01cubgen45b

Cuban children, Santiago De Cuba, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban children of Castro, Santiago De Cuba, Cuba

02cubpeo12

Old Cuban woman with Statue of Santa Barbara, Trinidad, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Sgra. Rosa Alisa Fraga sitting in her home praying with Rosary beads and Statue of Santa Barbara, Trinidad, Cuba. Sgra. Fraga sits in her room all day watching over the statue and prays. She tells the story of the Santa Barbara statue with passion. I asked Sgra. Fraga why she has this statue in her home, she explained, "In this story there was a civilian sanatorium for tuberculosis. When this system of communism triumphed the government took over this sanatorium in Havana called Esperanza. Since the military in Cuba cannot be Christians, and the statue was in the sanatorium, Commander Fagardo of the military forces of Fidel collected the religious items and sent them to the church. But the church was already full, so they were sent to various homes to be guarded until a church has room. I am responsible for her (Santa Barbara) and when they come to look for her, she must be inthe same condition as when they brought her here." She then asked "Your house doesn't have any?" Santa Barbara is an Early Christian martyr and patroness of artillerymen, arsenals and in Spanish refers to a ship's weapon storage facility. Santa Barbara is also considered an Afro-Cuban deity (Santa Barbara-Changó), goddes of thunder and explosions. Trinidad is a national monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

03cubpeo02

Cuban musician with saxophone, Matanzas, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Young Cuban boy musician playing saxophone, Matanzas, Cuba

04cubgen47

Cuban boy with baseball glove, Santiago De Cuba, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban boy playing baseball in Santiago De Cuba, Cuba

05cubgen48

Cuban boy, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Young Cuban boy and Old American car, Santiago de Cuba, Santiago De Cuba Province, Cuba

06cubpeo03

Cuban boy, Santiago De Cuba, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban boy sitting on stairs, Santiago De Cuba, Cuba

07cubpal07b

Cuban boy and Che Guevara billboard, Cienfuegos, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban boy with Che Guevara billboard, "Until Victory Always", Cienfuegos, Cuba

08cubpeo07

Cuban woman, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara portraits, Matanzas, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban woman with Fidel Castro and Che Guevara portraits, Matanzas, Cuba

09cubgen38

Young Cuban boy on chair, Matanzas, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Young Cuban boy sitting on chair, Matanzas, Cuba

10cubgeny1

Cuban girls with hula-hoops, Trinidad, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Young Cuban girls playing with hula-hoops, Trinidad, Cuba

11cubgenz3

Cuban men playing dominoes, Santiago De Cuba, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban men playing dominoes on the streets of Santiago De Cuba, Cuba

12cubpeo09c

Cubans praying at home altar, Trinidad, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cubans praying at home altar inside of German explorer Alexander von Humboldt's house, Trinidad, Cuba

13cubgez10

Cuban home altar with Christ on Crucifix, Trinidad, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Home altar inside of German explorer Alexander von Humboldt's house, Trinidad, Cuba

14cubge107

Tropicana Nightclub showgirls dancing, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Tropicana Nightclub and Cabaret showgirls, Havana, Cuba

15cubge108b

Tropicana Nightclub showgirls dancing, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Tropicana Nightclub and Cabaret showgirls, Havana, Cuba

16cubgenx05

Tropicana Nightclub showgirls dancing, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Tropicana Nightclub and Cabaret showgirls, Havana, Cuba

17cubgenx03

Tropicana Nightclub showgirl dancing, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Tropicana Nightclub and Cabaret showgirl, Havana, Cuba

18cubhav01

Tropicana Nightclub showgirls, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Tropicana Nightclub Cabaret showgirls, Havana, Cuba

19cubgenz8

Cuban street musician playing guitar, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban street musician plays his guitar in Havana, Cuba

20cubgen83

Cuban woman smoking cigar, Escambray Mountains, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban woman smoking a puro or cigar, Escambray Mountains, Cuba

21cubgenz6

Cuban woman roasting coffee beans, Escambray Mountains, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban woman roasting coffee beans and smoking a puro or cigar, Escambray Mountains, Cuba

22cubgenz6c

Cuban woman's hand holds roasted coffee beans, Escambray Mountains, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban woman's hand holding roasting coffee beans, Escambray Mountains, Cuba

23cubhav17

Cuban cigars at Partagás Cigar Factory, Havana Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban cigars, Partagas Cigar Factory, Havana, Cuba

24cubge103

Cuban man making cigars, Partagas cigar factory, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban man making cigars at Partagas cigar factory in Havana, Cuba

25cubgen82

Cuban Campesino man, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Cuban Campesino man on truck, Cuba

26cubgen24

Cuban signs, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Hotel Imperial and El Mundo Infantil (infants world). Havana, Cuba

27cubhav03

Havana from De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro or El Morro Fort, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of View of Havana from De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro or El Morro Fort built between 1588 and 1630. Havana, Cuba

28cubhav02

El Malecón or The Malecon, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of View of El Malecón or The Malecon, Havana, Cuba

29cubgen09

Classic American car - Cuban taxi, Havana, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Front bumper detail of a Classic American car taxi in Havana, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba

30cubgen16

Old Cuban truck carrying Cuban people, Cienfuegos, Cuba

CAPTION: Photograph of Truck carrying Cuban people, near Cienfuegos, Cuba

01_guala126

Hoku Canoes on Lago Atitlan, Santiago Atitlan, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Maya man going fishing paddles a Hoku canoe on Lago Atitlan, San Pedro Volcano in baclground. Santiago Atitlan Village, Lago Atitlan or Lake Atitlan, Department of Sololá, Guatemala.

02_gualaga2b

Tzutujil Mayan women on pier, Lago Atitlan. Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan women gather water from a peir on Lake Atitlan while fishermen in Hoku canoes fish on Lago Atitlan. Santiago Atitlan village, Lake Atitlan, Department of Sololá, Guatemala, Central America

03_gualatz2

Tzutujil Mayas washing, Lake Atitlan, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan women wash in Lago Atitlan near Santiago Atitlan village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

04_gualaga5

Tzutujil Mayas washing, Lago Atitlan, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan women wearing traditional costumes called huipiles wash in Lago Atitlan near Santiago Atitlan village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

07_gualat01

San Pedro volcano, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of San Pedro volcano at sunset with a jaguar-god like cloud over Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America.

08_gualaga7

Mayan ritual for Mayan god Maximon, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan ritual for the Mayan god called Maximon (San Simon). The Tzutujil Maya people offer the idol various things like alcohol, cigarettes, and money to appease the Mayan effigy that stands between the Tzutujil Mayan shamans. Santiago Atitlan Village, Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

09_gualat69

Mayan ritual for Mayan god Maximon, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan ritual for the Mayan god called Maximon (San Simon). The Tzutujil Maya people offer the idol various things like alcohol, cigarettes, and money to appease the Mayan effigy that stands between the Tzutujil Mayan shamans. Santiago Atitlan Village, Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

12_guala105

Tzutujil Mayan woman spinning textile, Las Artesanas de San Juan, San Juan la Laguna, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Maya woman spinning textile at Las Artesanas de San Juan in San Juan la Laguna Village on Lago Atitlan. San Juan la Laguna Village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

13_guala101

Tzutujil Mayan woman weaving textile, Las Artesanas de San Juan, San Juan la Laguna, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Maya woman weaving textile on a wooden loom at Las Artesanas de San Juan in San Juan la Laguna Village on Lago Atitlan. San Juan la Laguna Village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America.

14_gualatz2c

Tzutujil Mayan woman and child weaving textiles, Las Artesanas de San Juan, San Juan la Laguna, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Maya woman weaving textile with a backstrap loom at Las Artesanas de San Juan weaving co-operative in San Juan la Laguna Village on Lago Atitlan. San Juan la Laguna Village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

15_guala125

Tzutujil Mayan woman weaving textile, Las Artesanas de San Juan, San Juan la Laguna, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Maya woman weaving textile with a backstrap loom at Las Artesanas de San Juan weaving co-operative in San Juan la Laguna Village on Lago Atitlan. San Juan la Laguna Village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

16_gualatz9

Tzutujil Mayan girl, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Maya girl in Santiago Atitlan village on Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

17_gualat39

Tzutujil Mayan woman in traditional costume, Santiago Atitlan market, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Maya woman wearing a traditional huipile with a xk'op (or a tocoyal), which is a very long colourful belt, wrapped around the woman's head. Santiago Atitlan village market on Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

18_gualat72

Tzutujil Maya girl, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Tzutujil Maya girl in Santiago Atitlan village on Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

19_gualat24

Tzutujil Maya girl in village market, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Tzutujil Maya girl in a crowd in the Santiago Atitlan village market on Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

20_gualat22

Tzutujil Maya girl, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Tzutujil Maya girl in Santiago Atitlan village on Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

21_gualat49

Tzutujil Mayan boys, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan boy with a Harley Davidson T-shirt. Santiago Atitlan village, Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

22_gualat53

PAN political party signs, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of PAN political party signs in Santiago Atitlan Village, Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

23_gualaga3

Site of December 1 1990 massacre, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Spirit at Santiago Atitlan village on Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America. Site of December 1, 1990 massacre in Santiago Atitlan village. A military base was set-up in Santiago Atitlan to control the guerrillas. The army terrorizes, tortures and kills innocent villagers whom the military select at random. After years of this, on the night of December 1, 1990, two drunken soldiers shot and killed an innocent villager. This generated a group of around two thousand Mayas to approach the army base. The soldiers opened fire killing thirteen people including three children and wounded twenty more people. After this massacre around twenty thousand Mayas signed a petition and protested to expel the army. This pressure made the army leave Lago Atitlan. Santiago Atitlan was the first Maya village to expel the army.

01_guanti38

Banishing with smoke during the Semana Santa procession - Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America. The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religous effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America.

02_guanti39

Procession participants in cloud of smoke during Semana Santa procession - Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religous effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

03_guant102

Holy Week devotees carrying an Anda with religious effigies, Semana Santa procession - Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America. The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

04_guanti98

Holy Week devotees carrying an Anda with religious effigies, Semana Santa procession - Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

06_guanti96

Holy Week devotees carrying an Anda with religious effigies, Semana Santa procession or Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

08_guanti92

Semana Santa procession - Carrying an Anda - Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

10_guanti87

Semana Santa procession - women carrying an Anda - Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

11_guanti22

Carrying an Anda during Semana Santa procession or Holy Week processions, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

12_guanti23

Guatemalan man carrying an Anda during Semana Santa Processions or Holy Week Processions, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

13_guanti24

Guatemalan men carrying an Anda during Semana Santa Processions or Holy Week Processions, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

14_guanti26

Guatemalan men carry an Anda at Semana Santa Processions or Holy Week Processions, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

15_guanti18

Guatemalan men carrying an Anda, Semana Santa Processions, Holy Week Processions, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

16_guanti41

Semana Santa procession tapestry of flowers and dyes, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

17_guanti07

Procession participants in cloud of smoke during Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

18_guanti43

Carrying an Anda over tapestry of flowers and dyes, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

20_guanti44

Guatemalan man carries an Anda over tapestry of flowers and dyes, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

21_guanti59

Guatemalan men carrying an Anda during Semana Santa processions, Holy Week processions, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

22_guanti58

Guatemalan man wearing costume for Semana Santa processions - Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

23_guanti01

Guatemalan man in costume for Semana Santa processions - Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

24_guant166

Guatemalan Catholic priest carries an Anda over tapestry of flowers and dyes, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

25_guanti74

Guatemalan Catholic priest carrying an Anda, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

26_guanti73

Catholic priest carrying an Anda, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

27_guant164

Catholic priest carries an Anda, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

28_guanti75a

Guatemalan women carrying an Anda, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

31_guanti11

Statue of Jesus, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Statue of Jesus. Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

32_guant116

Statue of Mary, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Statue of Mary crying. Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

33_guant117

Statue of Mary, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Statue of Mary crying. Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

37_guant163

Arco di Santa Catalina Martir, Anitgua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Arco di Santa Catalina Martir with Agua Volcano. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America.

38_guant166

Arco di Santa Catalina Martir, Anitgua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Arco di Santa Catalina Martir with Agua Volcano. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America.

48_guant124

Cakchiquel woman selling textiles, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Cakchiquel mayan woman selling textiles at the Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

51_guant120

Cakchiquel woman with gold stars in teeth, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Cakchiquel woman smilling with gold stars embedded in her teeth in Antigua Guatemala, Semana Santa procession or Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

01_guach025

Quiche Mayans dance wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing Spanish masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

02_guach026

Quiche Mayans dance wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing Spanish masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

03_guach022

Quiche Mayans wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish dancing Baila Del Torito, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing Spanish masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

04_guach021

Quiche Mayans wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish dancing Baila Del Torito, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing Spanish masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

05_guach018

Quiche Mayans wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish dancing Baila Del Torito, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing Spanish masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

06_guach023

Quiche Mayans dancing Baila Del Torito wear costumes mimicking Colonialists, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing Spanish masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

07_guach033

Fiesta De San Tomas Palo Volador, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Palo Volador during the Fiesta De San Tomas in front of Church of Santo Tomas. Quiche Mayans wearing Spanish masks and costumes mimicking monkeys spin around the pole and their ropes unravel form the pole on each turn and lower them to the ground. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

08_guachiz4

Palo Volador at Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Palo Volador during the Fiesta De San Tomas in front of Church of Santo Tomas. Quiche Mayans wearing Spanish masks and costumes mimicking monkeys spin around the pole and their ropes unravel form the pole on each turn and lower them to the ground. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

09_guach032

Quiche Mayan money offerings for Santo Tomas, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of During the Fiesta De San Tomás Quiche Mayas give gifts to Santo Tomás in front of Santo Tomás Cathedral. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

10_guatcer1

Quiche Mayan cofradia offering gifts to Santo Tomas, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of During the Fiesta De San Tomás a Quiche Mayan cofradia (shaman or priest) offers gifts to Santo Tomás in front of Santo Tomás cathedral. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

11_guach007b

Cemetery tombs, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Cemetery in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

12_guach007

Sacrificed rooster head on cemetery cross, Chichicastenango Village, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Sacrificed rooster's head on a cross at the Chichicastenango village cemetery. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

13_guach006

Cross at Pascual Abaj ceremonial site, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mayan god Pascual Abaj ceremonial site on a mountaintop overlooking the town of Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

14_guach005

Quiche Maya cofradia ceremony for Pascual Abaj, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche Mayan cofradia (shaman) at a ceremonial site for Pascual Abaj on a mountaintop overlooking Chichicastenango Village performs a ritual to appease the Mayan god Pascual Abaj (also called Maximon or San Simon). Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

15_guach001

Quiche Maya cofradia blows aguardiente liquor in ceremonial fire for Mayan god Maximon, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche Mayan cofradia (shaman) blowing aguardiente liquor into a ceremonial fire to apease the Mayan god Maximon also called San Simon. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

16_guach002

Maya god Pascual Abaj statue, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mayan god Pascual Abaj ceremonial site on a mountaintop overlooking the town of Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

17_guachzb3

Quiche Mayan woman selling cotton candy, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of During the Fiesta De San Tomas a Quiche Mayan woman selling cotton candy at a makeshift fun park at the market. Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

18_guach009

Market comedor or restaurant, Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of During the market at Chichicastenango village people come to this comedor (restaurant) to eat. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

19_guach010

Evening at Chichicastenango market, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Evening time at the market in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

20_guach011

Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Market in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

21_guachi29

Chichicastenango Barbershop, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Barbershop in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

22_guach012

Street with public bus, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Street scene with public transport bus in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

23_guach014

Quiche Mayan family bringing pigs to market, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche mayan family bringing pigs to the market in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

24_guach013

Village market in Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Market in Chichicastenango village inside a basketball gym with Pepsi signs saying "Choice of a new generation". Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

25_guachi03

Quiche Mayan woman, Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche Mayan woman in Chichicastenango village market. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

26_guachi07

Quiche Mayan woman, Chichicastenango Village market, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche Mayan woman in Chichicastenango village market. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

27_guachi10

Quiche Mayan woman, Chichicastenango Village market, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche Mayan woman in Chichicastenango village market. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

28_guachi30

Quiche Mayan man, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche Mayan man in Chichicastenango village market during Fiesta De San Tomas in Chichicastenango Guatemala

01_guatod84

Mam Maya shepherd, La Ventosa village, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Jose Mendoza, a Mam Mayan from La Ventosa village in the Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango District, Guatemala, Central America. Jose Mendoza, a Mam Mayan from La Ventosa village in the Cuchumatanes Mountains, has been a shepherd since childhood. His opportunity for an education is lost, partly because his family needs him to work, and also the lack of money to afford school supplies. Jose a Mam Maya schoolteacher explains: "According to law our children have the right for a free education, but the reality is very different. The children pay 20 Quetzals for school material but the material either doesn't arrive or arrives to late. The government sells these materials to book stores for more than the school children can pay. The children then cannot afford to buy the supplies from these stores. The government is supposed to give milk to the children at school but no milk arrives. Many children have to travel for two hours to arrive at school without anything in their stomach. We want the government to send the school materials at the beginning of the school and to the school - not later after selling them to book stores for more money." Some teachers, like Jose, have a small village hotel and donate fifty percent of their profit to help the children buy schoolbooks.

02_guato120

Mam Maya shepherd near La Ventosa village in the Guatemalan Highlands

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan children shepherds. Near La Ventosa village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

03_guato128

Mam Mayans near La Ventosa Village in the Guatemalan Western Highlands

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan children with thier mother in front of their home near La Ventosa Village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

04_guato270

Mam Maya woman with child at Todos Santos market in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan woman with child in the Todos Santos village market. Todos Santos Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango Region, Guatemala, Central America

05_guatod65

Mam Maya child with mother herding sheep near La Ventosa Village in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan child with mother herding sheep near thier home at La Ventosa Village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

06_guato101

Mam Maya child near La Ventosa Village in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan child with mother near La Ventosa Village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

07_guatod99

Mam Maya child with mother herding sheep near La Ventosa Village in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan child with mother herding sheep near thier home at La Ventosa Village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

08_guatod75

Mam Maya children shepherds near La Ventosa village in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan children shepherds. Near La Ventosa village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

09_guatodz4

Mam Maya shepherds near Todos Santos village in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan children shepherds. Near Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

10_guatod56

Mam Maya boy shepherd near La Ventosa village in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan boy shepherd. Near La Ventosa village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

11_guatodz6

Mam Maya shepherd near La Ventosa village in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan boy shepherd. Near La Ventosa village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

13_guato223

Mam Mayas weave on a backstrap loom in Todos Santos Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayans weaving on a backstrap loom outside their home in Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

15_guato244

Mam Maya man near Todos Santos Cuchumatanes in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

16_guato255

Mam Maya man near Todos Santos Cuchumatanes in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

17_guato214

Mam Maya man and mule going to Todos Santos market in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man and mule with a load of potatoes going to the Todos Santos village market. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

18_guato346

Mam Maya man at Todos Santos village in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

19_guato169

Mam Maya man's sandals, Todos Santos, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man's feet that are worn-out from climbing the Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes Mountains in Guatemala's Western Highlands. The sandals are a hybrid of traditional Maya sandals with the addition of tyre treads attached to the soles. Todos Santos Cuchumatanes Village, Guatemala

20_guato196

Mam Maya man at Todos Santos Village in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

21_guato194

Mam Maya man in Todos Santos Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

22_guato180

Mam Maya man in Todos Santos Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

23_guato116

Mam Maya woman in Todos Santos village Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan woman in Todos Santos village. Guatemala. Todos Santos Cuchumatanes village, Guatemalan Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

24_guato199

Mam Maya men in civil patrol training at Todos Santos in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan men in civil patrol training. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America. From: http://www.anthro.fsu.edu/wovenvoices/villages/todos.html Todos Santos Cuchumatan is located within the Department of Huehuetenango in northwest Guatemala. The village lies at an elevation of approximately 2500 meters in the Cuchumatan Mountains. The Maya Indians of Todos Santos are Mam speakers and have lived in the area since long before the Spanish conquest (Sitler 1999). Traditionally, the Mam of Todos Santos are patriarchal with strong ties among the extended family (Oakes 1951). The village of Todos Santos is separated into eight wards and has a number of governing civil positions. Officials gain their position through election and serve for a term of one year. Unlike the women, most of the Maya men of Todos Santos speak Spanish in addition to their native tongue. Due to the elevation of their village, the people subsist on a somewhat vertical economy. They grow corn and beans at lower elevations and cultivate potatoes at higher elevations. They also herd sheep, a source of meat as well as wool. On market day, families hike four to five hours to the center of Huehuetenango (Sitler 1999). There they sell produce and crafts. At the market, Todosanteros are able to purchase other crops with which to supplement their diet, such as bananas and coffee. Also, women sell their carefully manufactured huipils (known as klboj in Mam) and the men sell their elaborately crocheted handbags (pa' in Mam). Most of the Mam of Todos Santos Cuchumatan consider themselves to be Catholic, however today about one third of the native population belongs to recently formed Protestant denominations (Sitler 1999). Despite the influence of Christianity, whether Catholicism or Protestantism, traditional aspects of Maya cosmology permeate their lives. For instance, much religious responsibility and influen

25_guato225

Mam Maya women carry vases of water near Todos Santos Cuchumatanes in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan women carry vases of water considered sacred which they use to bless a new home by making food and drinks. Near Todos Santos village, Cuchumatanes Mountains, Guatemala

26_guatodz5

Mam Maya women carry vases of water considered sacred used to bless a new home near Todos Santos Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan women carry vases of water considered sacred which they use to bless a new home by making food and drinks. Near Todos Santos village, Cuchumatanes Mountains, Guatemala

27_guato323

Mam Maya boy shepherd near Todos Santos village in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan boy shepherd. Near Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

28_guato305

Mam Maya woman with child in Todos Santos market in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan woman with child in the Todos Santos village market. Todos Santos Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango Region, Guatemala, Central America

29_guato320

Mam Maya women in Todos Santos village market in Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan women in the Todos Santos village market. Todos Santos Cuchumatanes, Department of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

30_guato328

Mam Maya men in Todos Santos Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

01_gualiv45

Garifuna man, Garifunan culture festival, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna man celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala. Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America. Garifuna is the name of the distinct people who are the mixture of the South American Arawak and Carib Indians and the Africans who fused together on the island of St. Vincent. The Garinagu (plural) were the inhabitants of St. Vincent Island until the British forced them into exile in 1797. They are considered the only Black Ameri-Indians who live in the Caribbean coast of Central America starting from Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. The Garifuna people have maintained their own language and traditions which are unique and greatly influenced by African and Native Indian traditions and customs. La Buga is the Garifuna name for Livingston a small city in the Izabal region of Guatemala. La Buga, along with Puerto Barrios, are the major centers in Guatemala where Garifuna reside.

