments

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This incredible city

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has faced three earthquakes
that nearly devastated it.

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That was when the political,

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economical and religious administration
of the country was taken to  a city

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that to date is the current capital,

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Guatemala City.

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Upon the Spanish arrival,

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Christianity spread

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and its to this date the predominant
religion in the country.

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Although Guatemala's been
a secular state since 1985,

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it's the religion of most of the people.

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One of the most important celebrations
in the country takes place in Holy Week.

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The main cities

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dress in a very unique way.

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In the past, when the kings
visited the society,

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the people would take their sacks

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and laid them down so that the kings
and the royalties could walk over them

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without wetting their feet
getting them dirty.

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Just as the people did with Jesus Christ,

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when he walked into Jerusalem,

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the people laid down clothes,
branches and flowers in front of him,

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so he could walk over it.

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That's how the preparation of rugs
started here in Guatemala.

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The rugs are generally made of sawdust.

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Or sand, dyed in many colors.

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Forty-two years ago
my family and I started preparing rugs.

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They were very simple
because we were inexperienced.

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We had to learn about it,

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researching and asking experienced people.

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It's called an ephemeral art,

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because it only lasts for a moment.

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Once the procession's passed,
it is over.

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During the same week,

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Guatemala celebrates
the Passion and Resurrection of Christ,

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where hundreds of believers
get involved in the procession.

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From building the processional floats

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to the procession itself.

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The processions
are a demonstration of faith.

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Considering the mysticism,

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the processional floats must not be seen

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until the day of procession.

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It's a gift to the people.

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A procession is not merely
a momentary event.

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One must get spiritually prepared for it.

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During the procession,
there's a mixture of culture, tradition,

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history and customs
of the people and their families.

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Guatemala is not just a Mayan culture.

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The country was colonized
by the Spanish.

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So this is the origin

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of the city's own traditions.

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Almolonga is located 2,000 meters
above sea level,

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in the Department of Quetzaltenango,

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that accommodates long meadows,

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surrounded by huge mountains.

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And it's where the country's
agricultural activities take place.

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Guatemala is known as a land of abundance,

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due to the region's climate conditions

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and the richness  and fertility
of the soil.

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Around 70% of the food
the Guatemalan consume,

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comes from family-based husbandry,

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which is why tradition
is key to such activity.

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There's something very interesting

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about the particular zone of the country.

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It's the harvest of huge vegetables,

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with sizes that exceed
the world's average.

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Coffee has been cultivated here
since 1850

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and it's one of the main
Guatemalan products.

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Harvesting is frequently done manually.

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In Santiago de Atitlán,

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it's possible to see an example
of the mix of traditions of the country.

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Descendants of the Mayan culture

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now work in this crop
that was introduced to the country

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years after the Spanish colonization.

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At first, I only collected the coffee,

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but then I realized
how profitable it was.

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So I started to cultivate it.

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That's how I managed to feed my family
and send my kids to school.

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That's what the cultivation of coffee
has given me.

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The coffee we grow here
is of very good quality

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because the volcanoes
and mountains around the region

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provide a unique flavor

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to the coffee grains.

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The great Lake Atitlán

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is surrounded by three volcanoes,
known as The Three Giants.

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Tolimán, San Pedro

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and the one that is name for the Lake.

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And serves as water source

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for the many agricultural villages
that exist around the lake.

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These different villages around the lake
have their own characteristics,

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which is what make them unique.

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San Juan La Laguna
is one of those beautiful villages

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known for its paintings,
artwork and tapestry.

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There are also plantations

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that have been cropped
for thousands of years.

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Corn is the main crop of the Maya.

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According to their culture,

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humankind was created out of corn.

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The Mayan calendar points out
when it's a good time to plant,

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and when it's not, or when it's best
to prepare the soil.

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So when the first rains come,

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irrespective of the month,

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we start preparing the soil.

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Many say that
when Guatemala was taken,

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the Mayas were scattered.

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But that's not right. The people mixed.

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That's why we still take the customs
and traditions we cherish.

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There are four colors.

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It's also linked to...

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the Mayan calendar. We are also guided
by the four cardinal directions.