02_gualiv46

Garifuna man in Garifuna festival, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna man celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala. Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America.

03_gualiv39

Garifuna parade, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala. Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America.

04_gualiv74

Garifuna culture festival parade, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala. Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America.

05_gualiv61

Garifuna festival parade, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America.

06_gualiv67

Garifunan festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala. Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America.

07_gualiv43

Garifuna festival celebrating Garifunan culture, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala.

08_gualiv93

Garifuna festival, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala.

09_gualiv16

Garifunan festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston, Guatemala.

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala. Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America.

10_gualiv04

Garifunan festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala.

11_gualiv02

Garifunas dancing, Garifuna festival, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna man dancing with children at Garifuna festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston, Guatemala.

12_guali129

Garifunan children celebrating arrival of Garifunas, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna children celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston, Guatemala.

13_guali117

Garifuna girl, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna girl at festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston, Guatemala.

14_guali158

Garifuna man and children, Livingston Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna man and children at festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala.

15_gualiv95

Garifuna girls playing checkers, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna girls play checkers with bottlecaps on a makeshift checkerboard in Livingston Guatemala.

16_gualiv57

Garifuna girl wearing crown, Garifunan festival parade, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna girl wearing crown at Garifuna festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala. Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America.

01_guapac53

Pacaya Volcano erupting, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Pacaya Volcano erupting on June 1 1995. Near San Francisco de Sales village. Department of Guatemala, Guatemala, Central America. Pacaya erupted between 0630 and 0700 on 1 June 1995, sending up a 6-km-high plume. Hot ash burned vegetation and damaged radio-antenna equipment near the summit. A thin layer of ash extended as far as 2 miles (3.5 km) away from the vent, with ashfall reported 2.5 km N in San Francisco de Sales and 3.5 km W in El Patrocinio. Analysis of the eruption using GOES-8 satellite images revealed a plume moving to the southeast at 12 miles/hr (19 km/hr). The plume rose to a height of 5.6 miles (9 km). A plume visible at 0715 on GOES-8 satellite images was moving SE at ~19 km/hr, prompting a NOAA Volcano Hazard Alert at 1000. Analysis based on comparison of wind shear data and observed translation of the plume suggested that the plume rose to ~9 km altitude. Eddie Sanchez noted that venting ash destroyed the 1984 spatter cone (SEAN 10:03), called "El Hornito," located roughly midway between the N caldera rim (Cerro Chino) and the previously active MacKenney cone. In place of El Hornito was a small crater venting lava, a substantial amount of which flowed south. Pacaya is 18 miles (30 km) south of Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala. Pacaya is a stratovolcano that has erupted at least 20 times since 1565. Since 1965, the volcano has been erupting almost continuously with pauses between eruptions lasting only a few months. Recent eruptions produced a 2.8-mile (4.5 km) tall Strombolian eruption column in 1989 and lava flows in 1989-91. Eruptions from Pacaya, one of Guatemala's most active volcanoes, are frequently visible from Guatemala City, the nation's capital. Pacaya is a complex basaltic volcano constructed just outside the southern topographic rim of the 14 x 16 km Pleistocene Amatitlàn caldera. A cluster of dacitic lava domes occupies the southern caldera floor.

02_guaagu20

Acatenango Volcano, Fuego Volcano and Agua Volcano from Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of View of the Guatemalan Highland from Pacaya Volcano with (left to right) Acatenango, Fuego and Agua volcanoes. Near San Francisco de Sales Village, Department of Guatemala, Guatemala, Central America.

03_guaagu13

Fuego Volcano and Agua Volcano from Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of View of the Guatemalan Highland from Pacaya Volcano with (left to right) Fuego and Agua volcanoes. Near San Francisco de Sales Village, Department of Guatemala, Guatemala, Central America.

04_guapac80

Guatemalan Highlands from Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of View from Pacaya Volcano towards Department of Guatemala near San Francisco de Sales village, Department of Guatemala, Guatemala, Central America Pacaya is a complex volcano, consisting of an older stratovolcano, domes, flows, tephra, and the modern basaltic stratovolcano. Most of the complex has formed in the last 23,000 years. Pacaya is the active vent in the Cerro Grande-Pacaya-Cerro Chino volcanic complex. June, 2001: Volcàn Pacaya has been made a national park. A visitor's center/ticket booth has been constructed at San Francisco de Sales In the summit of this volcano, that is the crater, you will see the Cerro de Agua, and if it is clear you can also see the volcanoes Agua, Acatenango and Fuego Pacaya volcano is located between the Departments of Guatemala and Escuintla, and it has a height of 2,550 meters.

05_gualat01

San Pedro volcano sunset, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of San Pedro volcano at sunset with a jaguar-god like cloud over Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America.

06_guala126

Canoes on Lago Atitlan with slope of San Pedro Volcano, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Canoes on Lago Atitlan with the slope of San Pedro Volcano near Santiago Atitlan Village, Guatemala

07_gualaga2

Tzutujil Mayan women and fishermen on Lago Atitlan, Santiago Atitlan village, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan women gather water and fishermen in Hoku canoes fish on Lago Atitlan. Santiago Atitlan village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

08_gualatz2

Tzutujil Mayan women washing in Lago Atitlan, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan women wash in Lago Atitlan near Santiago Atitlan village, Department of Sololà, Guatemala, Central America

09_gualat07

Tzutujil Mayan women washing in Lago Atitlan, San Juan la Laguna Village, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan women wash in Lago Atitlan near San Juan la Laguna Village where the Las Artesanas de San Juan are located. San Juan la Laguna Village, Department of Sololá, Guatemala, Central America

10_gualaga7

Tzutujil Mayan ritual for Mayan god Maximon, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan ritual for the Mayan god called Maximon (San Simon). The Tzutujil Maya people offer the idol various things like alcohol, cigarettes, and money to appease the Mayan effigy that stands between the Tzutujil Mayan shamans. Santiago Atitlan Village, Lago Atitlan, Department of Sololá, Guatemala, Central America

11_gualat24

Tzutujil Mayan girl, Santiago Atitlan village, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Tzutujil Mayan girl in a crowd in the Santiago Atitlan village market on Lago Atitlan, Department of Sololá, Guatemala, Central America

12_gualat53

PAN political party signs, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of PAN political party signs in Santiago Atitlan Village, Lago Atitlan, Department of Sololá, Guatemala, Central America

13_gualatz9

Tzutujil Mayan girl, Santiago Atitlan village, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Tzutujil Mayan girl in Santiago Atitlan village on Lago Atitlan, Department of Sololá, Guatemala, Central America

14_guach025

Baila Del Torito Quiche Mayan dancers wearing masks, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

15_guach026

Baila Del Torito Quiche Mayan dancers wearing masks, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

16_guach022

Baila Del Torito Quiche Mayan dancers wearing masks, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

17_guach021

Baila Del Torito dance with Quiche Mayas wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonialist characters, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomás Quiche Mayans dance wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

18_guach007b

Chichicastenango cemetery, Chichicastenango Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Cemetery in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

19_guach007

Sacrificed rooster head on cross, Chichicastenango cemetery, Chichicastenango Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Sacrificed rooster's head on a cross at the Chichicastenango village cemetery. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

20_guach006

Cross at Pascual Abaj or Maximon at ceremonial site, Chichicastenango Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mayan god Pascual Abaj ceremonial site on a mountaintop overlooking the town of Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

21_guach001

Quiche Maya cofradia - or shaman - blows aguardiente liquor into ceremonial fire for Mayan god Maximon - or San Simon, Chichicastenango Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche Mayan cofradia (shaman) blowing aguardiente liquor into a ceremonial fire to apease the Mayan god Maximon also called San Simon. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

22_guach033

Palo Volador, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Palo Volador during the Fiesta De San Tomas in front of Church of Santo Tomas. Quiche Mayans wearing masks and costumes mimicking monkeys spin around the pole and their ropes unravel form the pole on each turn and lower them to the ground. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

23_guachzb3

Quiche Maya woman selling cotton candy, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of During the Fiesta De San Tomas a Quiche Mayan woman selling cotton candy at a makeshift fun park at the market. Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

24_guach009

Chichicastenango market comedor or restaurant, Chichicastenango Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of During the market at Chichicastenango village people come to this comedor (restaurant) to eat. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

25_guach010

Chichicastenango market, Chichicastenango Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Evening time at the market in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

26_guachi07

Quiche Mayan woman, Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche Mayan woman in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

27_guant120b

Cakchiquel mayan woman with gold stars in teeth, La Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Cakchiquel mayan woman with gold stars in her teeth at the Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

28_guant172

Cakchiquel mayan girl selling textiles, La Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Cakchiquel mayan girl selling textiles at the Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

29_guant163

L'Arco di Santa Catalina Martir and Agua Volcano, La Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of L'Arco di Santa Catalina Martir with Volcàn Agua. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America.

30_guanti75a

Semana Santa procession - Holy Week procession,. La Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

31_guanti38

Semana Santa procession or Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

32_guanti39

Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, La Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

33_guanti07

Semana Santa procession - Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

34_guanti43

Holy Week procession, Semana Santa procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

35_guant102

Semana Santa processions, Holy Week processions in Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

36_guanti96

Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

37_guant124

Cakchiquel mayan woman selling textiles, La Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Cakchiquel mayan woman selling textiles at the Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

38_guant225

Indigenous woman carrying a basket of textiles, La Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of An indigenous woman carrying a basket of textiles. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

39_guato270

Mam Maya woman and child, Todos Santos village market, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan woman with child in the Todos Santos village market. Todos Santos Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango Region, Guatemala, Central America

40_guato120

Mam Maya shepherd, La Ventosa village, Guatemalan Highlands

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan children shepherds. Near La Ventosa village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

41_guatod65

Mam Maya child and mother herding sheep, La Ventosa, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan child with mother herding sheep near thier home at La Ventosa Village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

42_guatod99

Mam Maya child and mother, La Ventosa, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Maya child with mother herding sheep near thier home at La Ventosa Village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

43_guato101

Mam Maya child, La Ventosa Village, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Maya child with mother near La Ventosa Village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

44_guatod84

Mam Maya shepherd, La Ventosa village, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Jose Mendoza, a Mam Mayan from La Ventosa village in the Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango District, Guatemala, Central America. Jose Mendoza, a Mam Mayan from La Ventosa village in the Cuchumatanes Mountains, has been a shepherd since childhood. His opportunity for an education is lost, partly because his family needs him to work, and also the lack of money to afford school supplies. Jose a Mam Maya schoolteacher explains: "According to law our children have the right for a free education, but the reality is very different. The children pay 20 Quetzals for school material but the material either doesn't arrive or arrives to late. The government sells these materials to book stores for more than the school children can pay. The children then cannot afford to buy the supplies from these stores. The government is supposed to give milk to the children at school but no milk arrives. Many children have to travel for two hours to arrive at school without anything in their stomach. We want the government to send the school materials at the beginning of the school and to the school - not later after selling them to book stores for more money." Some teachers, like Jose, have a small village hotel and donate fifty percent of their profit to help the children buy schoolbooks.

45_guato196

Mam Mayan man in Todos Santos Cuchumatanes, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Maya man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

46_guato194

Mam Maya man, Todos Santos Cuchumatanes, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

47_guato169

Mam Mayan man's sandals, Todos Santos Cuchumatanes, Western Highlands Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Maya man's sandals. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

001_mexman02

Yucateca Mayan man, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Yucateca Mayan man carries wood using a forehead sling called a tumpline. Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico.

002_mexchi30

El Castillo, Pyramid of Kukulcan, Temple of Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of El Castillo Pyramid of Kukulcan or Temple of Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. The Temple of Kukulcan (El Castillo), Chichen Itza, Mexico is the Mayan name for the Feathered Serpent God also known as Quetzalcoatl to the Aztecs. Late classic Mayan culture 11-13th A.D. From http://www.world-mysteries.com/ "El Castillo Pyramid (The Castle pyramid) has special astronomical significance and layout. Each face of the pyramid has a stairway with ninety-one steps, which together with the shared step of the platform at the top; add up to 365, the number of days in a year. These stairways also divide the nine terraces of each side of the pyramid into eighteen segments, representing the eighteen months of the Mayan calendar. The pyramid's design reflects the equinoxes and solstices of our solar year in a spectacular game of light and shadow. During the equinoxes, the setting sun casts a shadow of a serpent on the northern steps of the pyramid. The Castle, aka The Pyramid of Kukulkan or the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl (another name for Kukulkan from the Toltecs) is believed to be built before 800 AD and the architecture is Toltec-Mayan. El Castillo (castle in Spanish) sheds light on the Mayans impressive astronomical knowledge. It is, in reality, a solar calendar. There are 91 steps on each side and 1 for the roof/altar. Each day's shadows fall upon a different step."

003_mexchic1

Woman at Spring Equinox, El Castillo Pyramid, Temple of Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Woman at Spring Equinox, El Castillo Pyramid of Kukulcan, or Temple of Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. Thousands of people gather during the Spring Equinox at Chichen Itza to witness the effect on El Castillo Pyramid of the sunlight creating the shadow of a giant serpent descending the staircase of the Pyramid of Kukulcan. The Temple of Kukulcan (El Castillo), Chichen Itza, Mexico is the Mayan name for the Feathered Serpent God also known as Quetzalcoatl to the Aztecs.

004_mexchia5

Serpent Shadow, Spring Equinox, El Castillo, Kukulcan Pyramid, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Serpent Shadow descending staircase, Spring Equinox at El Castillo, Kukulcan Pyramid, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. Thousands of people gather during the Spring Equinox at Chichen Itza to witness the effect on El Castillo Pyramid of the sunlight creating the shadow of a giant serpent descending the staircase of the Pyramid of Kukulcan. The Temple of Kukulcan (El Castillo), Chichen Itza, Mexico is the Mayan name for the Feathered Serpent God also known as Quetzalcoatl to the Aztecs. From: http://www.world-mysteries.com/ El Castillo Pyramid (The Castle pyramid) has special astronomical significance and layout. Each face of the pyramid has a stairway with ninety-one steps, which together with the shared step of the platform at the top; add up to 365, the number of days in a year. These stairways also divide the nine terraces of each side of the pyramid into eighteen segments, representing the eighteen months of the Mayan calendar. The pyramid's design reflects the equinoxes and solstices of our solar year in a spectacular game of light and shadow. During the equinoxes, the setting sun casts a shadow of a serpent on the northern steps of the pyramid. El Castillo (castle in Spanish) sheds light on the Mayans impressive astronomical knowledge. It is, in reality, a solar calendar. There are 91 steps on each side and 1 for the roof/altar. Each day's shadows fall upon a different step. The Mayans succeeded in an almost impossible mission with the completion of their structures at Chichen Itza. A poetic combination of form, style, function, religion, philosophy, mathematics and geometry. A true symbiosis of all of their intelligence and art in one location, to be studied and admired by all that visit. By far the most impressive aspect of the Pyramid of Kukulkan is it's relationship with the sun and how it reflects the equinoxes and solstices of our solar year with stunning accuracy. Before one can fully understand the workings of the Shadow of the Equinox, a few basics

005_mexchic02b

Woman playing Didgeridoo, Spring Equinox, El Castillo, Kukulcan Pyramid, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Woman playing a Didgeridoo at Spring Equinox, El Castillo Pyramid of Kukulcan, or Temple of Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico The Temple of Kukulcan (El Castillo), Chichen Itza, Mexico is the Mayan name for the Feathered Serpent God also known as Quetzalcoatl to the Aztecs. From: http://www.world-mysteries.com/ El Castillo Pyramid (The Castle pyramid) has special astronomical significance and layout. Each face of the pyramid has a stairway with ninety-one steps, which together with the shared step of the platform at the top; add up to 365, the number of days in a year. These stairways also divide the nine terraces of each side of the pyramid into eighteen segments, representing the eighteen months of the Mayan calendar. The pyramid's design reflects the equinoxes and solstices of our solar year in a spectacular game of light and shadow. During the equinoxes, the setting sun casts a shadow of a serpent on the northern steps of the pyramid. El Castillo (castle in Spanish) sheds light on the Mayans impressive astronomical knowledge. It is, in reality, a solar calendar. There are 91 steps on each side and 1 for the roof/altar. Each day's shadows fall upon a different step. The Mayans succeeded in an almost impossible mission with the completion of their structures at Chichen Itza. A poetic combination of form, style, function, religion, philosophy, mathematics and geometry. A true symbiosis of all of their intelligence and art in one location, to be studied and admired by all that visit. By far the most impressive aspect of the Pyramid of Kukulkan is it's relationship with the sun and how it reflects the equinoxes and solstices of our solar year with stunning accuracy.

006_mextul12

Tulum and Caribbean Sea, Tulum, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Tulum and the Caribbean Sea, Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico Tulum is a Late Post-Classic Mayan city. The coastal city of Tulum was inhabited late after the conquest. Tulum is perched on top of limestone cliffs overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. El Castillo is a temple-topped pyramid that also served as a watchtower and a lighthouse. Like many important structures in the Mayan world, the current building is the result of different stages of additional construction. It began as a palace-like base, the staircase added at a later date and eventually it was crowned by the temple on top. From: Guide of Tulum. History, Art and Monuments Tulum means fence, trench or wall, and is the name given to the site in recent times because of the wall surrounding it, although its ancient name was possibly Zama, a corruption of Zamal (morning), associated with the dawn. This is an ideal name for the site, as sunrise in Tulumis a superb sight. The first mention of this city was made by Juan Diaz, who was on Juan de Grijalva's expedition that reached the coast of the Yucatan peninsula in 1518. He wrote, "We followed the coast day and night; on the following day... we sighted a city or town so large that Seville would not have appeared bigger or better... a very tall tower was to be seen there..." which no doubt refers to Tulum and the building known as the Castle, standing on the edge of the cliff. In Juan de Reigosa's Las Relaciones de Yucatan, written in 1579, Zama is mentioned as a walled site with stone buildings which included a very large one that looked like a fortress. Pedro Sanchez de Aguilar, author of Informe Contra Idolorum Cultores del Obispado de Yucatan, (Madrid, 1639) mentions the coast of Zama when telling the story of ten shipwrecked Spaniards who were taken prisoner by the chieftain Kenich. Among them was Geronimo de Aguilar, who later became Hernan Cortes' interpreter during the Conquest of Mexico.

007_mextulum01

Tulum and Caribbean Sea, Tulum, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Tulum and the Caribbean Sea, Tulum, Yucatan, Mexico Tulum is a Late Post-Classic Mayan city. The coastal city of Tulum was inhabited late after the conquest. Tulum is perched on top of limestone cliffs overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. El Castillo is a temple-topped pyramid that also served as a watchtower and a lighthouse. Like many important structures in the Mayan world, the current building is the result of different stages of additional construction. It began as a palace-like base, the staircase added at a later date and eventually it was crowned by the temple on top. From: Guide of Tulum. History, Art and Monuments Tulum means fence, trench or wall, and is the name given to the site in recent times because of the wall surrounding it, although its ancient name was possibly Zama, a corruption of Zamal (morning), associated with the dawn. This is an ideal name for the site, as sunrise in Tulumis a superb sight. The first mention of this city was made by Juan Diaz, who was on Juan de Grijalva's expedition that reached the coast of the Yucatan peninsula in 1518. He wrote, "We followed the coast day and night; on the following day... we sighted a city or town so large that Seville would not have appeared bigger or better... a very tall tower was to be seen there..." which no doubt refers to Tulum and the building known as the Castle, standing on the edge of the cliff. In Juan de Reigosa's Las Relaciones de Yucatan, written in 1579, Zama is mentioned as a walled site with stone buildings which included a very large one that looked like a fortress. Pedro Sanchez de Aguilar, author of Informe Contra Idolorum Cultores del Obispado de Yucatan, (Madrid, 1639) mentions the coast of Zama when telling the story of ten shipwrecked Spaniards who were taken prisoner by the chieftain Kenich. Among them was Geronimo de Aguilar, who later became Hernan Cortes' interpreter during the Conquest of Mexico. After this there are no other references to Tulum unt

008_mexkab01

Palace of the Masks, Codz Po'op Palace, Kabah, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Palace of the Masks, Codz Po'op Palace at Kabah Mayan archaeological site, Yucatan, Mexico A continuous series of Chac mask mosaics share round, interchangeable eyes, from the Late Classic Puuc style facade of the Codz Po'op at Kabah, Yucatn. Late Classic buildings in the Puuc architectural style (Puuc is the word for "hill" in the Yucatec Mayan language.) Ancient Maya builders used mosaic elements of limestone masonry to create elaborate building facades, combining geometric repetition and symmetry with symbols including masks of Chacs or Mayan rain gods. This decorative style of AD 600-950, named for the hilly Puuc region along the Ticul fault line of northern Campeche and northwest Yucatan, is found between Edzna and Chichen Itza, centered around Uxmal and Labna.

009_mexkab02

Palace, Kabah Mayan archaeological site, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Palace at Kabah Mayan archaeological site, Yucatan, Mexico Late Classic buildings in the Puuc architectural style (Puuc is the word for "hill" in the Yucatec Mayan language.) Ancient Maya builders used mosaic elements of limestone masonry to create elaborate building facades, combining geometric repetition and symmetry with symbols including masks of Chacs or Mayan rain gods. This decorative style of AD 600-950, named for the hilly Puuc region along the Ticul fault line of northern Campeche and northwest Yucatan, is found between Edzna and Chichen Itz, centered around Uxmal and Labna.

010_mexsay01

Palace, Sayil Maya Archeological Site, Puuc Hills, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Palace at Sayil Maya Archeological Site, Puuc Hills, Yucatan, Mexico. Palace or Casa Grande at Sayil in the Puuc Hills Region on the Ruta Puuc or Puuc Route of Northwestern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The Palace has unique Puuc style decoration and its architecture is a classical example of the Maya Late-Classic period. "Our guides cut a path, and, clearing the branches overhead, we followed on horseback, dismounting at the foot of the Casa Grande. It was by this name that the Indians called the immense pile of white stone buildings, which, buried in the depths of a great forest, added new desolation to the waste by which they were surrounded. We tied our horses, and worked our way along the front. The trees were so close that we could take in but a small portion of it at once..." John Lloyd Stephens, Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas & Yucatan, 1843

011_mexuxm06

House of the Pigeons, El Palomar, Uxmal, Puuc Hills, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of House of the Pigeons, El Palomar, Uxmal, Puuc Hills, Mexico House of the Pigeons, El Palomar, Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal, Uxmal, Puuc Hills, Mexico From: UNESCO http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/rss The Mayan town of Uxmal, in Yucatan, was founded c. A.D. 700 and had some 25,000 inhabitants. The layout of the buildings, which date from between 700 and 1000, reveals knowledge of astronomy. The Pyramid of the Soothsayer, as the Spaniards called it, dominates the ceremonial centre, which has well-designed buildings decorated with a profusion of symbolic motifs and sculptures depicting Chaac, the god of rain. The ceremonial sites of Uxmal, Kabah, Labna and Sayil are considered the high points of Mayan art and architecture. From: http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/Central_america/maya_race_and_mythology.htm The "Pigeon House" is an ornate pile with pinnacles pierced by large openings which probably served as dovecotes. The entire architecture of Uxmal displays a type more primitive than that met elsewhere in Yucatan. There is documentary evidence to prove that so late as 1673 the Indians still worshipped in the ruins of Uxmal, where they burnt copal, and performed "other detestable sacrifices." So that even a hundred and fifty years of Spanish rule had not sufficed to wean the natives from the worship of the older gods to whom their fathers had for generations bowed down. This would also seem conclusive evidence that the ruins of Uxmal at least were the work of the existing race. From: http://www.athenapub.com/uxmal1.htm House of the Pigeons (El Palomar), a palace structure built ca. AD 700-800. Remains of a roof comb (not very typical of the Puuc style) give a notably serrated or niche-like appearance which resembles that of pigeon houses or dovecotes.

012_mexuxm24

Nunnery Quadrangle, Uxmal, Puuc Hills, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of South Building Arch of Nunnery Quadrangle with the North Building, Uxmal, Puuc Hills Region, Yucatan, Mexico. Uxmal is the most important representative of the Puuc architectural style, which flourished in the Late Classic Period AD 600-900. Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal was added to Unesco's World Heritage List in 1996. From UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/ "The Mayan town of Uxmal, in Yucatan, was founded c. A.D. 700 and had some 25,000 inhabitants. The layout of the buildings, which date from between 700 and 1000, reveals knowledge of astronomy. The Pyramid of the Soothsayer, as the Spaniards called it, dominates the ceremonial centre, which has well-designed buildings decorated with a profusion of symbolic motifs and sculptures depicting Chaac, the god of rain. The ceremonial sites of Uxmal, Kabah, Labna and Sayil are considered the high points of Mayan art and architecture."

013_mexyuc01b

Blind busker playing guitar, Puuc Hills, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Blind busker plays his guitar during a rural bus ride, Puuc Hills Region, Mexico

014_mexmera1

Woman Vendor, Merida Market, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Woman vendor selling produce in Merida Market. Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. The Spaniard Francisco de Montejo founded Merida on January 6, 1542. When the Spaniards arrived, Merida was a large Mayan city known as T'ho, situated on what is now the Main Plaza. It was conquered by the Spaniards, who dismantled all the pyramids and used the huge stones as the foundation for the Cathedral of San Idelfonso (1556-1599), the oldest cathedral on the American continent.

015_mexoxk04

Mayan woman, Oxkutzcab Market, Oxkutzcab, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Mayan woman in Oxkutzcab village market, Oxkutzcab, Yucatan, Mexico. Oxkutzcab: founded in 1841, population 27,000. Oxkutzcab, the village that is nick-named the "Orchard of the state." Oxkutuzcab Village is close to the Lol Tun caves and located where the Convent Route and the Puuc Route meet. The Puuc Route includes the Mayan Archaeological sites with Mayan pyramids of Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, X-Lapak, Labna and the Loltun Caves.

016_mexmer08

Woman Making Tortillas, Merida Market, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Mayan Vendor and her daughter in the Merida Market. Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. The Spaniard Francisco de Montejo founded Merida on January 6, 1542. When the Spaniards arrived, Merida was a large Mayan city known as T'ho, situated on what is now the Main Plaza. It was conquered by the Spaniards, who dismantled all the pyramids and used the huge stones as the foundation for the Cathedral of San Idelfonso (1556-1599), the oldest cathedral on the American continent.

017_mexmer10

Woman Making Tortillas, Merida Market, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Woman Making Tortillas, Merida Market, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. The Spaniard Francisco de Montejo founded Merida on January 6, 1542. When the Spaniards arrived, Merida was a large Mayan city known as T'ho, situated on what is now the Main Plaza. It was conquered by the Spaniards, who dismantled all the pyramids and used the huge stones as the foundation for the Cathedral of San Idelfonso (1556-1599), the oldest cathedral on the American continent.

018_mexmanz2

Mayan man in village store, Oxkutzcab, Yucatan, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Village store near Oxkutzcab on the way to Labna, Sayil and Kabah Maya Archeology sites on the Puuc Route, Yucatan, Mexico. Oxkutzcab, the village that is nick-named the "orchard of the state". Oxkutuzcab Village is close to the Lol Tun Caves or Loltun Caves and located where the Convent Route and the Puuc Route meet. Oxkutzcab was founded in 1841 and has a population of 27,000. The Puuc Route includes the Mayan Archaeological sites with Mayan pyramids of Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, X-Lapak, Labna and the Loltun Caves. Each of the sites has restored and other structures, covered with brush, tree and jungle, much the way early explorers and archaeologists found them.

019_mexscr07

Tzotzil Maya man, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzotzil Maya man, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico Tzotzil mayan man at a village market in the Spanish Colonial town of San Cristobal de Las Casas in the highlands of Chiapas State, Mexico.

020_mexscr08

Sandals of Mayan man, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Sandals of Mayan man, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico Sandals of Mayan man at the market in San Cristobal de Las Casas, a Spanish Colonial town in the highlands of Chiapas State, Mexico.

021_mexche31

Tzotzil Maya home, Chenalo, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzotzil Maya mud home, Chenalo, Chiapas, Mexico. A Tzotzil Maya mud home made with mud and wood sticks in Chenalo Village (Ch'enalho or Chenalo) near San Cristobal de las Casas in the highlands of Chiapas State, Mexico.

022_mexscr26

EZLN, Zapatista Army of National Liberation graffiti, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Mayas walk past EZLN - Zapatista Army of National Liberation - graffiti, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas Mexico From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EZLN "The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) is an armed revolutionary group based in Chiapas, one of the poorest states of Mexico. Their social base is mostly indigenous but they have supporters in urban areas as well as an international web of support. Their most visible voice, although technically not their leader as he is a sub-comandante, and all the comandantes are indigenous Mayan American Indians, is Subcomandante Marcos. Some consider the Zapatista movement the first post-modern revolution: an armed yet non-violent, despite an uprising in the early 1990s, revolutionary group that incorporates modern technologies like satellite telephones and the Internet as a way to obtain domestic and foreign support. They consider themselves part of the wider anti-globalization movement. Ideology: The EZLN claims to represent the rights of the indigenous population, but also sees itself and is seen as part of a wider anti-capitalist movement. The neozapatistas oppose globalization, or neoliberalism, the economic system advocated by the Mexican presidents from 1982 to 2000. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), is an example of neoliberal policy, and spawned the 1994 Zapatista revolution because those who would later become the EZLN believed that it would destroy the rights of Mexico's impoverished indigenous community. The group takes its name from the Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata; they see themselves as his ideological heirs, and heirs to 500 years of indigenous resistance against imperialism. The EZLN differs from most revolutionary groups by having stopped military action after the initial uprising in the first two weeks of 1994.

023_mexscc01

Man in Zapatista costume, San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Man in Zapatista costume during La Merced parade, San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.

024_mexscr21b

Maya woman selling Zapatista idols, San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Maya woman selling Zapatista idols, San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

025_mexscrz2

Displaced children of Chamula sell Pepsi Cola, La Hormiga, San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Displaced Maya children from Chamula Village selling Pepsi and Coca-Cola in La Hormiga shantytown, San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. La Hormiga is an indigenous shantytown settled by the Maya people expelled from Chamula Village because of religious differences. In November 1974 more than 1,400 men, women and children from Chamula Village were herded to La Hormiga into corrals meant for sheep. The Chamula municipality bosses are powerful Pepsi and Coca-Cola distributors. These children living in the shantytown of La Hormiga move the soft drink cases, pick up empty bottles and load the vendor's soft drink carts with more Pepsi and Coca Cola. http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/kovmay.html In the last decades of the twentieth century, thousands of Mayas were expelled, often violently, from their homes in San Juan Chamula and other highland communities in Chiapas, Mexico, by fellow Mayas allied with the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). State and federal authorities generally turned a blind eye to these human rights abuses, downplaying them as local conflicts over religious conversion and defense of cultural traditions. The expelled have organized themselves to fight not only for religious rights, but also for political and economic justice based on a broad understanding of human rights. The Mayas of Chamula who were expelled for not being "traditional" enough are basing their new communities on traditional values of duty and reciprocity."

026_mexzin06

Tzotzil Mayas cooking corn, Zinacantan, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzotzil Mayas cook corn that they sell to local people in Zinacantan Village, Chiapas Mexico. Zinacantan is a Tzotzil speaking municipality just west of San Cristobal de las Casas in the Chiapas Highlands. The name "Zinacantan" means "place of bats", derived from the Aztec language, Nahuatl. A stone bat was the patron deity of Zinacantecos. Flowers have become important to the Tzotzil Mayas in Zinacantan and some villagers sell flowers at San Cristobal de las Casas.

027_mexscr09

Tzotzil Woman with pig, Cristobal De Las Casas Market, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzotzil Maya woman with a piglet on a leash in the market at San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. In the San Cristobal de las Casas market a Tzotzil Mayan woman holds a piglet leashed like a pet. The Spanish colonialists initiated forced labor called the Encomienda System into Chiapas enslaving and forcing the Mayas to pay a tribute twice yearly. Historians consider the Spanish colonialist's Encomienda system the most damaging in Spanish American history. The Encomienda system became the symbol of oppression and exploitation. It was catastrophic to the Maya.

028_mexche38

Tzotzil Mayan and mules, Chenalo, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzotzil Maya man, Avran Perez Zulish, and mules, Chenalo, Chiapas, Mexico

029_mexama1

Tzeltal Maya woman making pottery, Amatenango del Valle, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzeltal Maya woman making pottery in Amatenango del Valle Village, Chiapas, Mexico. Amatenango del Valle is a village famous for its local pottery and hand made by potters using pre-Hispanic techniques to mold clay which is fired over open hearths. Amatenango del Valle is a Tzeltal Maya village of potters, named in their tongue Tzo'ontajal, located 37 kilometers from San Cristobal de las Casas. The Tzeltal Maya artisans model clay by hand and then fire the pottery with firewood in the open air hearths which is a pre-Hispanic technique. Pots, water jugs, tubs, flower pots, and animal figures are products of their ancient tradition of mixing dirt and water, modeling the clay, drying it and firing it; the first act in the creation of the Maya universal vision.

030_guagfg02

Cakchiquel Mayan girl selling fruit, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Cakchiquel mayan girl peeling and selling fruit. Near Chichicastenango. Guatemala. Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America.

031_mexyuca04b

Mayan girl carrying bananas, Agua Azul, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Maya girl carrying bananas in a basket on her head, Agua Azul Biosphere Reserve, near Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. Cascadas De Agua Azul or Agua Azul Waterfall, Sierra Madre de Chiapas Mountains, Chiapas, Mexico.

032_mexchia2

Cascadas De Misol-Ha, Misol-Ha Waterfall, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Cascadas De Misol-Ha or Misol-Ha Waterfall, near Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico Misol-Ha is a 35-meter/115-foot waterfall near Palenque, Chiapas State, Mexico.

033_mexlac01

Lacandon Mayan boy, Cascadas Lacanja, Montes Azules Biosphere, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of 9-year old Lacandon Mayan boy Pancho at Cascadas Lacanja in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve in the Selva Lacandona (Lacandon Jungle), Chiapas State, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

034_mexnah56

Lacandon Maya dugout canoe, Lake Naha, Naha Village, Montes Azules Biosphere, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya dugout canoe on Lake Naha, Naha Village, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

035_mexnah01

Lacandon Mayas fishing in dugout canoe, Lake Naha, Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Mayas fishing on a dugout canoe on Lake Naha, Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

036_mexnah23

Lacandon Mayan in dugout canoe, Naha Lake, Naha Village, Lacandon Jungle, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya boy paddling a dugout canoe on Naha Lake, Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

037_mexnah81b

Lacandon Maya, Naha Village, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya man Juan Mendez Chan K'In. Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

038_mexnah74

Lacandon Maya shaman Chan K'in Viejo, Naha Village, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya shaman and leader Chan K'in Viejo. Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. Chan K'in Viejo said, "Without its mahogany a forest dies into jungle where only snakes can live. Without Lacandon traditions the Hach Winik (Lacandon for True People) turn into drunken ladinos no different from those who burn and destroy our forest. When the last Lacandon dies the world will come to an end." The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

039_mexlac10

Lacandon Mayans, Bonampak, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Mayans at Bonampak Archaeological Zone, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico Bonampak is in the Lacandon Forest or Selva Lacandona in the Lacanha River Valley, Chiapas Mexico. Bonampak is a Classic Maya site in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, occupied from about 650-800 AD. Bonampak means "painted walls" and is known highly detailed frescoes depicting the history of the Mayan people who lived in Bonampak. The frescoes where painted on the inside of the walls and roofs of three buildings thousands of years ago. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

040_mexbon05

Chan Muwan Mayan Murals, Bonampak, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Mural of Room One, Structure One depicts an infant heir to the throne being presented to resident and visiting dignitaries of Bonampak with dancers wearing large ceremonial feather headdresses. Classic Period Maya site Bonampak, Bonampak, Chiapas, Mexico. Bonampak murals where painted in the late 8th century. These Mayan murals show relationships between warfare, accession, bloodletting, captive sacrifice, and rulers of the Classic Maya Period. The Mayan paintings of Bonampak show courtly activities of the last Mayas who ruled the Classic Period Maya City of Bonampak. The murals depict the military conquests and other achievements of Maya king Chan Muwan. The Maya believed warriors drew strength from the animal spirits. Archaeologists discovered the murals, preserved under a layer of calcification, in 1946 and dated the paintings to about ad 790. See The Bonampak Documentation Project at http://www.yale.edu/bonampak/ for more about the Bonampak Murals. The Bonampak Documentation Project was established following a pilot study published by National Geographic Magazine in February 1995 in which digital images of several sections of the Bonampak murals were restored using line visible in infrared photographs. The goal of the full-scale project is to document, reconstruct and study the ancient murals.

041_mexbon04

Chan Muwan Mayan Murals, Bonampak, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Murals of Room One in Structure One at Bonampak show musicians playing gourd-maracas and a large wooden drum. Classic Period Maya site Bonampak, Bonampak, Chiapas, Mexico. Bonampak murals where painted in the late 8th century. These Mayan murals show relationships between warfare, accession, bloodletting, captive sacrifice, and rulers of the Classic Maya Period. The Mayan paintings of Bonampak show courtly activities of the last Mayas who ruled the Classic Period Maya City of Bonampak. The murals depict the military conquests and other achievements of Maya king Chan Muwan. The Maya believed warriors drew strength from the animal spirits. Archaeologists discovered the murals, preserved under a layer of calcification, in 1946 and dated the paintings to about ad 790. See The Bonampak Documentation Project at http://www.yale.edu/bonampak/ for more about the Bonampak Murals. The Bonampak Documentation Project was established following a pilot study published by National Geographic Magazine in February 1995 in which digital images of several sections of the Bonampak murals were restored using line visible in infrared photographs. The goal of the full-scale project is to document, reconstruct and study the ancient murals.

042_mexpal07

Palace, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Palace, Palenque Archaeological Park, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. Located in the center of Palenque Archaeological Zone is the Palace that consists of four courtyards and a watchtower. Beneath Palenque's Palace is the Otulum Aqueduct that channels water from the Otulum stream. There are ancient latrines, and steam baths once used for physical and ritual cleansing. Palenque represents the western regional variant of Classic Maya civilization. Although the earliest occupation of the site dates to about 100 BC, it becomes a major population center only at about 600 AD and all construction ended circa 800 AD.

043_mexpal003

Palace, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Palace, Palenque Archaeological Park, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. Located in the center of Palenque Archaeological Zone is the Palace that consists of four courtyards and a watchtower. Beneath Palenque's Palace is the Otulum Aqueduct that channels water from the Otulum stream. There are ancient latrines, and steam baths once used for physical and ritual cleansing. Palenque represents the western regional variant of Classic Maya civilization. Although the earliest occupation of the site dates to about 100 BC, it becomes a major population center only at about 600 AD and all construction ended circa 800 AD.

044_mexpal04

Temple of the Sun, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Temple of the Sun, Palenque, Chiapas Mexico The Ancient Maya City of Palenque Archaeological Park, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. Palenque represents the western regional variant of Classic Maya civilization. Although the earliest occupation of the site dates to about 100 BC, it becomes a major population center only at about 600 AD and all construction at the site has ceased by about 800 AD. "Images of war and death sacrifice adorn the panel in the pib na of the Temple of the Sun. A Sun Jaguar shield and crossed spears dominate the central icon. These images are sustained aloft by a throne with bleeding jaguar heads emerging from one axis, and bleeding dragons from the other. The throne and its burden of war rest on the shoulders of God L and another aged god from the Otherworld. Both are bent over like captives under the feet of victorious warrior kings. This scene recalls the defeat of the Lords of Death at the beginning of time by the Hero Twins. Captive sacrifice was the source of life through the reenactment of the magical rebirth of these heroic ancestors of the Maya people. God L, who received the greetings of the new king in the Temple of the Cross, now hold up the burden of war and sacrifice. In both cases, ritual performance by the king involved Otherworld denizens in the human community. Here in the Temple of the Sun, the power object is not actually passed from the inside scene to the outside, as in the other temples; but the intent of the composition is still the same. On the inner panel, Pacal holds a full-bodied eccentric flint and a shield made of a flayed human face: symbols of war among the nobility of Palenque and other Maya kingdoms. If we move to the outer panels, on one we see Chan-Bahlum holding a bleeding jaguar on a small throne as the symbol of sacrificial death. On the opposite panel, he wears cotton battle armor with a rolled flexible shield hanging down his back. The tall staff he wields is probably a battle spear typical of the kind carried by warrior kings at other sites. The parallelism here is nicely rendered. On the one side, he is emerging from the pib na as a warrior prepared to capture the enemies of his kingdom; on the other, he comes forth as the giver of sacrifice, the result of victory." From: Linda Schele and David Freidel, A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya, p. 243

045_guatik85

Tikal, Tikal National Park, El Peten, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Temples one, two and three seen from Temple Four, Tikal National Park, Department of El Peten, Guatemala, Central America

046_guatik25

Temple four, Tikal National Park, El Peten, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Temple 4 (four), Tikal National Park, Department of El Peten, Guatemala, Central America

047_guatik10

Temple Two, Great Plaza, Tikal, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Temple 2 (two) in the Great Plaza with stelae and altars portraying the rulers of Tikal , Tikal National Park, Department of El Peten, Guatemala, Central America.

048_guatik18a

Mask in tunnel, Tikal, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Giant Mask in tunnel, Temple 5D-33, North Acropolis, Tikal National Park, Department of El Peten, Guatemala, Central America This mask of a long-nosed god is from the first building erected at this spot. The mask is over 10 feet tall. In ancient times, this mask would have been covered with stucco. The mask and the entire building were painted in brilliant reds, greens, yellows, and blues. The buildings looked very different from the bare rock we see today.