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In the Indigenous culture,

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corn is consumed three times a day:

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in the morning, at noon and at dinner.

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Guatemala is largely covered

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by a dense forest that has been protected
and recovered in the last years.

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Mighty rivers

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flow through the green tropical forests
of Guatemala.

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Thousands of flora and fauna species,

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among which are the orchids.

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In its jungle, one can face iguanas

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that camouflage among the vegetation
while they eat.

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Reptiles climbing trees
to find their prey.

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Or Rattlesnakes,

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that carry the name of the sound produced
by the tip of their tail.

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Also found in this forest,
there's the Haloderma.

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A species of venomous lizard
that can only be found in Guatemala,

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among the Central America countries.

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Guatemala forests are home
for more than just lizards and serpents.

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Hundreds of birds,

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00:26:11,916 --> 00:26:16,000
or monkeys that travel along the forest
on top of millions of trees.

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GUATEMALA CITY

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The capital, Guatemala City,

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is where modernity and colonial meet,

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00:26:45,083 --> 00:26:49,041
and is home for more
than four and a half million of people,

258
00:26:49,125 --> 00:26:53,125
who live in the city
from where the country is governed.

259
00:27:29,083 --> 00:27:30,750
In these mountains,

260
00:27:30,833 --> 00:27:33,541
particularly in the Sierra de las Minas
mountain range,

261
00:27:33,625 --> 00:27:36,458
there are still Jade mines.

262
00:27:38,291 --> 00:27:41,875
Jade was the most valuable
gemstone for the Mayas.

263
00:27:42,416 --> 00:27:45,166
Even more than gold.

264
00:27:45,250 --> 00:27:50,291
Its extreme roughness
ensured a nearly everlasting durability.

265
00:27:50,375 --> 00:27:51,708
Therefore, for the Mayas,

266
00:27:51,791 --> 00:27:56,916
the stone was associated with eternity,
immortality, life,

267
00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,166
fertility and power.

268
00:28:00,875 --> 00:28:04,291
Jade was one of the main components
of all the accessories

269
00:28:04,375 --> 00:28:09,041
worn by our Mayan ancestors.

270
00:28:12,875 --> 00:28:16,375
All the tombs that have been discovered,

271
00:28:16,458 --> 00:28:18,250
if not all, the vast majority of them,

272
00:28:18,333 --> 00:28:21,833
basically have remnants, carcasses,

273
00:28:22,541 --> 00:28:26,375
that boast incredible Jade collars.

274
00:28:26,458 --> 00:28:29,000
Jade was very valuable for them.

275
00:28:41,958 --> 00:28:47,458
Some people are specialized
in reading the stones surface.

276
00:28:48,208 --> 00:28:52,375
They have a very trained
and experienced sense

277
00:28:53,166 --> 00:28:56,500
to recognize what type of Jade

278
00:28:56,583 --> 00:28:58,833
is contained in a bigger stone.

279
00:29:02,666 --> 00:29:07,291
Currently, many are the artist
that we have been able to find.

280
00:29:07,875 --> 00:29:11,916
They all have different levels
of creativity and innovation.

281
00:29:21,708 --> 00:29:24,541
The Archaeological Park
and Ruins of Quiriguá

282
00:29:24,625 --> 00:29:27,750
is an area once occupied
by the ancient Maya civilization.

283
00:29:27,833 --> 00:29:31,458
It has around three square kilometers
of extension,

284
00:29:31,541 --> 00:29:35,500
and it was declared a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.

285
00:29:37,791 --> 00:29:42,625
The peak of this city
came a few centuries A.D.,

286
00:29:43,125 --> 00:29:47,583
and the city is mainly recognized
by its monumental sculptures,

287
00:29:48,166 --> 00:29:50,250
known as Stelae.

288
00:29:50,333 --> 00:29:54,958
Some of them can be
more than ten meters high.

289
00:30:20,916 --> 00:30:23,208
Important sites built by the Maya

290
00:30:23,291 --> 00:30:27,666
can be found
throughout all Guatemalan territory.