049_guapac53

Pacaya Volcano erupting, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Pacaya Volcano erupting on June 1 1995. Near San Francisco de Sales village. Department of Guatemala, Guatemala, Central America. Pacaya erupted between 0630 and 0700 on 1 June 1995, sending up a 6-km-high plume. Hot ash burned vegetation and damaged radio-antenna equipment near the summit. A thin layer of ash extended as far as 2 miles (3.5 km) away from the vent, with ashfall reported 2.5 km N in San Francisco de Sales and 3.5 km W in El Patrocinio. Analysis of the eruption using GOES-8 satellite images revealed a plume moving to the southeast at 12 miles/hr (19 km/hr). The plume rose to a height of 5.6 miles (9 km). A plume visible at 0715 on GOES-8 satellite images was moving SE at ~19 km/hr, prompting a NOAA Volcano Hazard Alert at 1000. Analysis based on comparison of wind shear data and observed translation of the plume suggested that the plume rose to ~9 km altitude. Eddie Sanchez noted that venting ash destroyed the 1984 spatter cone (SEAN 10:03), called El Hornito, located roughly midway between the N caldera rim (Cerro Chino) and the previously active MacKenney cone. In place of El Hornito was a small crater venting lava, a substantial amount of which flowed south. Pacaya is 18 miles (30 km) south of Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala. Pacaya is a stratovolcano that has erupted at least 20 times since 1565. Since 1965, the volcano has been erupting almost continuously with pauses between eruptions lasting only a few months. Recent eruptions produced a 2.8-mile (4.5 km) tall Strombolian eruption column in 1989 and lava flows in 1989-91. Eruptions from Pacaya, one of Guatemala's most active volcanoes, are frequently visible from Guatemala City, the nation's capital. Pacaya is a complex basaltic volcano constructed just outside the southern topographic rim of the 14 x 16 km Pleistocene Amatitlàn caldera. A cluster of dacitic lava domes occupies the southern caldera floor.

050_guaagu26

Acatenango Volcano, Fuego Volcano, Agua Volcano, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of View of the Guatemalan Highland from Pacaya Volcano with (left to right) Acatenango, Fuego and Agua volcanoes. Near San Francisco de Sales Village, Department of Guatemala, Guatemala, Central America.

051_guaagu20

Guatemalan Highlands, Acatenango Volcano, Fuego Volcano, Agua Volcano, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of View of the Guatemalan Highland from Pacaya Volcano with (left to right) Acatenango, Fuego and Agua volcanoes. Near San Francisco de Sales Village, Department of Guatemala, Guatemala, Central America.

052_guaagu13

Guatemala Highland, Fuego Volcano, Agua Volcano, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of View of the Guatemalan Highland from Pacaya Volcano with (left to right) Fuego and Agua volcanoes. Near San Francisco de Sales Village, Department of Guatemala, Guatemala, Central America.

053_guaagu06

Agua Volcano, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Agua Volcano seen through volcanic ash from Pacaya Volcano erupting. Near San Francisco de Sales village, Department of Guatemala, Guatemala, Central America. Pacaya is a complex volcano, consisting of an older stratovolcano, domes, flows, tephra, and the modern basaltic stratovolcano. Most of the complex has formed in the last 23,000 years. Pacaya is the active vent in the Cerro Grande-Pacaya-Cerro Chino volcanic complex. June, 2001: Volcàn Pacaya has been made a national park. A visitor's center/ticket booth has been constructed at San Francisco de Sales In the summit of this volcano, that is the crater, you will see the Cerro de Agua, and if it is clear you can also see the volcanoes Agua, Acatenango and Fuego Pacaya volcano is located between the Departments of Guatemala and Escuintla, and it has a height of 2,550 meters.

054_guapac68

Vergilio Carrera, Pacaya Volcano erupting, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Vergilio Carrera in front of Pacaya Volcano erupting on June 1 1995. Near San Francisco de Sales village, Department of Guatemala, Guatemala, Central America. Pacaya erupted between 0630 and 0700 on 1 June 1995, sending up a 6-km-high plume. Hot ash burned vegetation and damaged radio-antenna equipment near the summit. A thin layer of ash extended as far as 2 miles (3.5 km) away from the vent, with ashfall reported 2.5 km N in San Francisco de Sales and 3.5 km W in El Patrocinio. Analysis of the eruption using GOES-8 satellite images revealed a plume moving to the southeast at 12 miles/hr (19 km/hr). The plume rose to a height of 5.6 miles (9 km). A plume visible at 0715 on GOES-8 satellite images was moving SE at ~19 km/hr, prompting a NOAA Volcano Hazard Alert at 1000. Analysis based on comparison of wind shear data and observed translation of the plume suggested that the plume rose to ~9 km altitude. Eddie Sanchez noted that venting ash destroyed the 1984 spatter cone (SEAN 10:03), called "El Hornito," located roughly midway between the N caldera rim (Cerro Chino) and the previously active MacKenney cone. In place of El Hornito was a small crater venting lava, a substantial amount of which flowed south. Pacaya is 18 miles (30 km) south of Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala. Pacaya is a stratovolcano that has erupted at least 20 times since 1565. Since 1965, the volcano has been erupting almost continuously with pauses between eruptions lasting only a few months. Recent eruptions produced a 2.8-mile (4.5 km) tall Strombolian eruption column in 1989 and lava flows in 1989-91. Eruptions from Pacaya, one of Guatemala's most active volcanoes, are frequently visible from Guatemala City, the nation's capital.

055_gualat01

San Pedro Volcano, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of San Pedro volcano at sunset with a jaguar-god like cloud over Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America.

056_guala126

Lago Atitlan, San Pedro Volcano, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Canoes on Lago Atitlan with the slope of San Pedro Volcano near Santiago Atitlan Village, Guatemala

057_gualaga2

Tzutujil Mayan Women, Lago Atitlan, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan women gather water and fishermen in Hoku canoes fish on Lago Atitlan. Santiago Atitlan village, Department of Sololà, Guatemala, Central America

058_gualatz2

Tzutujil Mayas washing, Lago Atitlan, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan women wash in Lago Atitlan near Santiago Atitlan village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

059_gualaga5

Tzutujil Mayans, Lago Atitlan, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan women wearing traditional costumes called huipiles wash in Lago Atitlan near Santiago Atitlan village, Department of Sololà, Guatemala, Central America

060_gualat07

Tzutujil Mayans washing, Lago Atitlan, San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan women wash in Lago Atitlan near San Juan la Laguna Village where the Las Artesanas de San Juan are located. San Juan la Laguna Village, Department of Sololà, Guatemala, Central America

061_gualat53

Political signs, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of PAN political party signs in Santiago Atitlan Village, Lago Atitlan, Department of Sololà, Guatemala, Central America

062_gualat24

Tzutujil Mayan girl, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Tzutujil Mayan girl in a crowd in the Santiago Atitlan village market on Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

063_gualatz9

Tzutujil Mayan girl, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Tzutujil Mayan girl in Santiago Atitlan village on Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

064_gualatz2c

Tzutujil Mayan weaves with backstrap loom, San Juan la Laguna, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan woman weaving textile with a backstrap loom at Las Artesanas de San Juan weaving co-operative in San Juan la Laguna Village on Lago Atitlan. San Juan la Laguna Village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

065_guala125

Mayan woman weaving with backstrap loom, Las Artesanas de San Juan, San Juan la Laguna, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan woman weaving textile with a backstrap loom at Las Artesanas de San Juan weaving co-operative in San Juan la Laguna Village on Lago Atitlan. San Juan la Laguna Village, Department of Sololà, Guatemala, Central America

066_guala105

Tzutujil Mayan weaving, Las Artesanas de San Juan, San Juan la Laguna, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan woman spinning textile at Las Artesanas de San Juan in San Juan la Laguna Village on Lago Atitlan. San Juan la Laguna Village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

067_guala108

Weaving Tool, San Juan la Laguna Village, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Wextile weaving tool at Las Artesanas de San Juan. San Juan La Laguna Village, Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala.

068_guala101

Tzutujil Mayan woman weaving, San Juan la Laguna, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan woman weaving textile on a wooden loom at Las Artesanas de San Juan in San Juan la Laguna Village on Lago Atitlan. San Juan la Laguna Village, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America.

069_gualaga7

Tzutujil Mayan ritual for Maximon, Santiago Atitlan, Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Tzutujil Mayan ritual for the Mayan god called Maximon (San Simon). The Tzutujil Maya people offer the idol various things like alcohol, cigarettes, and money to appease the Mayan effigy that stands between the Tzutujil Mayan shamans. Santiago Atitlan Village, Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America

070_gualaga3

Massacre Tombstones, Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Spirits at Santiago Atitlan village on Lago Atitlan, Department of Solola, Guatemala, Central America. Site of December 1, 1990 massacre in Santiago Atitlan village: A military base was set-up in Santiago Atitlan to control the guerrillas. Instead the army terrorizes, tortures and kills innocent villagers whom the military select at random. After years of this, on the night of December 1, 1990, two drunken soldiers shot and killed an innocent villager. This generated a group of around two thousand Mayas to approach the army base. The soldiers opened fire killing thirteen people including three children and wounded twenty more people. After this massacre around twenty thousand Mayas signed a petition and protested to expel the army. This pressure made the army leave Lago Atitlan. Santiago Atitlan was the first Maya village to expel the army.

071_guach025

Quiche Mayans wearing Colonial costumes, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

072_guach026

Quiche Mayans dancing, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

073_guach021

Baila Del Torito, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

074_guach022

Baila Del Torito, Fiesta De Santo Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Baila Del Torito during the Fiesta De Santo Tomas Quiche Mayans dance wearing masks and costumes mimicking Colonial Spanish characters. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

075_guach033

Palo Volador, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Palo Volador during the Fiesta De San Tomas in front of Church of Santo Tomas. Quiche Mayans wearing Spanish masks and costumes mimicking monkeys spin around the pole and their ropes unravel form the pole on each turn and lower them to the ground. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

076_guach032

Quiche Mayan cofradia offering to Santo Tomas, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of During the Fiesta De San Tomas a Quiche Mayan cofradia (shaman or priest) offers gifts to Santo Tomàs in front of Santo Tomas cathedral. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

077_guach001

Quiche Maya cofradia, Pascual Abaj ceremony, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche Mayan cofradia (shaman) blowing aguardiente liquor into a ceremonial fire to apease the Mayan god Maximon also called San Simon. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

078_guach007

Rooster head pagan sacrifice, Chichicastenango Cemetary, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Sacrificed rooster's head on a cross at the Chichicastenango village cemetary. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

079_guach006

Pascual Abaj pagan ceremony site, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mayan god Pascual Abaj ceremonial site on a mountaintop overlooking the town of Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

080_guach009

Chichicastenango market comedor, Chichicastenango Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of During the market at Chichicastenango village people come to this comedor (restaurant) to eat. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

081_guach010

Chichicastenango village market, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Evening time at the market in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

082_guachzb3

Quiche Maya woman selling cotton candy, Fiesta De San Tomas, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of During the Fiesta De San Tomas a Quiche Mayan woman selling cotton candy at a makeshift fun park at the market. Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

083_guachi07

Quiche Mayan woman, Chichicastenango market, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Quiche Mayan woman in Chichicastenango village. Chichicastenango, Department of Quiche, Guatemala, Central America

084_guant124

Cakchiquel Mayan woman selling textiles, Semana Santa Procession, Holy Week Procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Cakchiquel mayan woman selling textiles at the Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

085_guant121

Cakchiquel Mayan selling textiles, Semana Santa Procession, Holy Week Procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Cakchiquel mayan woman selling textiles at the Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

086_guant120b

Cakchiquel Mayan woman, gold stars in teeth, Semana Santa procession, Holy Week procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Cakchiquel mayan woman with gold stars in her teeth at the Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

086_guant120b

Cakchiquel maya woman with gold stars in teeth, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Cakchiquel mayan woman with gold stars in her teeth at the Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

087_guant225

Indigenous woman carrying a textile basket, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of An indigenous woman carrying a basket of textiles. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

088_guant172

Cakchiquel Mayan selling textiles, Semana Santa Procession, Holy Week Procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of A Cakchiquel mayan girl selling textiles at the Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

089_guant102

Semana Santa Procession, Holy Week Procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

090_guanti38

Semana Santa Procession, Holy Week Procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

091_guanti39

Semana Santa Procession, Holy Week Procession, La Antigua, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

092_guanti96

Antigua Guatemala, Semana Santa Procession, Holy Week Procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

093_guanti07

Antigua Guatemala, Semana Santa Procession, Holy Week Procession, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

094_guanti43

Semana Santa Processions, Holy Week Processions, La Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

095_guanti59

Holy Week Processions, Semana Santa Processions, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

096_guanti74

Holy Week Processions, Semana Santa Processions, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

097_guanti75a

Holy Week Processions, Semana Santa, Antigua, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Semana Santa procession. Holy Week procession. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America The Semana Santa procession combines Catholic doctrine with Mayan traditions and values. Robed men and women carrying these great Anda, a large float with religious effigies, and walk across elaborate tapestries made of flowers and dyes spread in front of churches, homes, and in plazas. La Antigua (Antigua UNESCO World Heritage Site), Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America

098_guatod84

Mam Mayan Shepherd, La Ventosa, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Jose Mendoza, a Mam Mayan from La Ventosa village in the Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango District, Guatemala, Central America. Jose Mendoza, a Mam Mayan from La Ventosa village in the Cuchumatanes Mountains, has been a shepherd since childhood. His opportunity for an education is lost, partly because his family needs him to work, and also the lack of money to afford school supplies. Jose a Mam Maya schoolteacher explains: "According to law our children have the right for a free education, but the reality is very different. The children pay 20 Quetzals for school material but the material either doesn't arrive or arrives to late. The government sells these materials to book stores for more than the school children can pay. The children then cannot afford to buy the supplies from these stores. The government is supposed to give milk to the children at school but no milk arrives. Many children have to travel for two hours to arrive at school without anything in their stomach. We want the government to send the school materials at the beginning of the school and to the school - not later after selling them to book stores for more money." Some teachers, like Jose, have a small village hotel and donate fifty percent of their profit to help the children buy schoolbooks.

099_guato120

Mam Mayan Shepherd, La Ventosa, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan children shepherds. Near La Ventosa village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

100_guatod65

Mam Mayans herding sheep, La Ventosa, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan child with mother herding sheep near thier home at La Ventosa Village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

101_guatod99

Mam Mayan Shepherd, La Ventosa Village, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan child with mother herding sheep near thier home at La Ventosa Village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

102_guato270

Mam Mayan woman and child, Todos Santos, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan woman with child in the Todos Santos village market. Todos Santos Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango Region, Guatemala, Central America

103_guato223

Mam Mayans weaving with backstrap loom, Todos Santos, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayans weaving on a backstrap loom outside their home in Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

104_guato196

Mam Mayan man, Todos Santos, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

105_guato194

Mam Maya man, Todos Santos Cuchumatanes, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

106_guato169

Mam Mayan sandals, Todos Santos Cuchumatanes Village, Western Highlands, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Mam Mayan man's sandals. Todos Santos village in Guatemala's Western Highlands, Sierra De Los Cuchumatanes, District of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Central America

107_guasay05

Ferryboat crossing Rio de la Passion, near Ceibal Ruins, Sayaxche, El Peten, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Ferryboat carrying a rural bus over Rio de la Passion to Sayaxche Village near the Ancient Mayan City of Ceibal, Sayaxche, Department of Peten, Guatemala. Upriver from Sayaxche Village is the Ancient Mayan City of Ceibal, also called Seibal which in Spanish means place of the ceiba tree. The Maya City of Seibal served as a tollgate for barges navigation Rio de la Passion in the Ancient Maya period.

108_guasay07

Boat crossing Rio de la Pasion, near Ciebal Ruins, Sayaxche, Department of Peten, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Boat crossing the Rio de la Pasion near Ciebal Ruins. Sayaxche, Department of Peten, Guatemala, Central America

109_guagua04c

Monterrico Nature Reserve, Biotopo Monterrico, Monterrico, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Monterrico Nature Reserve (Biotopo Monterrico) along Guatemala's Pacific Coast. Monterrico, Taxisco, Department of Santa Rosa, Guatemala, Central America Monterrico Nature Reserve (Biotopo Monterrico) : A nature reserve with multiple objectives to conserve coastal wildlife such as the green iguana, marine turtle and crocodile. Its primary purpose is the protection of mangrove forests and sea turtles. This reserve is an interaction of subtropical ecosystems, estuaries of saline water and the seasonably flooded sea coast. Covering 6,918 acres, of which 657 are under water, it is habitat to a great variety of fish and crustaceans and a sanctuary for migrating birds. Its principal river system became the Chiquimulilla Canal when it was created in 1895 in order to navigate 785 miles of marshland, lakes and pools parallel to the south coast. Flora includes mangroves, bulrushes, white water lilies and bromeliads. On the coastal sand banks there are fruit, medicinal and timber trees.

110_gualiv57

Garifuna girl wearing crown, Garifuna festival, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna girl wearing crown at Garifuna festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala. Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America. Garifuna is the name of the distinct people who are the mixture of the South American Arawak and Carib Indians and the Africans who fused together on the island of St. Vincent. The Garinagu (plural) were the inhabitants of St. Vincent Island until the British forced them into exile in 1797. They are considered the only Black Ameri-Indians who live in the Caribbean coast of Central America starting from Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. The Garifuna people have maintained their own language and traditions which are unique and greatly influenced by African and Native Indian traditions and customs. La Buga is the Garifuna name for Livingston a small city in the Izabal region of Guatemala. La Buga, along with Puerto Barrios, are the major centers in Guatemala where Garifuna reside.

111_gualiv45

Garifuna man, Garifuna festival, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America. Garifuna is the name of the distinct people who are the mixture of the South American Arawak and Carib Indians and the Africans who fused together on the island of St. Vincent. The Garinagu (plural) were the inhabitants of St. Vincent Island until the British forced them into exile in 1797. They are considered the only Black Ameri-Indians who live in the Caribbean coast of Central America starting from Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. The Garifuna people have maintained their own language and traditions which are unique and greatly influenced by African and Native Indian traditions and customs. La Buga is the Garifuna name for Livingston a small city in the Izabal region of Guatemala. La Buga, along with Puerto Barrios, are the major centers in Guatemala where Garifuna reside.

112_gualiv74

Garifuna Festival, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America. Garifuna is the name of the distinct people who are the mixture of the South American Arawak and Carib Indians and the Africans who fused together on the island of St. Vincent. The Garinagu (plural) were the inhabitants of St. Vincent Island until the British forced them into exile in 1797. They are considered the only Black Ameri-Indians who live in the Caribbean coast of Central America starting from Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. The Garifuna people have maintained their own language and traditions which are unique and greatly influenced by African and Native Indian traditions and customs. La Buga is the Garifuna name for Livingston a small city in the Izabal region of Guatemala. La Buga, along with Puerto Barrios, are the major centers in Guatemala where Garifuna reside.

113_gualiv16

Garifuna festival, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America. Garifuna is the name of the distinct people who are the mixture of the South American Arawak and Carib Indians and the Africans who fused together on the island of St. Vincent. The Garinagu (plural) were the inhabitants of St. Vincent Island until the British forced them into exile in 1797. They are considered the only Black Ameri-Indians who live in the Caribbean coast of Central America starting from Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. The Garifuna people have maintained their own language and traditions which are unique and greatly influenced by African and Native Indian traditions and customs. La Buga is the Garifuna name for Livingston a small city in the Izabal region of Guatemala. La Buga, along with Puerto Barrios, are the major centers in Guatemala where Garifuna reside.

114_guali129

Garifuna children, Garifuna festival, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna children celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston, Guatemala. Fiesta De Recuerdo De Nuestra Descendencia Garifuna festival with traditional music and dancing (May 15) to celebrate the arrival of the first Garifuna on the shores of Guatemala. Livingston, District of Izabal, Guatemala, Central America. Garifuna is the name of the distinct people who are the mixture of the South American Arawak and Carib Indians and the Africans who fused together on the island of St. Vincent. The Garinagu (plural) were the inhabitants of St. Vincent Island until the British forced them into exile in 1797. They are considered the only Black Ameri-Indians who live in the Caribbean coast of Central America starting from Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. The Garifuna people have maintained their own language and traditions which are unique and greatly influenced by African and Native Indian traditions and customs. La Buga is the Garifuna name for Livingston a small city in the Izabal region of Guatemala. La Buga, along with Puerto Barrios, are the major centers in Guatemala where Garifuna reside.

115_gualiv95

Garifuna girls playing checkers, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna girls play checkers with bottlecaps on a makeshift checkerboard in Livingston Guatemala. Garifuna is the name of the distinct people who are the mixture of the South American Arawak and Carib Indians and the Africans who fused together on the island of St. Vincent. The Garinagu (plural) were the inhabitants of St. Vincent Island until the British forced them into exile in 1797. They are considered the only Black Ameri-Indians who live in the Caribbean coast of Central America starting from Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. The Garifuna people have maintained their own language and traditions which are unique and greatly influenced by African and Native Indian traditions and customs. La Buga is the Garifuna name for Livingston a small city in the Izabal region of Guatemala. La Buga, along with Puerto Barrios, are the major centers in Guatemala where Garifuna reside.

116_guali158

Garifuna man and children, Garifuna festival, Livingston, Guatemala

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna man and children at festival celebrating arrival of Garifunas in Livingston Guatemala. Garifuna is the name of the distinct people who are the mixture of the South American Arawak and Carib Indians and the Africans who fused together on the island of St. Vincent. The Garinagu (plural) were the inhabitants of St. Vincent Island until the British forced them into exile in 1797. They are considered the only Black Ameri-Indians who live in the Caribbean coast of Central America starting from Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. The Garifuna people have maintained their own language and traditions which are unique and greatly influenced by African and Native Indian traditions and customs. La Buga is the Garifuna name for Livingston a small city in the Izabal region of Guatemala. La Buga, along with Puerto Barrios, are the major centers in Guatemala where Garifuna reside.

117b_belsei15

Garifuna boy, Seine Bight Village, Stann Creek, Belize

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna boy, Seine Bight Village, Stann Creek District, Belize, Central America Seine Bight Village is located about 3 miles north of the village of Placencia and stretches about four miles along the Peninsula. Garinagu settled in Seine Bight about the year 1869. Seine Bight Village is one of six Garifuna communities in Belize. Bight is a depression in the coastline. Scottish pirates were the first to call this area "Seine Bight". They used a net called a seine to catch fishes. On May 18th 2001, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, proclaimed the Garifuna Language, Music and Dance a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The inhabitants of Seine Bight are descendants of a people who originated in St. Vincent. These people who were the result of a mixture of Africans who had been intended for slaves and the local Carib Indians of St. Vincent. The Garinagu people had a long journey to reach the shores of Belize, being sent first to the island of Balliceaux, then on to Rotan before a group finally came to Belize. These arrived in Belize on November 19th, 1832. They settled in Seine Bight about the year 1869. Seine Bight now has a population of over 800 people and is still predominantly a community of Garinagu. They speak English, but still maintain the Garifuna language, which is an African dialect with a strong mixture of French, Spanish and English words. Today they preserve their cultural drumming, dances and customs and welcome visitors to share their culture. Notwithstanding their turbulent history, the Garifuna have managed to preserve their unique culture with their punta and Wanaragua dances, sacred drumming, Anancy folk tales, ancestral worship, Elder's Councils and other cultural practices.