291
00:30:29,416 --> 00:30:30,500
Tak'Ali Ab'aj

292
00:30:31,083 --> 00:30:35,125
is one of the cities that flourished

293
00:30:35,208 --> 00:30:37,708
for more than twenty centuries.

294
00:30:37,791 --> 00:30:42,083
The archaeological findings
obtained through excavation

295
00:30:42,166 --> 00:30:47,000
place this as one of the greatest sites
of sculpted monuments

296
00:30:47,083 --> 00:30:50,666
in the Guatemalan coast
of the Pacific Ocean.

297
00:30:56,791 --> 00:31:01,500
The Mayan villages weren't a consolidated
unit under the same government.

298
00:31:02,125 --> 00:31:05,500
They were self managed villages,

299
00:31:05,583 --> 00:31:10,250
and occasionally had to battle
for power or territory.

300
00:31:11,250 --> 00:31:12,833
The city of Iximché

301
00:31:12,916 --> 00:31:15,375
was the capital of the Kaqchikel kingdom,

302
00:31:15,458 --> 00:31:20,375
from 1470 to 1527,

303
00:31:20,458 --> 00:31:22,541
when it was abandoned.

304
00:31:22,625 --> 00:31:25,458
Such sites allowed for the understanding

305
00:31:25,541 --> 00:31:27,666
of the complex, entangled culture,

306
00:31:27,750 --> 00:31:30,333
and particularly
the political organization

307
00:31:30,416 --> 00:31:31,916
of the Mayas civilization.

308
00:31:57,333 --> 00:32:00,000
Although the intention
of the Spanish Conquest

309
00:32:00,083 --> 00:32:04,125
was to instil Christianity
into the Maya villagers,

310
00:32:04,666 --> 00:32:06,666
it wasn't always possible.

311
00:32:06,750 --> 00:32:08,166
In many cases,

312
00:32:08,250 --> 00:32:11,875
it ended up creating a mix
of such religions

313
00:32:11,958 --> 00:32:15,583
where many Christian rituals
and beliefs

314
00:32:15,666 --> 00:32:19,250
were mixed with ancient rituals
of the Maya.

315
00:32:24,125 --> 00:32:26,125
This mixture of beliefs

316
00:32:26,208 --> 00:32:29,583
is called religious syncretism
by many experts.

317
00:32:35,333 --> 00:32:40,166
For centuries, the spiritual leaders
have been respected by the people

318
00:32:40,250 --> 00:32:41,541
as wise beings,

319
00:32:41,625 --> 00:32:46,000
capable of interpreting Nature
as a whole,

320
00:32:46,083 --> 00:32:48,041
to heal and care for living beings,

321
00:32:48,125 --> 00:32:50,875
among other things.

322
00:32:57,666 --> 00:33:00,333
My heart rejoices, my soul rejoices.

323
00:33:00,875 --> 00:33:05,041
A new day comes, praised be the Creator!

324
00:33:32,333 --> 00:33:36,416
CHICABAL VOLCANO AND LAKE

325
00:33:45,291 --> 00:33:49,708
Chicabal Volcano and Lake
is a very unique place.

326
00:33:49,791 --> 00:33:55,625
In its crater we can admire
a beautiful emerald-green lake,

327
00:33:55,708 --> 00:33:57,333
surrounded by forest.

328
00:33:58,000 --> 00:33:59,541
According to the local culture,

329
00:33:59,625 --> 00:34:03,083
the volcano and the lake
are protected by Nahuales,

330
00:34:03,166 --> 00:34:07,125
spiritual beings that protect people
since their birth.

331
00:34:08,166 --> 00:34:12,166
It's a sacred place for some cultures
that to this date

332
00:34:12,250 --> 00:34:13,833
still use the place for rituals,

333
00:34:14,250 --> 00:34:16,666
which is why entering
the waters is forbidden.

334
00:34:19,666 --> 00:34:24,000
The legend says that the lake
was located in another place,

335
00:34:24,083 --> 00:34:26,833
but as it became unprotected,

336
00:34:26,916 --> 00:34:30,541
it ran away and hid
within the volcano crater.

337
00:34:31,166 --> 00:34:37,416
Almost everyday, at noon,
one can witness a strange phenomenon:

338
00:34:37,500 --> 00:34:40,833
the crater is covered with a thick mist,

339
00:34:40,916 --> 00:34:46,833
that regresses just as it touches
the water surface, leaving the crater.

340
00:35:38,333 --> 00:35:41,875
A key product in country's economy
is the cocoa.

341
00:35:42,708 --> 00:35:45,875
Its importance goes back
millions of years.

342
00:35:47,333 --> 00:35:52,208
Mayan culture used it
to prepare food and drinks.

343
00:35:52,291 --> 00:35:56,208
It was also used as currency
in certain occasions.

344
00:35:57,208 --> 00:36:00,500
However, what makes cocoa so important

345
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:05,083
is that it's the real base for chocolate.

346
00:37:00,916 --> 00:37:02,333
IZABAL DEPARTMENT

347
00:37:02,416 --> 00:37:06,250
Lake Izabal is located
in the east of Guatemala.

348
00:37:06,791 --> 00:37:08,875
And in one of its mouths

349
00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:12,000
is the Castle of San Felipe de Lara.

350
00:37:15,708 --> 00:37:19,250
A majestic fortress from the colonial era

351
00:37:19,333 --> 00:37:22,791
that served as customs center,
military base

352
00:37:22,875 --> 00:37:26,125
and even as a prison during colonial era.

353
00:37:31,916 --> 00:37:34,000
It was equipped with nineteen canons,

354
00:37:34,083 --> 00:37:37,666
and many warehouses
where they kept the products

355
00:37:37,750 --> 00:37:41,208
that were traded between Spain
and Guatemala.

356
00:37:56,166 --> 00:37:58,500
The National Park of Rio Dulce

357
00:37:58,583 --> 00:38:04,166
is a protected area around the river
that's adjacent to Lake Izabal.

358
00:38:04,833 --> 00:38:08,166
This river is vital for Guatemala,

359
00:38:08,250 --> 00:38:11,166
as it's connected to the Caribbean Sea.

360
00:38:16,583 --> 00:38:21,875
I work as a park ranger within CONAP,
the National Council for Protected Areas.

361
00:38:24,416 --> 00:38:29,166
My job is to protect
and preserve the natural resources.

362
00:38:35,958 --> 00:38:40,500
The National Park of Rio Dulce
has three thousand hectares,

363
00:38:40,583 --> 00:38:43,166
equally divided between water and land.

364
00:38:45,666 --> 00:38:47,208
We take turns,

365
00:38:47,916 --> 00:38:52,083
patrolling the lands one day
and on the next day we patrol the waters.

366
00:38:58,083 --> 00:39:00,250
Along sixteen kilometers,

367
00:39:00,333 --> 00:39:04,250
the river becomes narrower,
little by little,

368
00:39:04,791 --> 00:39:08,041
and the course becomes a real adventure.

369
00:39:08,125 --> 00:39:12,041
Fifty-meter limestone walls

370
00:39:12,125 --> 00:39:13,958
grow on each side of the river,

371
00:39:14,041 --> 00:39:18,416
forming an exuberant canyon.

372
00:39:19,250 --> 00:39:23,916
We must be aware of our acts
and change our behave towards the water,

373
00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:26,083
for we depend on it.

374
00:39:55,291 --> 00:39:57,625
The major cities
and small villages of Guatemala,

375
00:39:57,708 --> 00:40:00,958
in harmony with its nature,

376
00:40:01,041 --> 00:40:05,291
connect to each other through
a set of routes and paths

377
00:40:05,375 --> 00:40:09,875
that take us to ever new discoveries.

378
00:40:12,458 --> 00:40:15,708
In Chichicastenango,
the people are mostly Quiché,

379
00:40:15,791 --> 00:40:17,916
an ethnic group
that speaks the Maya language.

380
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,583
One curiosity is its cemetery,

381
00:40:22,666 --> 00:40:26,250
probably one of the most colorful
cemeteries on Earth.