117_belsei13

Garifuna boy, Seine Bight Village, Belize

CAPTION: Photograph of Garifuna boy, Seine Bight Village, Belize, Central America. Seine Bight Village is located about 3 miles north of the village of Placencia and stretches about four miles along the Peninsula. Garinagu settled in Seine Bight about the year 1869. Seine Bight Village is one of six Garifuna communities in Belize. Bight is a depression in the coastline. Scottish pirates were the first to call this area "Seine Bight". They used a net called a seine to catch fish. On May 18th 2001, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, proclaimed the Garifuna Language, Music and Dance a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The inhabitants of Seine Bight are descendants of a people who originated in St. Vincent. These people who were the result of a mixture of Africans who had been intended for slaves and the local Carib Indians of St. Vincent. The Garinagu people had a long journey to reach the shores of Belize, being sent first to the island of Balliceaux, then on to Rotan before a group finally came to Belize. These arrived in Belize on November 19th, 1832. They settled in Seine Bight about the year 1869. Seine Bight now has a population of over 800 people and is still predominantly a community of Garinagu. They speak English, but still maintain the Garifuna language, which is an African dialect with a strong mixture of French, Spanish and English words. Today they preserve their cultural drumming, dances and customs and welcome visitors to share their culture. The Garifuna have managed to preserve their unique culture with their punta and Wanaragua dances, sacred drumming, Anancy folk tales, ancestral worship, Elder's Councils and other cultural practices.

118_beltob08

Tobacco Caye, Belize

CAPTION: Photograph of Tobacco Caye, Belize, Central America Tobacco Caye is a five acre coral island on the Southern Belize Barrier Reef in the Caribbean Sea. Tobacco Caye is on the northern tip of the South Water Caye Marine Reserve. Tobacco Caye was first settled by English Puritans who named the island after the first crop they planted here around 1640. The islands of Belize were used as hideouts by pirates and buccaneers.

119_beltob01

Tobacco Caye, Belize

CAPTION: Photograph of Tobacco Caye, Belize, Central America Tobacco Caye is a five acre coral island on the Southern Belize Barrier Reef in the Caribbean Sea. Tobacco Caye is on the northern tip of the South Water Caye Marine Reserve. Tobacco Caye was first settled by English Puritans who named the island after the first crop they planted here around 1640. The islands of Belize were used as hideouts by pirates and buccaneers.

120_belcau01

Pier at Ignacio's Beach Cabins, Caye Caulker, Belize

CAPTION: Photograph of Pier at Ignacio's Beach Cabins, Caye Caulker, Belize. Located one mile west of Belize Barrier Reef, Caye Caulker is a four mile long island, part of a chain of islands forming the Belize Barrier Reef of the Caribbean Sea. Caye Caulker, located 21 miles northeast of Belize City and 11 miles south of Ambergris Caye, is the second largest of the Belizean cayes. Caye Caulker is primarily a fishing village whose inhabitants are of Mestizo-Spanish descent. Most of the families that live here have been fishing here in the Caribbean for many years. Caye Caulker was uninhabited until the middle of the nineteenth century. A small number of the refugees fleeing civil war on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula ended up on Caye Caulker. The settlers planted coconuts and eventually developed a profitable fishing industry based on cooperatives. Beginning in the 1960's, small numbers of tourists began visiting Caye Caulker. Tourism has increased substantially since then, especially since the new airstrip was built at the outskirts of town in 1992. But Caye Caulker is still quiet, unhurried and relaxing beach town. Caye Caulker, Belize, Central America.

121_belpel02

Pelican and seagull, Caye Caulker, Belize

CAPTION: Photograph of Pelican and seagull at Caye Caulker, Belize, Central America Located one mile west of Belize Barrier Reef, Caye Caulker is a four mile long island, part of a chain of islands forming the Belize Barrier Reef of the Caribbean Sea. Caye Caulker, located 21 miles northeast of Belize City and 11 miles south of Ambergris Caye, is the second largest of the Belizean cayes. Caye Caulker is primarily a fishing village whose inhabitants are of Mestizo-Spanish descent. Most of the families that live here have been fishing here in the Caribbean for many years. Caye Caulker was uninhabited until the middle of the nineteenth century. A small number of the refugees fleeing civil war on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula ended up on Caye Caulker. The settlers planted coconuts and eventually developed a profitable fishing industry based on cooperatives. Beginning in the 1960's, small numbers of tourists began visiting Caye Caulker. Tourism has increased substantially since then, especially since the new airstrip was built at the outskirts of town in 1992. But Caye Caulker is still quiet, unhurried and relaxing beach town. Caye Caulker, Belize, Central America.

122_mextou01

Keel-Billed Toucan, Belize

CAPTION: Photograph of Keel-Billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), Belize The Keel-billed Toucan, also called a bill bird, is the national bird of Belize. Keel-billed toucans are found throughout Belize's forests and nest in holes in tree trunks. Toucans eat tropical forest fruits, insects, lizards, snakes and eggs of smaller birds. They lay one to four eggs and the parent birds take turns incubating the eggs. Toucans live from Southern Mexico to Northern Columbia and they can be seen along the Mayan Route.

123_belrio09

Rio Frio Cave, Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, Cayo, Belize

CAPTION: Photograph of Rio Frio Cave, largest accessible limestone cavern in Belize. Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, Cayo District, Belize. Excerpt from www.belizeexplorer.com : "The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is a 300-square-mile area featuring Caribbean Pine and bracken ferns. The geology of the Mountain Pine Ridge is dominated by massive uplifting of ancient rock. These rocks are among the oldest formations in the Americas. Some geologists theorize that when the entire Central American isthmus was covered by the sea, only the Mountain Pine Ridge region lay exposed as an island. The geology of the Mountain Pine Ridge becomes even more apparent when you consider the vegetation. Throughout the reserve, the soils and vegetation form a habitat called "pine ridge". This habitat is characterized by poor soils and dense stands of Caribbean Pine. Where the "pine ridge" meets the rich soils of the tropical forests along the southern boundary, the vegetation changes abruptly from one side of the Macal River to the other. Just past the administrative center of Augustine, lies the Rio Frio Cave. The huge entrance to the cave is draped by vines and trees. Though there is enough light in the cave to walk from one entrance to the other, it is better to use a flashlight as the rocks within are often slippery and very uneven in places. A stream runs through the cave and both stalagmites and stalactites create a beautiful scene within the cave. This cave is full of bats and is a great introduction to the massive cave systems which pockmark Belize."

124_belrio01

Rio Frio Cave, Mountain Pine Ridge, Cayo, Belize

CAPTION: Photograph of Rio Frio Cave, largest accessible limestone cavern in Belize. Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, Cayo District, Belize. Excerpt from www.belizeexplorer.com : "The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is a 300-square-mile area featuring Caribbean Pine and bracken ferns. The geology of the Mountain Pine Ridge is dominated by massive uplifting of ancient rock. These rocks are among the oldest formations in the Americas. Some geologists theorize that when the entire Central American isthmus was covered by the sea, only the Mountain Pine Ridge region lay exposed as an island. The geology of the Mountain Pine Ridge becomes even more apparent when you consider the vegetation. Throughout the reserve, the soils and vegetation form a habitat called "pine ridge". This habitat is characterized by poor soils and dense stands of Caribbean Pine. Where the "pine ridge" meets the rich soils of the tropical forests along the southern boundary, the vegetation changes abruptly from one side of the Macal River to the other. Just past the administrative center of Augustine, lies the Rio Frio Cave. The huge entrance to the cave is draped by vines and trees. Though there is enough light in the cave to walk from one entrance to the other, it is better to use a flashlight as the rocks within are often slippery and very uneven in places. A stream runs through the cave and both stalagmites and stalactites create a beautiful scene within the cave. This cave is full of bats and is a great introduction to the massive cave systems which pockmark Belize."

125_belhow14

Black Howler Monkey, Community Baboon Sanctuary, Bermudian Landing, Belize

CAPTION: Photograph of Black Howler Monkey, Community Baboon Sanctuary, Bermudian Landing, Belize. Bermudian Landing Community Baboon Sanctuary was established to protect the local population of Black Howler Monkeys in the Belizean Rainforest through community participation in appropriate land management. Community Baboon Sanctuary reserve is also home to 200 bird species, with iguanas, peccaries and coatis among other animals. The endangered Black Howler Monkey has very limited range including Belize, Southern Mexico and Northern Guatemala. It is one of the six howler monkey species found in Central and South America. It is one of two monkeys found in Belize, the other being the spider monkey. One of the most remarkable traits of the howler monkey is its loud, rasping howl, which can be heard roaring across the forest for well over a mile. The black howler monkey typically lives in troops of 4-12 individuals with a dominant male heading the troop. The monkeys are strictly vegetarian eating a wide variety of leaves, flowers and fruit. The Black Howler Monkey is the largest monkey in the Americas. Known locally in Bermudian Landing as baboons, Black Howlers have a notorious howl, a deep resonating and raspy cougar-like roar that can be heard for over a mile.

01israela3b7382

Israeli soldier and Orthodox Jewish man praying at the Western Wall, Old Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Israeli soldier and Orthodox Jew praying at the Western Wall, Old Jerusalem, Israel. The Western Wall, also known as the Kotel, Wailing Wall, Wailing-place of the Jews, is the most holy place accessible to the Jewish people because of Muslim control of the Temple Mount. Known in recent centuries as the "Wailing Wall" this was built by Herod the Great as the retaining wall of the Temple Mount complex. The plaza was created as an area for prayer when Israel captured the Old City in 1967. Western Wall, Old Jerusalem, Israel.

02israela3b7353

Orthodox Jewish Israeli man praying at the Western Wall, Old Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Orthodox Jewish Israeli man praying at the Western Wall, Old Jerusalem, Israel

03israela3b7352b

Man praying at the Western Wall, Old Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Man praying at the Western Wall, Old Jerusalem, Israel

04israela3b7360

Siddur Jewish prayer book, The Western Wall, Old Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Jewish Israeli man praying with a Jewish prayer book called a siddur. Prayer papers are stuck into the cracks of The Western Wall, Old Jerusalem, Israel

05israela3b6933pano08c

Memorial display of Jewish children Holocaust victims, The Children's Memorial, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Memorial display of unknown photographers' portraits of Jewish children killed in the Holocaust, The Children's Memorial in Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, Jerusalem, Israel. The photographs are suspended between glass sheets which reflect the images into the adjacent sheets creating a ghostly appearance. Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, was established in 1953 by an act of the Israeli Knesset. Since its inception, Yad Vashem has been entrusted with documenting the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust period, preserving the memory and story of each of the six million victims, and imparting the legacy of the Holocaust for generations to come through its archives, library, school, museums and recognition of the Righteous Among the Nations. Located on Har Hazikaron, the Mount of Remembrance, in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem is a vast, sprawling complex of tree-studded walkways leading to museums, exhibits, archives, monuments, sculptures, and memorials. This unique memorial, hollowed out from an underground cavern, is a tribute to the approximately 1.5 million Jewish children who perished during the Holocaust. Memorial candles, a customary Jewish tradition to remember the dead, are reflected infinitely in a dark and somber space, creating the impression of millions of stars shining in the firmament. The names of murdered children, their ages and countries of origin can be heard in the background. The children's names are taken from Pages of Testimony in the Hall of Names, Yad Vashem.

06israela3b6963pano09e

Yad Vashem, The New Holocaust History Museum, Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Yad Vashem, The New Holocaust History Museum (architect Moshe Safdie), Jerusalem, Israel. A Jewish woman looks out from a triangular structure after visiting the Children's Holocaust Memorial at Yad Vashem the New Holocaust History Museum. The opening in the structure symbolizes a hopeful future for the Jewish people. Designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the new Holocaust History Museum is a prism-like triangular structure that penetrates the mountain from one side to the other, with both ends dramatically cantilevering into the open air. The triangular form of the structure was chosen to support the pressure of the earth above the prism while bringing in daylight from above through a 200 meter-long glass skylight. The skylight allows gleams of daylight to contrast with darker areas required for multimedia presentations. Within the galleries, light enters through localized skylights varying from diffused to clear glass, depending on the requirements of each exhibit. The entire structure of the museum, floors, wall, interior and exterior are reinforced concrete. Throughout the prism, the triangular cross-section varies, becoming narrower at the center. The warped surface formed by this variation, amplified by a gently sloping floor, creates a changing sequence of spaces and gives the illusion of descending deep into the mountain. As the route nears its northern exit, the floor begins to ascend and the triangle opens up again, with the exit bursting forth from the mountain's slope to a dramatic view of modern-day Jerusalem. The New Museum consists of the Holocaust History Museum-and within it the Hall of Names, the Museum of Holocaust Art, and the Exhibitions Pavilion. The New Holocaust History Museum A decade in the making, the new Holocaust History Museum combines the best of Yad Vashem's expertise, resources and state-of-the-art exhibits to take Holocaust remembrance well into the 21st century.

07aisraela3b7465

Priest in Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Priest in The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known as the Church of the Resurrection (Anastasis) to Eastern Orthodox Christians, is a Christian church in the Old City of Jerusalem. The ground on which the church rests is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha, the Hill of Calvary, where the New Testament describes that Jesus was crucified. It also is said to contain the place where Jesus was reportedly buried (the sepulchre). The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been an important pilgrimage destination since the 4th century, and it remains the holiest Christian site in the world. Today it serves as the headquarters of the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Catholic Archpriest of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Old Jerusalem, Israel

07israela3b7474sfx

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Woman praying with Cross, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known as the Church of the Resurrection (Anastasis) to Eastern Orthodox Christians, is a Christian church in the Old City of Jerusalem. The ground on which the church rests is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha, the Hill of Calvary, where the New Testament describes that Jesus was crucified. It also is said to contain the place where Jesus was reportedly buried (the sepulchre). The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been an important pilgrimage destination since the 4th century, and it remains the holiest Christian site in the world. Today it serves as the headquarters of the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Catholic Archpriest of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Old Jerusalem, Israel

08israela3b7845pano07c

The Edicule of The Church of The Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of The Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre (The Tomb of Christ) with the dome of the rotunda. Old Jerusalem, Israel. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Old Jerusalem, Israel is the site of the Crucifixion, Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. The ground on which the church stands is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha, the Hill of Calvary, where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified. It is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since the 4th century. Today it serves as the headquarters of the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Catholic Archpriest of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. The funeral room of the Holy Sepulchre is 8.30m long, 5.9m wide and 5.9m high. As it stands today it is the Greek restoration dating from 1810.

09israela3b7809

Nuns praying, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Nuns praying, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known as the Church of the Resurrection (Anastasis) to Eastern Orthodox Christians, is a Christian church in the Old City of Jerusalem. The ground on which the church rests is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha, the Hill of Calvary, where the New Testament describes that Jesus was crucified. It also is said to contain the place where Jesus was reportedly buried (the sepulchre). The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been an important pilgrimage destination since the 4th century, and it remains the holiest Christian site in the world. Today it serves as the headquarters of the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Catholic Archpriest of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Old Jerusalem, Israel

10israela3b7910pano03c

Dome of the Rock or Temple Mount, Haram es-Sharif, Old Jerusalem, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Dome of the Rock, Haram es-Sharif (Temple Mount), Old City, Jerusalem, Israel The Dome of the Rock in the center of the Temple Mount, or Mount Moriah. The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine in what Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary (al-Haram al-Qudsi al-Sharif which Jews and Christians call Har ha-Bayit or the Temple Mount - it remains one of the best known landmarks of Jerusalem. It was built between 687 and 691 by the 9th Caliph, Abd al-Malik. For centuries, European travelers have called it the Mosque of Umar. From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dome_of_the_Rock The rock in the center of the dome is believed by Muslims to be the spot from which Muhammad ascended for a night-long journey to Heaven in AD 621, accompanied by the angel Gabriel. There he consulted with Moses, did some Nikah Ijtimah and was given the (now obligatory) Islamic prayers before returning to Earth. A Qur'anic verse says that Muhammad took an instantaneous night journey on Buraq from al-Masjid al-Haram ("the sacred mosque", interpreted as being in Mecca) to al-Masjid al-Aqsa ("the farthest mosque", interpreted as being in Jerusalem). In Judaism the stone is the site where Abraham fulfilled God's test to see if he would be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19). (Muslims believe that this event involved Abraham's other son Ishmael and occurred in the desert of Mina where millions of Muslims offer pilgrimage every year). There is some controversy among secular scholars about equating Mount Moriah (where Isaac's binding occurred according to the Biblical narrative), the Temple Mount, and the rock where Jacob dreamt about angels ascending and descending on a ladder to heaven (Genesis 28:10-19); but for Orthodox Jews, there is no doubt that all these events occurred on this spot. Situated inside the Holy of Holies, this was the rock upon which the Ark of the Covenant was placed in the First Temple.

11israela3b9434pano02

Panorama of Tel Aviv skyline at night from Jaffa. Tel Aviv Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Panorama of Tel Aviv skyline at night from Jaffa. Tel Aviv Israel From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo is the second most populous city of Israel, located on the Mediterranean coast. It is the main city of the largest and most populous metropolitan area in Israel, Gush Dan (Dan Bloc), which has a population of 3.04 million. The city itself has a population of 382,500 over an area covering 50,553 dunams (50.6 km² or 19.5 sq mi). As of 2007, it has been named the costliest city in the Middle East. The City of Tel Aviv was originally founded in the 1909 by Jewish immigrants as an alternative to the expensive neighbouring, historic town of Jaffa. Tel Aviv grew and grew, and eventually overtook the Arab dominated town. The two towns became united in the single municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo in 1950, two years after the establishment of the State of Israel. Tel Aviv is today viewed by many as Israel's economic capital (Jerusalem is the official capital) and the city lies in the area known internationally as Silicon Wadi. Tel Aviv is also viewed by many to be the country's cultural capital with a vibrant, modern, cosmopolitan character, and a UNESCO World Heritage Status for its Bauhaus architecture. The name Tel Aviv in Hebrew means "Hill (tel) of Spring (aviv)". This is the title given by Nahum Sokolow to his Hebrew translation of Theodor Herzl's book Altneuland (German: "The Old New Land"). In July 2003 Tel Aviv-Yafo was declared a cultural UNESCO World Heritage site for the many "International" style (also known as Bauhaus after the German school it originated from) buildings built in the city during the 1930s-50s. As this style emphasized simplicity and the white color, Tel Aviv is also called the White City.

12israel8753

Azrieli Towers with Star of David lights for ELEM - Israeli Association for Youth in Distress in Israel. Tel Aviv, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Azrieli Towers with Star of David lights for the Israeli association ELEM - Youth in Distress in Israel. Tel Aviv, Israel. Every time someone makes a donation to ELEM, association for Youth in Distress in Israel, a light is turned on the Israeli flag celebrating Israeli Independence Day.

13israel8675

Memorial for Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assasination November 4, 1995, Tel Aviv, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Monument at site for assassination of Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Yitzhak Rabin on November 4, 1995 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin took place on November 4, 1995 at 21:30, by a Jewish assassin at the end of a mass demonstration in Kikar Malchei Yisrael in Tel Aviv in support of the Oslo agreements peace process at the Tel Aviv City Hall in the Kings of Israel Square, Tel Aviv, Israel. The monument is composed of broken rocks, which represent the political earthquake that the assassination represents.

14israel8414

Musician-clown Lesched Schmuel, Nachlat Binyamin Promdenade, Tel Aviv, Israel

CAPTION: Photograph of Live Street show musician-clown Mr. Lesched Schmuel on Nachlat Binyamin Promdenade, Tel Aviv, Israel The Nachlat Binyamin outdoor pedestrian mall is near Tel Aviv's Shuk Hakarmel (Carmel Market) and Alenbi and Shinkin areas. On Tuesdays and Fridays there is an artists fair with small stands in the middle of the mall with artists, semi-artists and other characters selling their merchandise. On fair days and mostly on Fridays, there are live music street shows in the mall.

01istan008

Suleymaniye Camii, Suleiman the Magnificent mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Suleymaniye Camii or Suleiman the Magnificent mosque on the Golden Horn with Istanbul Harbour, Istanbul, Turkey This second largest mosque in Istanbul is a testimony to the greatest ruler of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman the Magnificent the 10th Sultan of Ottoman Empire. The construction of the Suleiman Mosque began in 1550 and the mosque itself was completed in 1557. The mosque is actually a complex building with the tombs of Suleiman and his wife, Hurrem Sultan (Roxelana).

02istan181

Blue Mosque minarets and water fountains, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmed Camii minarets and water fountains at night, Istanbul, Turkey

03istan211

Turkish belly-dancer, or Raqs Sharqi dancer, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Female Turkish bellydancer in nightclub bellydancing, or Raqs Sharqi dancing, Istanbul, Turkey

04istan040

Turkish man smoking narghile hookah, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Turkish man in a Narghile Cafe smoking Narghile from Narghile Hookah, Istanbul, Turkey

05istan317

Cemberlitas Steam Bath or Çemberlitas Hamam, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Inside the Cemberlitas Steam Bath or Çemberlitas Hamam, designed by the architect Sinan, located on Divanyolu Street, Çemberlitas Square, Istanbul, Turkey

06istan175

Yeni Camii Mosque and Suleymaniye Camii or Suleiman the Magnificent Mosque, Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Yeni Camii Mosque and Suleymaniye Camii or Suleiman the Magnificent mosque at evening on the Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey.