382
00:40:45,666 --> 00:40:49,416
Chichicastenango is also famous
for its street market,

383
00:40:49,500 --> 00:40:54,041
where we can find every type
of fruit and seafood.

384
00:40:55,125 --> 00:40:57,708
It's known for its culinary tradition

385
00:40:58,333 --> 00:41:02,041
of street food, prepared with recipes
that mix

386
00:41:02,125 --> 00:41:04,208
the most ancient Mayan culture

387
00:41:04,666 --> 00:41:08,583
with traditions from different regions.

388
00:41:41,291 --> 00:41:43,083
Guatemalan cuisine

389
00:41:43,166 --> 00:41:47,416
is precisely the fusion
of two great cultures.

390
00:41:48,500 --> 00:41:51,250
On one hand, the influence and tradition

391
00:41:51,333 --> 00:41:54,458
inherited from the various ethnicities
that formed the Mayan culture,

392
00:41:54,541 --> 00:41:58,041
and on the other, the influence
of Spanish cuisine

393
00:41:58,125 --> 00:42:01,708
that arrived in this lands
in the 16th century.

394
00:42:04,458 --> 00:42:06,708
The fruit of the Guatemalan land,

395
00:42:07,500 --> 00:42:12,916
is also the fruit that marks the base
of the culinary culture of this country.

396
00:42:13,916 --> 00:42:15,083
Such as in the Pepián,

397
00:42:15,583 --> 00:42:17,458
a traditional local dish.

398
00:42:34,833 --> 00:42:37,166
WELCOME
THE THREE GARIFUNAS RESTAURANT

399
00:42:40,166 --> 00:42:43,666
Although the predominant
culinary culture of Guatemala

400
00:42:43,750 --> 00:42:47,583
is the one that comes from the fusion
of Mayan and Spanish cultures,

401
00:42:47,666 --> 00:42:52,083
other peoples brought,
or even had to develop,

402
00:42:52,166 --> 00:42:55,041
other dishes that to date

403
00:42:55,125 --> 00:42:57,583
are considered typical.

404
00:42:57,666 --> 00:42:59,458
The Tapado, for example,

405
00:42:59,541 --> 00:43:04,000
was a dish prepared
by the African immigrants.

406
00:43:04,083 --> 00:43:07,500
We're rescuing the culture

407
00:43:07,583 --> 00:43:12,583
of the Garifuna culture
through gastronomy.

408
00:43:17,375 --> 00:43:18,791
In Livingstone,

409
00:43:18,875 --> 00:43:25,166
the Tapado is the most traditional
and typical dish in this city to date.

410
00:43:40,958 --> 00:43:43,833
Guatemala is one
of the Central American countries

411
00:43:43,916 --> 00:43:47,541
with access to both the Caribbean Sea
to the east,

412
00:43:47,625 --> 00:43:49,541
and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

413
00:43:50,166 --> 00:43:53,625
Its territory is rich
in freshwater reservoirs,

414
00:43:53,708 --> 00:43:57,625
in its rivers, lakes and ponds.

415
00:43:58,625 --> 00:44:01,125
Where many sports are practiced,

416
00:44:01,208 --> 00:44:03,125
such as sport fishing,

417
00:44:03,208 --> 00:44:08,833
in which Guatemala is a reference
among Central American countries.

418
00:44:22,500 --> 00:44:24,291
There's also the ocean waters

419
00:44:24,375 --> 00:44:27,583
forming many heavenly beaches

420
00:44:27,666 --> 00:44:31,416
along kilometers of tropical coast.

421
00:45:30,958 --> 00:45:35,500
Rum is one of the traditional beverages
of Central America.

422
00:45:35,583 --> 00:45:37,375
The climate conditions

423
00:45:37,833 --> 00:45:40,916
are ideal for the production of sugar cane

424
00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:44,916
from where the syrup is removed
to prepare the rum.

425
00:45:49,375 --> 00:45:53,875
Guatemalan run is one
of the finest in the world,

426
00:45:53,958 --> 00:45:57,750
and it's totally entrenched
in the culture of this country

427
00:45:57,833 --> 00:46:00,333
and its culinary culture.

428
00:46:14,125 --> 00:46:17,833
We use sugar cane that are cropped

429
00:46:17,916 --> 00:46:20,833
a hundred and fifty meters
above sea level.

430
00:46:21,750 --> 00:46:24,333
Due to the soil characteristics,

431
00:46:24,416 --> 00:46:29,458
our cane has ideal levels of sugar
for the production of rum.

432
00:46:30,208 --> 00:46:33,083
And there's our maturing process.

433
00:46:34,750 --> 00:46:38,416
Rum is a symbol for Guatemala.

434
00:46:38,500 --> 00:46:43,750
For many years,
the alcoholic beverages

435
00:46:43,833 --> 00:46:47,125
have been part
of our country's gastronomy.

436
00:47:23,958 --> 00:47:29,708
In this topography
of small undulations and big mountains,

437
00:47:29,791 --> 00:47:33,083
the many villages
and cities that settled,

438
00:47:33,166 --> 00:47:35,791
keep different histories

439
00:47:35,875 --> 00:47:38,625
of their origin and peak.

440
00:47:47,250 --> 00:47:51,166
Cobán is a small city
located in this region

441
00:47:51,250 --> 00:47:55,250
where many German families settled

442
00:47:55,333 --> 00:47:57,083
at the end of the 19th century,

443
00:47:57,166 --> 00:48:00,333
during a time when the government
offered incentives

444
00:48:00,416 --> 00:48:03,458
as a means of populating
this part of the country.

445
00:48:22,583 --> 00:48:25,458
The ancient world,
before the Spanish Conquest,

446
00:48:25,541 --> 00:48:31,083
the new cities that emerged
after this new era,

447
00:48:31,583 --> 00:48:36,625
villages and small towns
that today are reflect this blending,

448
00:48:37,083 --> 00:48:41,708
are now home
for around fifteen million Guatemalans.

449
00:48:46,750 --> 00:48:51,375
Quetzaltenango is a beautiful city
known for its academic level.

450
00:48:51,833 --> 00:48:55,833
It's one of the cities
with the most educational centers

451
00:48:55,916 --> 00:48:59,125
for students for the surrounding villages.

452
00:48:59,791 --> 00:49:02,750
It's home for 920,000 people

453
00:49:02,833 --> 00:49:08,541
and the cities boast ancient architecture
including churches,

454
00:49:09,208 --> 00:49:11,666
cathedrals and basilicas.

455
00:50:06,500 --> 00:50:10,333
ACATENANGO VOLCANO

456
00:50:49,791 --> 00:50:51,916
My uncle was one of the first man

457
00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:55,125
to complete the expedition to Aconcagua,
the first Central American,

458
00:50:55,208 --> 00:50:57,583
in 1965.

459
00:50:58,041 --> 00:51:02,541
Years after the climb,

460
00:51:02,625 --> 00:51:05,583
the Guatemalan government
made an expedition

461
00:51:05,666 --> 00:51:07,916
in 1977.

462
00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:10,000
I was raised in such environment.

463
00:51:32,541 --> 00:51:34,625
When I climbed
the first small volcano,

464
00:51:34,708 --> 00:51:37,166
the first mountain,

465
00:51:37,250 --> 00:51:39,041
I was carried in a backpack.

466
00:51:39,125 --> 00:51:43,458
I was five years old.
And it was the hill Cerro de Oro.

467
00:51:43,541 --> 00:51:46,208
As I turned fifteen years old

468
00:51:46,291 --> 00:51:49,166
I already knew where...

469
00:51:49,708 --> 00:51:52,250
I wanted to focus my energy
when I grew up.

470
00:52:01,458 --> 00:52:04,166
What I like the most
about being in nature is the silence.

471
00:52:04,250 --> 00:52:07,333
The more silent, the better.

472
00:52:07,416 --> 00:52:09,000
We're used

473
00:52:09,083 --> 00:52:11,875
to a fast paced life,

474
00:52:11,958 --> 00:52:14,625
a turbulent and restless life.

475
00:52:15,125 --> 00:52:20,375
In the mountains, on the other hand,
we manage to be in peace

476
00:52:20,458 --> 00:52:22,791
and disconnect from everything else.

477
00:52:37,291 --> 00:52:42,250
The Maya didn't climb the mountains
because they worshiped them as Gods.

478
00:52:42,833 --> 00:52:46,541
The feared them because they knew
their power.

479
00:52:57,250 --> 00:53:00,458
Guatemala sits in the so called
Fire Belt,

480
00:53:00,541 --> 00:53:05,125
that embraces almost all countries
bordering the Pacific Ocean.

481
00:53:05,208 --> 00:53:10,458
With 37 volcanoes, it's the country
with the most volcanoes in the world.

482
00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:13,875
Some of the volcanoes are active

483
00:53:13,958 --> 00:53:18,333
and frequently expel massive smoke clouds,

484
00:53:18,416 --> 00:53:20,208
ashes and lava.

485
00:53:24,375 --> 00:53:27,375
This whole region is precisely

486
00:53:27,458 --> 00:53:32,208
where the most seismically active areas
of the world are.

487
00:54:21,208 --> 00:54:26,333
Petén Department is the bigger department
in Guatemala.

488
00:54:27,583 --> 00:54:32,541
Most of its territory is covered
by forest and water.

489
00:54:36,750 --> 00:54:40,208
Flores is the capital of the department.

490
00:54:41,625 --> 00:54:45,000
This island, conquered by the Spanish,

491
00:54:45,083 --> 00:54:48,333
was abandoned  and then rebuilt.

492
00:54:49,125 --> 00:54:52,916
FLORES ISLAND

493
00:55:10,625 --> 00:55:14,416
From here, one can enter a forests

494
00:55:14,833 --> 00:55:17,625
that hides beautiful landscapes

495
00:55:17,708 --> 00:55:20,958
and the most well-preserved treasures

496
00:55:21,500 --> 00:55:23,250
of the Mayan world.

497
00:55:24,166 --> 00:55:27,083
Some of which are yet to be explored.

498
00:55:44,125 --> 00:55:48,583
This magnificent waterfall,
known as Salto de Chilascó,

499
00:55:48,666 --> 00:55:51,208
is located in Baja Verapaz,

500
00:55:51,291 --> 00:55:54,500
and is the higher waterfall
in Central America.

501
00:55:54,583 --> 00:55:58,375
It's 130 meters high.

502
00:57:22,375 --> 00:57:26,083
No other animal compares
to the national bird of Guatemala,

503
00:57:26,625 --> 00:57:28,291
that lives in a cloud forest.

504
00:57:29,583 --> 00:57:32,500
The specimen is very hard to find.

505
00:57:32,583 --> 00:57:34,083
It has beautiful colors,

506
00:57:34,625 --> 00:57:38,875
and a tail that measures
up to 65 centimeters.

507
00:57:40,666 --> 00:57:43,791
The Quetzal is a national pride,

508
00:57:43,875 --> 00:57:46,791
and it's in the country's flag,

509
00:57:46,875 --> 00:57:49,208
emblem and currency.

510
00:57:57,041 --> 00:58:00,791
In the Guatemalan forests also lives

511
00:58:00,875 --> 00:58:04,083
the largest feline of the Americas.

512
00:58:04,708 --> 00:58:10,000
The jaguar is also the third largest
feline in the world,

513
00:58:10,083 --> 00:58:13,333
smaller than the lion and the tiger.

514
00:58:14,708 --> 00:58:17,916
The Mayas considered the jaguar
a symbol of power.

515
00:58:18,000 --> 00:58:22,125
For that reason, people who wore
jaguar garments,

516
00:58:22,208 --> 00:58:26,208
were important and powerful people
in the society.

517
00:58:26,291 --> 00:58:30,916
The jaguar can be seen in nearly
every Mayan sculpture and painting.

518
00:58:39,000 --> 00:58:42,083
To the north of Petén, there's a city

519
00:58:42,166 --> 00:58:45,250
that was the capital
of an extensive territory

520
00:58:45,333 --> 00:58:47,750
of this Guatemalan department.

521
00:58:47,833 --> 00:58:50,125
The City of Yaxhá.