07istan550b

Grand Bazaar, Kapali Carsisi, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of The Grand Bazaar, Kapaliçarsi or Kapali Carsisi, covered Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey

08istan096

Spices in Grand Bazaar or Kapali Carsisi, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Spices in the Grand Bazaar, Turkish: Kapaliçarsi or Kapali Carsisi, covered Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey

09istan330

Turkish shoe shine man, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Turkish shoeshine man and boys in Balat Jewish quarter, Istanbul, Turkey

10istan313

Suleymaniye Camii, Suleiman the Magnificent Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Suleymaniye Camii or Suleiman the Magnificent mosque on the Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey

11istan180d

Yeni Camii Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Yeni Camii Mosque, New Mosque, or Valide Sultan Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey.

12istan199

Muslim woman praying, Fatih Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror tomb, Suleymaniye Camii Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Muslim woman praying at tomb of Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Mehmet the Conqueror) in Suleymaniye Camii or Suleiman the Magnificent mosque on the Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey

13istan045

Hagia Sophia Mosque mimbar, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Interior view of the Hagia Sophia Mosque mimbar (16th c.), from where the imam preached, and the Theotokos mosaic in the apse, Istanbul, Turkey.

14istan345bpano02

Suleymaniye Camii, Suleiman the Magnificent Mosque, The Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey

CAPTION: Photograph of Suleymaniye Camii or Suleiman the Magnificent mosque on the Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey This second largest mosque in Istanbul is a testimony to the greatest ruler of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman the Magnificent the 10th Sultan of Ottoman Empire. The construction of the Suleiman Mosque began in 1550 and the mosque itself was completed in 1557. The mosque is actually a complex building with the tombs of Suleiman and his wife, Hurrem Sultan (Roxelana).

01_mexlac01

Lacandon Maya, Cascadas Lacanja, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya at Cascadas Lacanja, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Selva Lacandona, Lacandon Jungle, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

02_mexnah56

Lacandon Maya dugout canoe on Lake Naha, Naha Village, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya dugout canoe on Lake Naha, Naha Village, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

03_mexnah01

Lacandon Mayas fishing in dugout canoe, Lake Naha, Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya boys fishing from a dugout canoe on Lake Naha, Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

04_mexnah22

Lacandon Mayas fishing in dugout canoe, Lake Naha, Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya boys fishing from a dugout canoe on Lake Naha, Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

06_mexnah23

Lacandon Mayan paddling dugout canoe, Naha Lake, Naha Village. Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya boy paddling a dugout canoe on Naha Lake near Naha Village. Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

08_mexnah49

Lacandon Mayan paddling dugout canoe, Naha Lake, Naha Village. Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya boy paddling a dugout canoe on Naha Lake near Naha Village. Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

09_mexlac30

Lacandon Maya spear-fishing, Laguna Lacanja, Lacanja Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of K'in Bor spear-fishing at Laguna Lacanja, near Lacanja Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico Even though he wears western clothing, his fishing talents are true Lacandon. While trekking to Laguna Lacanja K'in Bor stops and points to the ground saying, "Serpente". It's a nauyaca (pit viper or fer-de-lance). My eyes are about two feet from the snake and it takes awhile to see the virtually invisible snake on the forest floor. I wonder how bare-footed Lacandons can see a deadly snake, or spider, in this camouflaged environment? Their senses detect things that we don't even know exist. He starts sniffing the air and spots a wild boar. A little later he smells honey and finds a bee hive. Here, there's a whole different palate of senses. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

10_mexna126

Lacandon shaman, Chan K'in Quatro, burning copal in temple, Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya shaman Chan K'in Quatro performs ritual burning copal in a "god pot" and "speaking in tounges" in a temple. Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

11_mexlac17

Lacandon Maya at Lacanja Ruins, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Mayan boy Pancho at Ruinas Lacanja in Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

13_mexlac03b

Lacandon Maya, Lacanja Village, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of 9-year old Lacandon Mayan boy "Pancho" at his home in Lacanja Village. Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

14_mexlac38

Lacandon Mayas, Eliseo Chanuk, Angel K'in, Lacanja village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandons boys Eliseo Chanuk & Angel K'in in Lacanja village.Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

15_mexlac08b

Lacandon Maya feet, Lacanja Village, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Mayan boy's bare-feet. Lacanja Village. Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

16_mexnah74

Lacandon Maya shaman, Chan K'in Viejo, Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya shaman and leader Chan K'in Viejo. Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. Chan K'in Viejo said, "Without its mahogany a forest dies into jungle where only snakes can live. Without Lacandon traditions the Hach Winik (Lacandon for True People) turn into drunken ladinos no different from those who burn and destroy our forest. When the last Lacandon dies the world will come to an end." The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

18_mexna177

Lacandon Maya woman, Mendez Chan K'In, Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya woman Mendez Chan K'In at home in Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

20_mexnah81b

Lacandon Maya, Juan Mendez Chan K'In, Naha, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya man Juan Mendez Chan K'In. Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

21_mexnah84

Lacandon Maya, Juan Mendez Chan K'In, Naha, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya man Juan Mendez Chan K'In. Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

22_mexnaha1

Lacandon Maya, Chan K'In Garcia Guerro Primero. Naha, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya boy Chan K'In Garcia Guerro Primero. Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

23_mexnah97

Lacandon shaman making balche ceremonial drink. Naha, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Maya ritual of making balche ceremonial drink. Naha Village, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

24_mexpal05

Temple of the Cross, Palenque, Chiapas Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Temple of the Cross, Palenque, Chiapas Mexico Temple of the Cross, The Cross Group, The Ancient Maya City of Palenque Archaeological Park, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. Palenque represents the western regional variant of Classic Maya civilization. Although the earliest occupation of the site dates to about 100 BC, it becomes a major population center only at about 600 AD and all construction at the site has ceased by about 800 AD. "The low relief carved stone tablets in the sanctuaries of the Cross Group temples, the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Foliated Cross, built by Chan Bahlum when he was forty-nine years old, are unique as to size and the complicated hieroglyphic information concerning the purpose of each temple, as well as the role of the three Palenque Tirad Gods GI, GII, and GIII, and the dynastic history of the kings and their legitimate right to rulership. Unlike any other group of buildings in the entire Maya realm, these three temples play the role of a Maya codex (bark paper book) in three parts. History, both real and mythical, is recorded, and it unfolds like the pages of a book from temple to temple." Merle Greene Robertson, Sculpture and Murals of the Usumacinta Region, in MAYA

26_mexpal07

Palace, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Palace, Palenque Archaeological Park, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. Located in the center of Palenque Archaeological Zone is the Palace that consists of four courtyards and a watchtower. Beneath Palenque's Palace is the Otulum Aqueduct that channels water from the Otulum stream. There are ancient latrines, and steam baths once used for physical and ritual cleansing. Palenque represents the western regional variant of Classic Maya civilization. Although the earliest occupation of the site dates to about 100 BC, it becomes a major population center only at about 600 AD and all construction ended circa 800 AD.

27_mexpal001

Palace, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Palace, Palenque Archaeological Park, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. Located in the center of Palenque Archaeological Zone is the Palace that consists of four courtyards and a watchtower. Beneath Palenque's Palace is the Otulum Aqueduct that channels water from the Otulum stream. There are ancient latrines, and steam baths once used for physical and ritual cleansing. Palenque represents the western regional variant of Classic Maya civilization. Although the earliest occupation of the site dates to about 100 BC, it becomes a major population center only at about 600 AD and all construction ended circa 800 AD.

29_mexpal04

Temple of the Sun, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Temple of the Sun, Palenque, Chiapas Mexico The Ancient Maya City of Palenque Archaeological Park, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. Palenque represents the western regional variant of Classic Maya civilization. Although the earliest occupation of the site dates to about 100 BC, it becomes a major population center only at about 600 AD and all construction at the site has ceased by about 800 AD. "Images of war and death sacrifice adorn the panel in the pib na of the Temple of the Sun. A Sun Jaguar shield and crossed spears dominate the central icon. These images are sustained aloft by a throne with bleeding jaguar heads emerging from one axis, and bleeding dragons from the other. The throne and its burden of war rest on the shoulders of God L and another aged god from the Otherworld. Both are bent over like captives under the feet of victorious warrior kings. This scene recalls the defeat of the Lords of Death at the beginning of time by the Hero Twins. Captive sacrifice was the source of life through the reenactment of the magical rebirth of these heroic ancestors of the Maya people. God L, who received the greetings of the new king in the Temple of the Cross, now hold up the burden of war and sacrifice. In both cases, ritual performance by the king involved Otherworld denizens in the human community. Here in the Temple of the Sun, the power object is not actually passed from the inside scene to the outside, as in the other temples; but the intent of the composition is still the same. On the inner panel, Pacal holds a full-bodied eccentric flint and a shield made of a flayed human face: symbols of war among the nobility of Palenque and other Maya kingdoms. If we move to the outer panels, on one we see Chan-Bahlum holding a bleeding jaguar on a small throne as the symbol of sacrificial death. On the opposite panel, he wears cotton battle armor with a rolled flexible shield hanging down his back. The tall staff he wields is probably a battle spear typical of the kind carried by warrior kings at other sites. The parallelism here is nicely rendered. On the one side, he is emerging from the pib na as a warrior prepared to capture the enemies of his kingdom; on the other, he comes forth as the giver of sacrifice, the result of victory." From: Linda Schele and David Freidel, A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya, p. 243

30_mexlac10

Lacandon Mayans at Bonampak, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico

CAPTION: Photograph of Lacandon Mayans at Bonampak Archaeological Zone, Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico Bonampak is in the Lacandon Forest or Selva Lacandona in the Lacanha River Valley, Chiapas Mexico. Bonampak is a Classic Maya site in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, occupied from about 650-800 AD. Bonampak means "painted walls" and is known highly detailed frescoes depicting the history of the Mayan people who lived in Bonampak. The frescoes where painted on the inside of the walls and roofs of three buildings thousands of years ago. The Lacandons are indigenous peoples of La Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico. They refer to themselves as the Hach Winik or True People. The Lacandon culture has lived in the Lacandon Rainforest for hundreds of years. It is said the Lacandons are direct descendants of the classical civilizations of Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

001gresanz3

Greek lady laughing, Therassia Island, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek woman laughing, Therassia Island, Santorini, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

004grsan03b

Panorama of Fira Santorini, Nea Kameni Island, Therassia Island, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Fira Village and Santorini's south-western tip with Nea Kameni Island (center) and Therassia Island (right). Fira Village, Santorini Island, Thira Province, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

005grsanpan04

Panorama of Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands Group, Aegean Sea, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Oia Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands Group, Aegean Sea, Greece

006gresan04

Church Bell Tower, Nea Kameni Island, Therassia Island, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Church bell-tower at dusk with Nea Kameni (New Burnt Island) and Therassia Island from Santorini Island, Thira Province, Cyclades Islands Group, Aegean Sea, Greece

007gresan02b

Nea Kameni Island and Therassia Island, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Stairway on Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece with Nea Kameni (New Burnt Island) and Therassia Island from Santorini Island, Thira Province, Cyclades Islands Group, Aegean Sea, Greece

008gresant2

Nea Kameni Island, Therassia Island, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Stairway on Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece with Nea Kameni (New Burnt Island) and Therassia Island from Santorini Island, Thira Province, Cyclades Islands Group, Aegean Sea, Greece

009grsan9827

Mules Climbing Stairs, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Mules climbing stairs on Santorini Island with Therassia Island in background. Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

010grsan0831

Greek man, Fira Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Mule Driver, Fira Village, Santorini Island, Greece

011grsan0798

Greek Mule Driver, Fira Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Mule Driver, Fira Village, Santorini Island, Greece

012grsan0806

Greek Mule Drivers, Fira Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Mule Drivers, Fira Village, Santorini Island, Greece

013grsan0063

Greek Men, Imerovigli, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Men, Imerovigli Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

015grsan0056

Traditional Greek men, Imerovigli, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Men, Imerovigli Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

016gresanx2

Greek Fisherman, Therassia Island, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Mickey the Greek Fisherman, Therassia Island, Santorini, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

018gresanm1

Greek Fisherman, Therassia Island, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Mickey the Greek Fisherman, Therassia Island, Santorini, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

019gresany1

Greek woman knitting, Fira, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Old Greek woman knitting, Fira Village, Santorini Island, Thira Province, Cyclades Islands Group, Aegean Sea, Greece

021gresan46

Old Greek lady climbing stairs, Therassia Island, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Old Greek lady climbing stairs on Therassia Island, Santorini, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

022grsan0435

Greek woman Hanging Laundry, Therassia Island, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Woman Hanging Laundry, Therassia Island, Santorini, Thira Province, Kyklades Island Group, South Aegean Sea, Greece

023grsan9088

Laundry Drying In Aegean Breeze, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of White Linen-Laundry Drying In Aegean Sea Breeze, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

024grsan0058

Clothes Drying in Aegean Breeze, Orthodox Greek Church Cross, Imerovigli, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Clothes drying in the Aegean Sea breeze with Orthodox Greek Church and Cross, Imerovigli Village, Santorini Island, Greece

025grsan0063b

Clothes Drying in Aegean Breeze, Orthodox Greek Church Cross, Imerovigli, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Clothes drying in the Aegean Sea breeze with Orthodox Greek Church and Cross, Imerovigli Village, Santorini Island, Greece

026grsan8745

Orthodox Greek Church Bell Tower, Oia Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Church Bell Tower, Oia Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

029grsan9498

Oia Village Windmill, Oia, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Oia Village Windmill, Oia (Ia), Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

030grsan9609

Greek Windmill, Oia, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Oia Village Windmill, Oia (Ia), Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

033grsan9335b

Oia Windmill, Oia Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Oia Village Windmill, Oia (Ia), Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

035grsan9331

Windmill at Oia Village, Oia, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Oia Village Windmill, Oia (Ia), Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

038grsan9360

Oia Village Windmill, Oia, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Oia Village Windmill, Oia (Ia), Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

042grsan8955

Greek Church, Oia, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Church Bell Tower, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

043grsan9186

Greek Orthodox Church, Oia, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Church Bell Tower and Church Gate, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

046grsan9421

Riding mules to Oia Village, Oia, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Riding mules to Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

047grsan9308

Greek Church, Oia, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Church dome, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands Group, Aegean Sea, Greece

052grsan9217

Orthodox Greek Church, Oia, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Church dome, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands Group, Aegean Sea, Greece

057grsan0251b

Greek Church, Megalohori Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Church Bell Tower, Megalohori Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Islands, Greece

058grsan0264

Greek Church, Megalohori Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Church Bell Tower, Megalohori Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Islands, Greece

059grsan9653

Church in Fog, Imerovigli Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Church in Fog, Imerovigli Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

061grsan9607

Church in Fog, Imerovigli Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Church in Fog, Imerovigli Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

063grsan0750

Church Altar, Sanctus Ioannes Baptista Catholic Cathedral, Fira, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Sanctus Ioannes Baptista Catholic Cathedral Church Altar, Fira or Thira Village, Santorini Island, Thira Province, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

064grsan9209

Greek craftsman, carving Crucifix, Oia, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek craftsman carving Crucifixes, Oia Village, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

066grsan198

Greek Crucifixes, Greek Religious Icons, Oia, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Crucifixes and Greek Orthodox Religious Icons, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

067grsan9110

Greek Cat, Oia, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek cat at home, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

068grsan9129

Greek Cat, Oia, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek cat at home, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

069grsan8796

Dog sleeping, Oia, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek dog sleeping by Rooms For Rent sign, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

070grsan9293

Greek Dalmatian Dog, Oia Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Dalmatian dog, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

072grsan9266

Stones decorating Greek home, Fira Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Pebbles and Stones on wall of Greek home, Fira Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

073grsan8869

Santorini Stairway, Oia Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Santorini Stairways, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

074grsan9161

Santorini Villa, Oia Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Santorini Villa Patio, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

075grsan9177

Bookshelf, Oia, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Bookshelf outside bookstore, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

077grsan92041

Santorini Villa, Oia, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Santorini Villa Wall Detail, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

081grsan0288

Beach Umbrellas, Perissa Beach, Perissa, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Beach Umbrellas at Perissa Beach near Perivolos Beach, Perissa Town, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

082grsan0311

Beach Umbrellas, Perissa Beach, Perissa, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Beach Umbrellas at Perissa Beach near Perivolos Beach, Perissa Town, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

083gresa121

Kamari Beach, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Kamari Beach, Kamari Village, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

085gresan48

Santorini Villa, Oia Village, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Santorini Island villa, Oia (Ia) Village, Santorini Island, Hellenic Volcanic Arc, Cyclades Islands, South Aegean Sea, Greece

086gresan50

Katikies Hotel swimming pool, Oia, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Katikies Hotel swimming pool, Oia (Ia), Santorini Island, Santorini (Thera), Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

088grsan0429

Diving into hot-springs, Nea Kameni Volcano, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Diving into the hot-spring water which pours into the Aegean Sea from the Nea Kameni Volcano, Santorini Island, Greece

089gresan64

Swimming in volcanic hotsprings, Nea Kameni Island, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Swimming in hotsprings of volcanic island Nea Kameni, Santorini, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

090gresan65

Swimming in volcanic hotsprings, Nea Kameni Island, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Swimming in hotsprings of volcanic island Nea Kameni, Santorini, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

091grsan0642

Saxophone player on cruise sailboat, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Saxophone player on cruise sailboat, Santorini Island, Cyclades Islands, Aegean Sea, Greece

094grsan0517

Sailboat cruise at sunset, Santorini Island, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Sailboat cruise at sunset, Oia Village in background. Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

103grsan0243

Volcanic crater, Nea Kameni Island, Santorini Island, Thira, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Volcanic crater, Nea Kameni Island, Santorini Island, Thira, Greece

120grsan0858

Greek musician playing for Greek wedding, Imerovigli, Santorini Island

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek musician playing for wedding bride Nadia and her father going to Church, Imerovigli, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

159grsan9919

Kissing couple, Greek wedding mule-ride, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Mule ride to Church during Emma and Frankie wedding, Oia, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

160grsan0084

Bride at Greek wedding riding mule to Church, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Mule ride to Church during Emma and Frankie wedding, Oia, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

161grsan8661

Greek wedding mule-ride to Church, Santorini, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Mule ride to Church during Emma and Frankie wedding, Oia, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

173grsan0096

Greek wedding in Orthodox Greek Church, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek wedding for Emma and Frankie in Orthodox Greek Church, Santorini Island, Aegean Sea, Cyclades Group, Greece

01gremet03c

Rousanou Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of The Holy Monastery of Rousanou or Roussanou, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece. Meteora UNESCO World Heritage Site. From: UNESCO http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/455 Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece. "In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these 'columns of the sky' from the 11th century onwards. Twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the eremetic ideal in the 15th century. Their 16th-century frescoes mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting." CULTURAL HERITAGE: The Meteora Group of Monasteries comprises the following monasteries: Ascension of Jesus Christ; Transfiguration of the Saviour; Varlaam, Saint Nikolas Anapafsas; Roussanou; Holy Trinity; and Saint Stephan. These are built directly on the rock's surface without foundations as such. Religious life, starting in the form of hermits dwellings, can be traced to around 1,000 AD. The first monastic community emerged in the 14th century, and was most successful during the 15th and 16th centuries. By the 17th century, the monastic population had dwindled to one-third of its original size. The site was bombed during World War II and many art treasures stolen. Details of the history of individual monasteries are available in the World Heritage nomination. The monasteries represent a unique example of monastic life since the 14th century.

02gremet59

Rousanou Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of The Holy Monastery of Rousanou or Roussanou, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

03gremet04

Rousanou Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of The Holy Monastery of Rousanou or Roussanou, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

04gremet11

Rousanou Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of The Holy Monastery of Rousanou or Roussanou, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

05gremet72

Saint Nikolas Anapafsas Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Monastery of Saint Nikolas Anapafsas, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

06gremet61

Holy Trinity Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of The Monastery of Holy Trinity, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

07gremet29

Greek Orthodox Priest, Great Meteora Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Greek Orthodox Priest ringing prayer bell at The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron, Great Meteora Monastery, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

08gremet45

Ossuarium, Great Meteoron Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Bones of monks in ossuarium in The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron, Great Meteora Monastery, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

09gremet50

Ossuarium, Great Meteoron Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Bones of monks in an ossuarium at The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron, Great Meteora Monastery, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

10gremet21

Ossuarium, Great Meteoron Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Bones of monks in an ossuarium at The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron, Great Meteora Monastery, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

11gremet22

Orthodox Greek paintings, Great Meteoron Monastery, Great Meteora, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Religious paintings for sale at The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron, Great Meteora Monastery, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece. Meteora UNESCO World Heritage Site. From: UNESCO http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/455 Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece. "In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these 'columns of the sky' from the 11th century onwards. Twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the eremetic ideal in the 15th century. Their 16th-century frescoes mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting." CULTURAL HERITAGE: The Meteora Group of Monasteries comprises the following monasteries: Ascension of Jesus Christ; Transfiguration of the Saviour; Varlaam, Saint Nikolas Anapafsas; Roussanou; Holy Trinity; and Saint Stephan. These are built directly on the rock's surface without foundations as such. Religious life, starting in the form of hermits dwellings, can be traced to around 1,000 AD. The first monastic community emerged in the 14th century, and was most successful during the 15th and 16th centuries. By the 17th century, the monastic population had dwindled to one-third of its original size. The site was bombed during World War II and many art treasures stolen. Details of the history of individual monasteries are available in the World Heritage nomination. The monasteries represent a unique example of monastic life since the 14th century.

12gremet64

Great Meteoron Monastery - Great Meteora Monastery, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Inside The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron, Great Meteora Monastery, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece. Meteora UNESCO World Heritage Site. From: UNESCO http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/455 Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece. "In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these 'columns of the sky' from the 11th century onwards. Twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the eremetic ideal in the 15th century. Their 16th-century frescoes mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting." CULTURAL HERITAGE: The Meteora Group of Monasteries comprises the following monasteries: Ascension of Jesus Christ; Transfiguration of the Saviour; Varlaam, Saint Nikolas Anapafsas; Roussanou; Holy Trinity; and Saint Stephan. These are built directly on the rock's surface without foundations as such. Religious life, starting in the form of hermits dwellings, can be traced to around 1,000 AD. The first monastic community emerged in the 14th century, and was most successful during the 15th and 16th centuries. By the 17th century, the monastic population had dwindled to one-third of its original size. The site was bombed during World War II and many art treasures stolen. Details of the history of individual monasteries are available in the World Heritage nomination. The monasteries represent a unique example of monastic life since the 14th century.

13gremet37

Hermit cliff-cave dwelling, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Hermit cliff-cave dwelling, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

14gremet42

Hermit cliff-cave dwelling, Meteora, Greece

CAPTION: Photograph of Hermit cliff-cave dwelling, Meteora, Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly, Greece.

01_sanfe114

El Encierro, Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of "El encierro" (Running of The Bulls) at the Fiesta De SanFermin (Sanfermin festival). Pamplona, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

02_sanfe117

El Encierro, Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De Sanfermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Curva de Mercaderes at "El encierro" (Running of The Bulls) at the Fiesta De SanFermin (Sanfermin festival). Pamplona, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

03_sanfe116

El Encierro, Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De Sanfermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of El Encierro or Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

04_sanfe111

El Encierro, Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De Sanfermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of El Encierro or Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

06_sanfe103

Crowd at Fiesta De San Fermin, Running of The Bulls, Pamplona, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Crowd screaming to people standing on balconies to throw water down onto them at the Fiesta De San Fermin, El Encierro or Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

07_sanfer88

Fountain-diving, Running of the Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, Pamplona, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Fountain-diving, El Encierro, Running of the Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

08_sanfer44

Alcohol consumtion, El Encierro Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Alcohol consumption at the El Encierro, Running of The Bulls Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

09_sanfer77

Beer, bread, and flute by a buskers feet at the El Encierro or Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Beer, bread, and flute by a buskers feet at the El Encierro or Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

11_sanfer40

Priests at Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Priests at Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

sanfe144

Giganti, Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, Pamplona, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Giganti at El Encierro or Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

sanfer11

Cabezudos in Fiesta De San Fermin, Running of The Bulls, San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Cabezudos in Fiesta De San Fermin crowd. El Encierro or Running of The Bulls, San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. The Cabezudos are headmasks of a big hollow head covering the head and shoulders of the porter. An open mouth enables seeing. The porter (usually a young man) is usually in costume, and holds the mask with a hand. The other hand has a stick with a whip or pig bladder. With it he chases after children or young women. Sometimes he will pause to calm a weeping frightened child. The cabezudos also represent local types. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

sanfer12

Cabezudos in Fiesta De San Fermin, Running of The Bulls, San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Cabezudos in Fiesta De San Fermin crowd. El Encierro or Running of The Bulls, San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. The Cabezudos are headmasks of a big hollow head covering the head and shoulders of the porter. An open mouth enables seeing. The porter (usually a young man) is usually in costume, and holds the mask with a hand. The other hand has a stick with a whip or pig bladder. With it he chases after children or young women. Sometimes he will pause to calm a weeping frightened child. The cabezudos also represent local types. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

sanfer13

Cabezudos in Fiesta De San Fermin, Running of The Bulls, San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Cabezudos in Fiesta De San Fermin crowd. El Encierro or Running of The Bulls, San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. The Cabezudos are headmasks of a big hollow head covering the head and shoulders of the porter. An open mouth enables seeing. The porter (usually a young man) is usually in costume, and holds the mask with a hand. The other hand has a stick with a whip or pig bladder. With it he chases after children or young women. Sometimes he will pause to calm a weeping frightened child. The cabezudos also represent local types. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

sanfer29

Showing mules teeth, Running of The Bulls, Fiesta De San Fermin, Pamplona, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Farm animal show during the El Encierro or Running of The Bulls festival, Fiesta De San Fermin, San Fermin festival, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. The Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men, although it admits all types, who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres (about half a mile) and you don't have to sign up anywhere to take part; you just enter into the run and choose the street where you will run and try to do as best as you can.

sanfer33

Character at the Fiesta De SanFermin (Sanfermin festival). Pamplona, Spain

CAPTION: Photograph of Character at the Fiesta De SanFermin (Sanfermin festival). Pamplona, Spain

01_inraj354b

Sadhu Yogi Baba Ramaeshuranand, Pushkar Lake, Rajasthan,India.

CAPTION: Photograph of Sadhu Yogi Baba Ramaeshuranand, Pushkar Lake, Rajasthan, India. From inside his temple at the Pushkar Lake ghats during the Pushkar Mela (Pushkar Fair), Sadhu Yogi Baba Ramaeshuranand sends "happiness up to the Universe so that it falls back down to Earth like a rain of happiness on people "). Pushkar Village, State Of Rajasthan, India

02_inraj052

Handicapped Rajasthani children, Pushkar Mela, Pushkar Camel Fair, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Physically challenged Rajasthani children asking for donations in crowd at Pushkar Mela, or Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

03_inraj350

Sandals of Rajasthani people, Pushkar Fair, Pushkar, Thar Desert, Rajasthan India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani man stepping over sandals outside a temple during Pushkar Camel Fair or Pushkar Mela, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

04_inraj072

Crowd of people at Pushkar Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of crowd of people wearing colourful traditional Rajasthani costumes at the Pushkar Camel Fair or Pushkar Mela, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

05_inraj056

Pushkar Village market, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Crowded market, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

06_inraj009

Pushkar Village market, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Crowded market, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

07_inraj044

Papu, semi-nomadic Pabujii singer, Pushkar, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Papu is a semi-nomadic Pabujii singer. Papu's eyes are irritated from desert dust during the Pushkar Fair. She goes all day to the fair in the hot desert sun trying to sing for tourists. Her black eye makeup is typical of Rajasthani women and even baby girls have this type of eye makeup. Pushkar, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India.

08_inraj373b

Chitter Bhopa, a Bhopa-bhopi singer-priest, Pushkar Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Bhopa-bhopi, a singer-priest, named Chitter Bhopa, Pushkar Mela (Pushkar Fair), Pushkar Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India The Bhopa priest-singer communities are traditional story-tellers of the Pabuji Ki Phad in Rajasthan, India. The Pabuji Ki Phad epic is about the life of a 14th century hero called Pabuji and his adventures traditionally told by the Bhopas in front of a Phad; a 30 foot-long painted tapestry that functions as a portable temple with painted or sewn miniature scenes depicting Pabuji's story. The Bhopas play a Ravanhattha fiddle with a female singer reciting Pabuji's epic to the public. The Bhopa musical communities live a rural base and function as wandering minstrels traveling from village to village carrying on the Pabuji Ki Phad tradition.

09_inraj040

Chitter Bhopa, a Bhopa-bhopi singer-priest, plays a Ravanhatha, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Chitter Bhopa, a Bhopa-bhopi singer-priest, plays a Ravanhatha instrument with his family at camp in the Thar Desert during the Pushkar Mela or Pushkar Fair, Pushkar Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India. Chitter Bhopa is a traditional story-teller who plays a Rajasthani oral epic about Pabujii Maharaja Ki Pady, a mediaeval Rathor Rajput prince worshipped as a deity by Rajasthan's Rebari herdsmen. The epic is about the life of the 14th century hero, Pabuji and his adventures are traditionally told by the Bhopas in front of a Par; a 30 foot-long painted tapestry that functions as a portable temple with painted or sewn miniature scenes depicting Pabuji's story. The Bhopas play a Ravanhatha fiddle with a female singer reciting Pabuji's epic to the public. The Bhopa musical communities live a rural base and function as wandering minstrels traveling from village to village carrying on the Pabuji Ki Phad tradition. The story is painted onto a long cloth called a Par which is rolled up to transport. This Par telling the story of Pabujii is a portable temple for the deity and the Bhopa-priests teach the epic to their children using the Par. The instrument he plays is called a Ravanastron or Ravanhatha, an Indian stringed instrument played with a bow. Hindu tradition affirms that the musical bow was invented before 3000 BC by Ravanon, king of Ceylon or Sri Lanka and the instrument was named after him, Ravanastron. The Ravanastron consists of half a round gourd, over which is fixed a sound-board of skin or parchment; to this is attached a wooden neck about twice the length of the instrument's body. The strings are either one or four in number, the pegs being set in the sides of the Ravanastron's neck.

10_inraj036

Chitter Bhopa, a Bhopa-bhopi singer-priest, holding baby, Pushkar Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Bhopa-bhopi (singer-priest) named Chitter Bhopa holding a baby at their camp, Pushkar Mela (Pushkar Fair), Pushkar Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India The Bhopa priest-singer communities are traditional story-tellers of the Pabuji Ki Phad in Rajasthan, India. The Pabuji Ki Phad epic is about the life of a 14th century hero called Pabuji and his adventures traditionally told by the Bhopas in front of a Phad; a 30 foot-long painted tapestry that functions as a portable temple with painted or sewn miniature scenes depicting Pabuji's story. The Bhopas play a Ravanhattha fiddle with a female singer reciting Pabuji's epic to the public. The Bhopa musical communities live a rural base and function as wandering minstrels traveling from village to village carrying on the Pabuji Ki Phad tradition.

11_inraj048

Rajasthani Pabuji woman making chapatti, Pushkar Fair, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani semi-nomadic Pabuji woman making chapatti bread at the family campfire during the Pushkar Camel Fair or Pushkar Mela, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

12_inraj006

Rajasthani Pabuji woman cooking, Pushkar Fair, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani semi-nomadic Pabuji woman making chapatti bread at the family campfire during the Pushkar Camel Fair or Pushkar Mela, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

13_inraj001

Camel traders at Pushkar Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Camel traders with camels at Pushkar Fair or Pushkar Mela, Pushkar Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

14_inraj077

Hindu pilgrims bathing at Pushkar Lake Ghats, Pushkar Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Hindu pilgrims bathing at Pushkar Lake Ghats during the Pushkar Fair, Pushkar, Thar Desert, Rajasthan India

15_inraj102

Rajasthani men dyeing textiles, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani men dyeing textiles in dye tubs, near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

16_inraj094

Rajasthani man hanging textiles, near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of A Rajasthani man climbing a ladder hangs textiles to dry in the sun, near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

17_inraj090

Rajasthani boy running on textiles, near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani boy running across newly dyed textiles drying in the sun, near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

18_inraj101

Rajasthani woman gathering textiles, near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of A Rajasthani woman gathering textiles drying in the sun, near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

19_inraj108

Jantar Mantar Astronomical Observatory, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Indian girl climbing stairs at the Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory. Jaipur City, Rajasthan State, India. Between 1727 and 1734 Maharajah Jai Singh II of Jaipur City in the State of Rajasthan India constructed five astronomical observatories in west central India. The observatories, or "Jantar Mantars", incorporate unique buildings with combinations of geometric forms with a specialized function for astronomical measurement.

20_inraj110

Jantar Mantar Astronomical Observatory, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Indian girl climbing stairs at the Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory. Jaipur City, Rajasthan State, India. Between 1727 and 1734 Maharajah Jai Singh II of Jaipur City in the State of Rajasthan India constructed five astronomical observatories in west central India. The observatories, or "Jantar Mantars", incorporate unique buildings with combinations of geometric forms with a specialized function for astronomical measurement.

21_inraj113

Palace of The Winds, Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani man selling bananas at The Hawa Mahal, Palace of the Winds, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

22_inraj125

Rajasthani man grinding gemstones, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani man grinding gemstones for jewellery, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

23_inraj290

Rajasthani man carrying marble, Kishangarh, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani man carrying cut marble at Kishangarh Town, Rajasthan, India

24_inraj297

Taj Lake Palace Hotel - Jagniwas Island - Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of The Taj Lake Palace Hotel, a luxurious five-star heritage hotel, in the middle of Lake Pichola on Jagniwas Island, Udaipur City, Rajasthan State, India.

25_inraj117

Rajasthani wedding bride, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani wedding bride, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

26_inraj353

Rajasthani wedding, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani wedding, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

27_inraj268

Sadhu sitting under elephant statue, Jagdish Temple, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Sadhu sitting under an elephant statue at Jagdish Jain Temple, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. Jagdish Temple, also called Temple of Jagannath Rai or Jagdishji, was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651 A.D. in the Aryan architectural style. Because the Jain's believe in reincarnation and in reverence for all life they cover their mouths to prevent accidentally swallowing and killing a fly or other airborne insects.

28_inraj264

Jain devotees in Jagdish Temple, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Jain devotees in Jagdish Jain Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. Jagdish Temple, also called Temple of Jagannath Rai or Jagdishji, was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651 A.D. in the Aryan architectural style. Because the Jain's believe in reincarnation and in reverence for all life they cover their mouths to prevent accidentally swallowing and killing a fly or other airborne insects.

29_inraj265

Jain priest in Jagdish Temple, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Jain priest in Jagdish Jain Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. Jagdish Temple, also called Temple of Jagannath Rai or Jagdishji, was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651 A.D. in the Aryan architectural style. Because the Jain's believe in reincarnation and in reverence for all life they cover their mouths to prevent accidentally swallowing and killing a fly or other airborne insects.

30_inraj225

Shri Karni Mata Temple, Rat Temple, Deshnok, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Shri Karni Mata Temple also know as The Rat Temple, Deshnok Village, Rajasthan, India.

31_inraj306

Rajasthani girl, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani girl and child on the road to Ranakpur, Rajasthan, India

32_inraj017

Rajasthani girl dancing with musician, Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani girl dancing with musician playing, Mehrangarh Fort or Mayur Dhwaj Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

33_inraj177

Rajasthani girl dancing with musician, Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani girl dancing with musician playing, Mehrangarh Fort or Mayur Dhwaj Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

34_inraj181

Rajasthani girl dancing with musician, Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani girl dancing, Mehrangarh Fort or Mayur Dhwaj Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

35_inraj193

Rajasthani flute player, Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani man playing a flute at Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

36_inraj200

Rajasthani man, Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani man in window of Mehrangarh Fort or Mayur Dhwaj Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur City of Rajasthan State India is one of the largest forts in India. There are several palaces known for intricate carvings and courtyards.

37_inraj190

Mehrangarh Fort or Mayur Dhwaj Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Mehrangarh Fort or Mayur Dhwaj Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

38_inraj211

Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer, Thar Desert, Rajasthan

CAPTION: Photograph of Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer, Great Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India. Jaisalmer Fort is a medieval fortress town in the Great Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. Because it was located on the caravan routes between Egypt, Arabia, Persia and India, it became an extremely prosperous town. By the 19th Century however, the opening of ports such as Bombay, caused the caravan trade to dwindle. After the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, this remote desert area became a military area and an area of camels, sheep and cattle. Jaisalmer fort was built in 1156 and is the second oldest in Rajasthan. Two hundred and fifty feet tall and reinforced by an imposing crenulated sandstone wall 30 feet high, it has 99 bastions, 92 of which were built between 1633 and 1647.

39_inraj216

Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer, Thar Desert, Rajasthan

CAPTION: Photograph of Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer, Great Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India. Jaisalmer Fort is a medieval fortress town in the Great Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. Because it was located on the caravan routes between Egypt, Arabia, Persia and India, it became an extremely prosperous town. By the 19th Century however, the opening of ports such as Bombay, caused the caravan trade to dwindle. After the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, this remote desert area became a military area and an area of camels, sheep and cattle. Jaisalmer fort was built in 1156 and is the second oldest in Rajasthan. Two hundred and fifty feet tall and reinforced by an imposing crenulated sandstone wall 30 feet high, it has 99 bastions, 92 of which were built between 1633 and 1647.

40_inraj327

Rajasthani man, Jaisalmer Fort, Great Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani man Mr Dhannaram Bheel with 4 1/2 feet-long moustache. Jaisalmer, Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer, Great Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

41_inraj218

Rajasthani man playing Kamayacha, Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of A Rajasthani man playing a Kamayacha, in the 12th century Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India. The Kamayacha is an instrument of the professional singing community of Mangniars all over Marwar. It has a large circular belly covered with parchment, a peg system and a finger board. It has three main strings of gut, besides nine suppletory and four sympathetic steel strings all passing through a broad bridge. The long wooden curved bow of horse-tail hair moving on all the strings is characteristic of this instrument. Used by all singing communities, especially in Marwar but mainly by those belonging to the Langas. So deeply is the sense of tune and rhythm in the mind and ear of the folk musicians, that they need nothing more than intuition and a highly trained ear to tune their instruments.

42_inraj316

Rajasthani woman, Jaisalmer Fort, Great Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani woman sitting at home, Jaisalmer Fort, Great Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

43_inraj031

Rajasthani woman, Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani woman, Jaisalmer Fort, Great Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

44_inraj166

Rajasthani woman, Khuri, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani woman artisan in front of her home in Khuri Village in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan State, India.

45_inraj176b

Rajasthani woman at home, Khuri, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani woman at her home. Khuri Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan State, India

46_inraj147

Camel in desert village, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Camel and hut in a desert village without electricity or running water. Nimb Ki Dhani Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

47_inraj161

Rajasthani tribal man, Thar Desert, Khuri, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani tribal man making yarn with goat hair, Khuri Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

48_inraj173

Rajasthani man making pottery, Khuri, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani man making pottery with a hand-spun pottery wheel, Khuri village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

49_inraj281

Bishnoi Potter, Kakani Bishnoi Village, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Bishnoi man hammering a clay pot round, Kakani Bishnoi Village, Rajasthan, India

50_inraj283

Bishnoi Woman Potter, Kakani Bishnoi Village, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Female Bishnoi potter carrying broken clay pots used to hold and keep the round form of newly made clay pots, Kakani Bishnoi Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

51_inraj285

Bishnoi man weaving textiles, Salawas Bishnoi Village, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Bishnoi man weaving textiles, Salawas Bishnoi Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

52_inraj303

Rajasthani girl with straw earrings, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani girl with straw earrings, Rajasthan, India

53_inraj269

Bishnoi man, Guda Mogra Bishnoi village, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Bishnoi man, Guda Mogra Bishnoi village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India. The Bishnois are a community of nature worshippers in Rajasthan, India.

54_inraj273

Bishnoi home at night, Guda Mogra Bishnoi village, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Bishnoi home at night in Guda Mogra Bishnoi village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India. The Bishnois are a community of nature worshippers in Rajasthan, India.

55_inraj280

Bishnoi family making chai tea, Guda Mogra Bishnoi village, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Bishnoi family at home making chai tea, Guda Mogra Bishnoi village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India. The Bishnois are a community of nature worshippers in Rajasthan, India.

56_inraj028

Rajasthani woman making chapatti, Khuri, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani woman making chiapatti bread in her home at Khuri village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

57_inraj136

Rajasthani tribal woman, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani tribal woman grinding flour inside a camel dung, dirt and sand hut in a desert village without electricity or running water. Nimb Ki Dhani Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

58_inraj140

Rajasthani tribal woman, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani tribal woman inside a camel dung, dirt and sand hut. Nimb Ki Dhani Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

59_inraj127

Rajasthani schoolchildren at school, Nimb Ki Dhani Village, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani children in a recently built school, Nimb Ki Dhani Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan India

60_inraj145

Rajasthani children, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani children at camel-dung home, Nimb Ki Dhani Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

61_inraja3

Rajasthani camel-driver, Thar Desert, Khuri, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani camel-driver at a campfire during sunrise in the Thar Desert near Khuri Village, Rajasthan, India

62_inraj295

Camels at sunset, Pushkar Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Camels at sunset, Pushkar Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

63_inraj208b

Handprints of widows who committed Sati, Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Handprints of widows who committed Sati a traditional Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre rather than suffer at the enemy's hands, Junagarh Fort, Bikaner Town, Rajasthan, India

64_inraj207

Handprints of Sati widows, Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Handprints of widows who committed Sati a traditional Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre rather than suffer at the enemy's hands, Junagarh Fort, Bikaner Town, Rajasthan, India

65_inraj205

Handprints of widows who committed Sati, Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Rajasthani man showing handprints of widows who committed "Sati" a traditional Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre rather than suffer at the enemy's hands. Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

66_inraj208

Handprints of widows who committed Sati, Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Handprints of widows who committed Sati a traditional Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre rather than suffer at the enemy's hands, Junagarh Fort, Bikaner Town, Rajasthan, India

67_inraj263

Sadhu Yogi Baba Ramaeshuranand, Pushkar Lake, Rajasthan,India.

CAPTION: Photograph of Sadhu Yogi Baba Ramaeshuranand, Pushkar Lake, Rajasthan, India. Inside Sadhu Yogi Baba Ramaeshuranand's temple at the Pushkar Lake ghats during the Pushkar Mela (Pushkar Fair), Pushkar Village, State Of Rajasthan, India.

01ingoa049

Lambani gypsy acrobat, Anjuna Beach Flea Market, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Lambani gypsy girl performing on a tightrope at the Anjuna Flee market, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India. The young girl using her toes to hang on as she pushes herself along the rope while kneeling in a metal pan and balancing bowls on her head. Sometimes using a long bamboo pole she balances the bowls as she toes her way along the rope.