522
00:58:50,583 --> 00:58:54,750
A center that had very strong relations
with Belize

523
00:58:54,833 --> 00:58:56,500
and the South of Mexico.

524
00:58:56,583 --> 00:59:00,666
This city is currently considered

525
00:59:00,750 --> 00:59:04,750
the best-kept secret of the Mayan world.

526
00:59:08,625 --> 00:59:15,333
It's perhaps one of the most beautiful
and stunning sites found to date.

527
00:59:38,916 --> 00:59:42,583
By walking more than two days

528
00:59:42,666 --> 00:59:44,125
through the forest,

529
00:59:44,541 --> 00:59:48,041
one can reach one
of the most impressive

530
00:59:48,125 --> 00:59:52,083
and astonishing Mayan cities

531
00:59:52,166 --> 00:59:54,958
found thus far.

532
00:59:57,375 --> 01:00:01,791
This city was built in the year 800 B.C.

533
01:00:01,875 --> 01:00:07,541
and was kept in secret in the forest
until not too many years ago.

534
01:00:07,958 --> 01:00:13,250
The first expeditions were carried out
around 1930.

535
01:00:14,875 --> 01:00:17,250
The La Danta pyramid is built

536
01:00:17,333 --> 01:00:22,208
on a large platform
that is 600m long by 300m wide,

537
01:00:22,291 --> 01:00:25,958
where three other platforms
and a temple stand

538
01:00:26,041 --> 01:00:28,333
in the superior part.

539
01:00:29,916 --> 01:00:35,333
In this city there's also
the second highest pyramid of America.

540
01:00:35,416 --> 01:00:36,791
And the La Danta pyramid

541
01:00:37,500 --> 01:00:42,916
is considered the largest structure
ever built by the Mayas.

542
01:00:57,083 --> 01:01:00,958
The social, economical
and political development of the Maya.

543
01:01:01,041 --> 01:01:04,166
El Mirador seems to germinate
such social complexity.

544
01:01:04,250 --> 01:01:07,375
Germinates such economical development
at a large scale.

545
01:01:07,458 --> 01:01:10,958
Accessing this settlement
is still not simple.

546
01:01:11,041 --> 01:01:13,833
And a significant part of its structures

547
01:01:13,916 --> 01:01:17,916
still lies underneath sediments
and vegetation

548
01:01:18,000 --> 01:01:22,666
that have covered the area
over the past centuries.

549
01:01:58,250 --> 01:02:02,125
There are many ways to reach
a country's heart.

550
01:02:07,666 --> 01:02:10,291
We can cross many wonderful paths...

551
01:02:12,833 --> 01:02:13,666
Of peace...

552
01:02:16,666 --> 01:02:17,666
Nature...

553
01:02:20,250 --> 01:02:25,333
Landscapes that takes us
to the the purest state of a human being.

554
01:02:29,541 --> 01:02:33,500
There are many ways
to reach the heart of Guatemala.

555
01:02:34,916 --> 01:02:37,625
Through the warmth of its people.

556
01:02:39,166 --> 01:02:40,833
Through its culture.

557
01:02:42,166 --> 01:02:44,291
And traditions.

558
01:02:46,666 --> 01:02:49,666
And through its wonderful nature.

559
01:03:06,750 --> 01:03:08,666
Keeping alive the memory

560
01:03:09,500 --> 01:03:12,875
and the legacy of a past that to this date

561
01:03:13,500 --> 01:03:16,875
not only surprises, but also teaches us.

562
01:03:21,458 --> 01:03:24,125
These lands have been inhabited

563
01:03:24,208 --> 01:03:28,791
by one of the most advanced civilizations
of all planet Earth.

564
01:03:29,250 --> 01:03:32,208
A civilization that lived here

565
01:03:34,083 --> 01:03:38,041
and that is the base
where flourishes a whole population.

566
01:03:38,875 --> 01:03:42,916
Within each and everyone of them
is alive...

567
01:03:44,750 --> 01:03:47,666
the Heart of the Mayan World.

568
01:06:53,916 --> 01:06:55,916
Subtitle translation by: Fabio Galdi