02ingoa011

Man plays flute with a cow dancing on him, Anjuna Beach Flea Market, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Indian musician playing a flute with his cow dancing on top of him at the Anjuna Beach Flea Market, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

03ingoa029

Acrobats at the Anjuna Beach Flea Market, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Acrobats at the Anjuna Beach Flea Market, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

04ingoa013

Lambani tribal gypsy woman, Anjuna Beach Flea Market, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Gypsy Lambani tribal woman (Lambani are originally from Gujarat and Rajasthan) at the Anjuna Beach Flea market. Anjuna Beach, Goa, India. The Lambanis (a.k.a. Lambadis, Romanis) are the nomadic tribes of India. They go from place to place in search of a livelihood. They have their own language, culture and a unique social structure. It is fairly well accepted that the Gypsies found today all over Eastern Europe and the Balkans actually migrated from India centuries ago. The people of the Lambani tribe are mostly found living in the states of Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. This area is the most southern reach of the tribal belt of north-western India. Because of their southern roots the Lambani are much darker-skinned than the tribes people further north in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and speak dialects of a different language group. The Lambani maintain a strong matrilineal tradition and land is inherited through the female line. The Lambani women are great travellers, they can be found in groups throughout the central and southern parts of India selling their cloth at markets and on beaches. Their work contributes considerably to the income of their families. The Lambanis mostly lead a poor, uneducated, and yet a very colorful life and are widely known for the colourful mirror work embroidery of the dresses they make. Their change in lifestyle has brought with it a change in the symbols they use. Coins are now often incorporated into their costumes. The Lambani women embroider bright rainbow-coloured fabrics covered with a mosaic of patchwork mirrors. Their work is sought after by collectors for its vibrancy of pattern and colour, and for the unusual technique of sewing hundreds of small mirrors into the composition. Each piece depicts an aspect of the Lambani creation myths. The Lambani women commonly wear large, silver earrings laden with bells called lolia and a large silver torque around the neck to which two large silver pyramid forms are attached. There are said to represent bee hives, as the Lambani were once known as a bee-keeping caste when they lived in the southern jungles. When former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Belgaum in connection with a function, she wore the dress and was full appreciation for the intricate weaving on the dress. About two years ago, former governor of Karnataka V S Ramadevi, who inaugurated a function organised by the Lambani community in Bangalore, sat through the function in a Lambani dress. She recalled in her speech how the dress had fetched her first prize in a fancy dress competition while in school.

05ingoa095

Lambani tribal gypsy woman, Anjuna Beach Flea Market, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Gypsy Lambani tribal woman (Lambani are originally from Gujarat and Rajasthan) at the Anjuna Beach Flea market. Anjuna Beach, Goa, India. The Lambanis (a.k.a. Lambadis, Romanis) are the nomadic tribes of India. They go from place to place in search of a livelihood. They have their own language, culture and a unique social structure. It is fairly well accepted that the Gypsies found today all over Eastern Europe and the Balkans actually migrated from India centuries ago. The people of the Lambani tribe are mostly found living in the states of Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. This area is the most southern reach of the tribal belt of north-western India. Because of their southern roots the Lambani are much darker-skinned than the tribes people further north in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and speak dialects of a different language group. The Lambani maintain a strong matrilineal tradition and land is inherited through the female line. The Lambani women are great travellers, they can be found in groups throughout the central and southern parts of India selling their cloth at markets and on beaches. Their work contributes considerably to the income of their families. The Lambanis mostly lead a poor, uneducated, and yet a very colorful life and are widely known for the colourful mirror work embroidery of the dresses they make. Their change in lifestyle has brought with it a change in the symbols they use. Coins are now often incorporated into their costumes. The Lambani women embroider bright rainbow-coloured fabrics covered with a mosaic of patchwork mirrors. Their work is sought after by collectors for its vibrancy of pattern and colour, and for the unusual technique of sewing hundreds of small mirrors into the composition. Each piece depicts an aspect of the Lambani creation myths. The Lambani women commonly wear large, silver earrings laden with bells called lolia and a large silver torque around the neck to which two large silver pyramid forms are attached. There

06ingoa015

Lambani tribal gypsy woman, Anjuna Beach Flea Market, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Gypsy Lambani tribal woman (Lambani are originally from Gujarat and Rajasthan) at the Anjuna Beach Flea market. Anjuna Beach, Goa, India. The Lambanis (a.k.a. Lambadis, Romanis) are the nomadic tribes of India. They go from place to place in search of a livelihood. They have their own language, culture and a unique social structure. It is fairly well accepted that the Gypsies found today all over Eastern Europe and the Balkans actually migrated from India centuries ago. The people of the Lambani tribe are mostly found living in the states of Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. This area is the most southern reach of the tribal belt of north-western India. Because of their southern roots the Lambani are much darker-skinned than the tribes people further north in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and speak dialects of a different language group. The Lambani maintain a strong matrilineal tradition and land is inherited through the female line. The Lambani women are great travellers, they can be found in groups throughout the central and southern parts of India selling their cloth at markets and on beaches. Their work contributes considerably to the income of their families. The Lambanis mostly lead a poor, uneducated, and yet a very colorful life and are widely known for the colourful mirror work embroidery of the dresses they make. Their change in lifestyle has brought with it a change in the symbols they use. Coins are now often incorporated into their costumes. The Lambani women embroider bright rainbow-coloured fabrics covered with a mosaic of patchwork mirrors. Their work is sought after by collectors for its vibrancy of pattern and colour, and for the unusual technique of sewing hundreds of small mirrors into the composition. Each piece depicts an aspect of the Lambani creation myths. The Lambani women commonly wear large, silver earrings laden with bells called lolia and a large silver torque around the neck to which two large silver pyramid forms are attached. There are said to represent bee hives, as the Lambani were once known as a bee-keeping caste when they lived in the southern jungles. When former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Belgaum in connection with a function, she wore the dress and was full appreciation for the intricate weaving on the dress. About two years ago, former governor of Karnataka V S Ramadevi, who inaugurated a function organised by the Lambani community in Bangalore, sat through the function in a Lambani dress. She recalled in her speech how the dress had fetched her first prize in a fancy dress competition while in school.

07ingoa094

Lambani gypsy woman's hands, Anjuna Beach Flea Market, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of A gypsy Lambani woman's hands (Lambani are originally from Gujarat and Rajasthan) at the Anjuna Beach Flea market. Anjuna Beach, Goa, India. The Lambanis (a.k.a. Lambadis, Romanis) are the nomadic tribes of India. They go from place to place in search of a livelihood. They have their own language, culture and a unique social structure. It is fairly well accepted that the Gypsies found today all over Eastern Europe and the Balkans actually migrated from India centuries ago. The people of the Lambani tribe are mostly found living in the states of Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. This area is the most southern reach of the tribal belt of north-western India. Because of their southern roots the Lambani are much darker-skinned than the tribes people further north in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and speak dialects of a different language group. The Lambani maintain a strong matrilineal tradition and land is inherited through the female line. The Lambani women are great travellers, they can be found in groups throughout the central and southern parts of India selling their cloth at markets and on beaches. Their work contributes considerably to the income of their families. The Lambanis mostly lead a poor, uneducated, and yet a very colorful life and are widely known for the colourful mirror work embroidery of the dresses they make. Their change in lifestyle has brought with it a change in the symbols they use. Coins are now often incorporated into their costumes. The Lambani women embroider bright rainbow-coloured fabrics covered with a mosaic of patchwork mirrors. Their work is sought after by collectors for its vibrancy of pattern and colour, and for the unusual technique of sewing hundreds of small mirrors into the composition. Each piece depicts an aspect of the Lambani creation myths. The Lambani women commonly wear large, silver earrings laden with bells called lolia and a large silver torque around the neck to which two large silver pyramid forms are attached. There are said to represent bee hives, as the Lambani were once known as a bee-keeping caste when they lived in the southern jungles. When former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Belgaum in connection with a function, she wore the dress and was full appreciation for the intricate weaving on the dress. About two years ago, former governor of Karnataka V S Ramadevi, who inaugurated a function organised by the Lambani community in Bangalore, sat through the function in a Lambani dress. She recalled in her speech how the dress had fetched her first prize in a fancy dress competition while in school.

08ingoa051

Holy man in Anjuna Beach flea market, Anjuna Beach, Goa India

CAPTION: Photograph of Holy man in Anjuna Beach flea market, Anjuna Beach, Goa India

09ingoa104

People relaxing at Hard Core Cafe, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of People relaxing at Hard Core Cafe, Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

10ingoa058b

Traditional Goan fishermen launching wooden fishing boats, Baga Beach, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Traditional Goan fishermen launching wooden fishing boats, Baga Beach, Goa, India

11ingoa022

Goan woman gathering fishing net, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Goan woman gathering fishing net, Goa, India

12ingoa026

Goan woman selling fish in the Mapusa Market, Goa, India

CAPTION: Photograph of Goan woman selling fish in the Mapusa Market, Goa, India

01itlig081

Portovenere, Riviera Di Levante, Ligurian Riviera, Liguria, La Spezia, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Portovenere Village, Le Cinque Terre or Cinqueterre, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Riviera Di Levante, Ligurian Riviera, Liguria, La Spezia, Italy. Portovenere or Porto Venere is a town and comune or municipality located on the Ligurian coast of Italy in the province of La Spezia. It comprises the three villages of Fezzano, Le Grazie and Portovenere, and the three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. In 1997 Portovenere and the villages of Cinque Terre were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

02itlig082

Portovenere, Cinqueterre, Riviera Di Levante, Ligurian Riviera, La Spezia, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Portovenere, or Porto Venere, Riviera Di Levante, Ligurian Riviera, La Spezia, Italy. Portovenere is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

03itlig423

Church of San Pietro, Portovenere, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Church of San Pietro with Byron's Cove in the Gulf of Poets, Portovenere Village, Riviera Di Levante, The Italian Riviera, Liguria, La Spezia Province, Italy. The Church of San Pietro sits on the tip of Portovenere's promontory on a site that is believed to have been a temple to Venus (Venere in Italian), after whom Portovenere was named. Near the Church is Byron's Cove, a rocky area where the poet Byron used to swim. Church of San Pietro, Portovenere, Riviera De Levante, La Spezia, Italy

04itlig099

Archway into carruggio, Portovenere, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Archway into the carruggio, typical narrow winding streets, in Porto Venere Village, Riviera De Levante, La Spezia Province, Italy Portovenere or Porto Venere is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located along the Riviera De Levante or The Italian Riviera in the Liguria Region, La Spezia Province, Italy

05itlig002

Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, Camogli, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Church of Santa Maria Assunta in the small Italian fishing village of Camogli in the Golfo Paradiso along the Riviera De Levante or The Italian Riviera, province of Genoa, Italy

06itlig007

Trompe l'oeil walls and windows, Camogli, Riviera De Levante, Italian Riviera, Genoa, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Trompe l'oeil painted walls and windows in the small Italian fishing village of Camogli in the Golfo Paradiso along the Riviera De Levante or The Italian Riviera, province of Genoa, Italy

07itligu09

Italian man, Portofino, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Italian man at Portofino Village harbour, Riviera De Levante, The Italian Riviera, Genova Province, Italy

08itlig014

Windstars' cruise ship Wind Surf and Portofino, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Windstars' cruise ship Wind Surf passing the small Italian fishing village of Portofino, Riviera De Levante, Italy

09itlig223

Portofino, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Portofino Village harbour, Riviera De Levante, The Italian Riviera, Genova Province, Italy

10itlig026

Italian villa, Portofino, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Italian villa, Portofino, Riviera De Levante, Italian Riviera, Italy

11itlig038

Statue of San Francesco d'Assisi or Saint Francis of Assisi, Monterosso al Mare, Cinqueterre, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Statue of San Francesco d'Assisi or Saint Francis of Assisi, Monterosso al Mare, Cinqueterre, Riviera Di Levante, La Spezia Province, Liguria Region, Italy

12itlig252

Statue of Virgin Mary, Portofino, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Statue of Virgin Mary outside Chiesa Di San Giorgio Church, Portofino Village, Riviera De Levante, The Italian Riviera, Genova Province, Italy

13itlig021

Statue of Virgin Mary, Portofino, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Statue of Virgin Mary outside Chiesa Di San Giorgio Church, Portofino Village, Riviera De Levante, The Italian Riviera, Genova Province, Italy

14itlig070

Riomaggiore, Cinqueterre, Liguria, La Spezia, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Dawn at Riomaggiore Village, Cinqueterre or Cinqueterre, Liguria Region, La Spezia Province, Italy

15itlig381

Riomaggiore, Cinqueterre, Liguria, La Spezia, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Night at Riomaggiore Village, Cinqueterre or Cinque Terre, Liguria Region, La Spezia Province, Italy

16itlig048

Vernazza, Le Cinqueterre, Riviera Di Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Vernazza Village, Le Cinque Terre, Cinqueterre, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Riviera Di Levante, Ligurian Riviera, Liguria, Italy

17itlig286

Corniglia, Cinqueterre, Riviera Di Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Corniglia Village, Le Cinque Terre, Cinqueterre, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Riviera Di Levante, Ligurian Riviera, Liguria, Italy

18itlig063

Italians rowing a boat, Vernazza Village, Cinqueterre, Riviera Di Levante, Italy.

CAPTION: Photograph of Italians rowing boat in the Mediterranean Sea, Vernazza Village, Cinque Terre, Riviera Di Levante, Italian Riviera, Italy.

19itlig036

Italian people and fishing boats at pier, Monterosso al Mare, Cinqueterre, Riviera Di Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Italian people and fishing boats at pier, Monterosso al Mare, Le Cinque Terre or Cinqueterre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Riviera Di Levante or Ligurian Riviera, Liguria, Italia or Italy

20itlig006

Traditional Italian men and Catholic Statue, Camogli, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Italian men sitting under Catholic Statue in Camogli Village, Riviera De Levante, The Italian Riviera, Ligurian Riviera, Italy

21itlig097

Post box, Portovenere, Riviera De Levante, La Spezia, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Post box, Portovenere Village, Le Cinque Terre, Cinqueterre, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Riviera Di Levante, Ligurian Riviera, Liguria, Italy

22itlig034

Market, Monterosso al Mare, Cinqueterre, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Market, Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre or Cinque Terre, Riviera De Levante, The Italian Riviera, La Spezia province, Liguria, Italy

23itlig023

Cat at Italian grocery store, Portofino, Riviera De Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Italian cat at grocery store in alley, Portofino, Riviera De Levante, Italian Riviera, Italy

24itlig062

Dining al fresco, Vernazza, Cinqueterre, Riviera Di Levante, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Dining al fresco, Vernazza Village, Le Cinqueterre, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Riviera Di Levante, Ligurian Riviera, Liguria, Italy

25tlig100

The carruggio in Portovenere Village, Riviera De Levante, La Spezia, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of The carruggio, typical narrow winding streets in Portovenere Village, Riviera De Levante, La Spezia Province, Italy Portovenere or Porto Venere is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located along the Riviera De Levante or The Italian Riviera in the Liguria Region, La Spezia Province, Italy

01itvene91b

Canal Grande, or Grand Canal, with Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of The Canal Grande or Grand Canal with Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute at night, Venice, Italy

02itvene11b

Canal Grande, or Grand Canal, with Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of The Canal Grande, or Grand Canal, with Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy

03itven270d

Gondola on Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Gondola on the Grand Canal or Canal Grande, Venice, Italy

04itven262

Gondola under Bridge Of Sighs, Ponte Dei Sospiri, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Gondola under the Bridge Of Sighs or Ponte Dei Sospiri, Venice. Italy

05itvene88b

Fondamenta Gerardini and Santa Barnaba Church at night, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Fondamenta D. Squero and Fondamenta Gerardini along Rio Santa Barnaba with S. Barnaba Church. Sestiere (district) Dorsoduro, Venice, Italy.

06itven440b+w

S. Barnaba Church, Dorsoduro, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Fondamenta D. Squero and Fondamenta Gerardini along Rio Santa Barnaba with S. Barnaba Church. Sestiere (district) Dorsoduro, Venice, Italy.

07itven016b

Italian man sitting by Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Italian man sitting by Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

08itven197

Salumeria, Isola Della Guidecca, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Salumeria. Isola Della Guidecca, Venice, Italy

09itvene73

Venetian man at home, Burano Island, Venice Lagoon, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Venetian man sitting in front of his home on Burano Island, Venice Lagoon, Venice, Italy

10itven212

Caffe Florian tables, Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Tables at Caffe Florian, Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy

11itven430b

Palazzo Ducale, Doge's Place, Piazzetta San Marco, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of People with umbrellas walking by Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Place) under construction. Piazzetta San Marco (beside Piazza San Marco), Venice. Italy

12itven284

Arches at Palazzo Ducale, Doge's Palace, Piazzetta San Marco, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Italian women walking under arches at Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace). Piazzetta San Marco (beside Piazza San Marco), Venice. Italy

13itvene61b

Italian women going under passageway, Burano Island, Venice Lagoon, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Italian women going under passageway on Burano Island, Venice Lagoon, Veneto, Italy

14itven134

Mori, or Moors, Statue in Campo Dei Mori, Venice. Italy.

CAPTION: Photograph of Mori, or Moors, Statue in Campo Dei Mori, Venice. Italy.

15itven193

Biennale De Venezia art installation, Campo Santa Margherita, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Biennale De Venezia (Biannual art exhibition in Venice ) art installation of used clothes covering The Scuola dei Varotai (headquarters/school of tanners and fur-makers built in 1725) with a relief of Madonna della Misericordia. Campo Santa Margherita, Venice, Italy

16itvene60b

Italian women and drying laundry, Burano Island, Venice Lagoon, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Italian women walking by laundry hanging to dry on Burano Island, Venice Lagoon, Italy

17itvene33

Wall detail, Burano Island, Venice Lagoon, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Wall in Burano Village, Burano Island, Venice Lagoon, Italy

18itvene42

Wall detail, Burano Island, Venice Lagoon, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Wall of homes in Burano Village, Burano Island, Venice Lagoon, Italy

19itvene18

Carnival characters, Venice Carnival, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Carnival characters, Il Carnevale di Venezia or Carnival of Venice, Venice, Italy

20itven278

Venetian Carnival Mask, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Venetian mask for Venice Carnival, Venice, Italy

21itven453

Venetian Carnival Mask, Venice, Italy

CAPTION: Photograph of Venetian mask for Venice Carnival, Venice, Italy

01avanbca3b3419pano01

Vancouver skyline with Olympic Rings in Coal Harbour at night, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Panorama of Olympic Rings in Coal Harbour with Vancouver skyline at night, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

01vanb1015b

Downtown Vancouver skyline from Stanley Park, Coal Harbour, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Downtown Vancouver skyline from Stanley Park with boats in Coal Harbour. Vancouver, British Columbia Canada

02avanbcf40

Yaletown and West End Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Burrard Street Bridge and the Burrard Inlet from False Creek with Yaletown and West End Condos. Vancouver, British Columbia Canada

02vanbc048b

Roller-blader, Siwash Rock, Stanley Park Seawall, Vancouver, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Roller-blader at Siwash Rock, Stanley Park Seawall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

03vanbccon160

Brockton Point Lighthouse, Stanley Park Seawall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Brockton Point Lighthouse and Port of Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

04vanbg006

Granville Island Ferry, Vancouver, BC Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Granville Island Ferry, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

05vanbcg27

Granville Island Market, Vancouver, BC Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Granville Island Market, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

06vanbcg21

Revue Theatre Cabaret, Granville Island, Vancouver, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Revue Theatre Cabaret, Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada

07vanden0246

Sculpture, Denman Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Lynn Chadwick Stairs sculpture on Denman Street, Vancouver, BC Canada

08vanden0240

Sculpture, Denman Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Lynn Chadwick Stairs sculpture on Denman Street, Vancouver, BC Canada

09vanbc_continental_013

Balancing stones at night, Stanley Park Seawall, Vancouver, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Balancing stones at night, Stanley Park Seawall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

10vanbcm027

PlasterMan and Son street performers, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of PlasterMan and Son in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

11bcfinnslough0020pano02b

Finn Slough near Steveston Village, Richmond, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Stilt-homes in Finn Slough near Steveston Village, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

11vanbcm029

Artisan at Salt Spring Island Saturday Market, Ganges, Salt Spring Island, BC Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Artisan at Salt Spring Island Saturday Market, Ganges, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada

12bcvanil12

Surfboard sign, Long Beach, Tofino, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Surfboard sign near Long Beach, Tofino, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

13bcvanil18d

Girls at surf school, Long Beach, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Girls at surf school, Long Beach, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

14bca3b0885

Whitewater kayaker, Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Whitewater kayaker, The Skookumchuck Narrows or Skook tidal rapids, Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park, Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, Canada

15vanbcm054

Surf kayaking, Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Long Beach at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (The Long Beach Unit), Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada From Parks Canada: The Long Beach Unit (LBU) is the best-known and most easily accessible unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. This unit is on a broad coastal plain located between the villages of Ucluelet, in Barkley Sound, and Tofino, in Clayoquot Sound. The most famous features of the region are the long, sandy beaches of Wickaninnish Bay, stretching for 16 km (10 miles) and Florencia Bay, to the south, an additional 6.4 km. (4 miles) long.

16avanbccont047

Kayaking in False Creek, Vancouver, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Kayaking in False Creek, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

16bwhistlerbc9386

View of Coast Mountans from Upper Cloud Nine trail at Blackcomb Mountain, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of View of Coast Mountans from Upper Cloud Nine trail at Blackcomb Mountain, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

16cwhistlerbc9485

View of Coast Mountans from Upper Cloud Nine trail at Blackcomb Mountain, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Snowboarding on Upper Cloud Nine trail at Blackcomb Mountain, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

16dwhistlerbc9407

Snowboarding on Blackcomb Mountain with Whistler Mountain in background, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Snowboarding at Blackcomb Mountain with Whistler Mountain in background, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

17a3b2397pano02

Yoga on rocks near Wickaninnish Beach, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Yoga on rocks near Wickaninnish Beach, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

18vanbc9806pano01e

Britannia Beach and Howe Sound, BC, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Britannia Beach and Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada

19vanbca3b1105pano01

Wickaninnish Centre and Beach, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Wickaninnish Centre and Beach at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Vancouver Island. British Columbia, Canada

20bcvanil13

Broken Islands Group, Vancouver Island, BC Canada

CAPTION: Photograph of Broken Islands Group, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

21bctofino029

Tofino and Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada