Dwight, VE7BV will be active again as TG9BBV from Guatemala, 10 - 28 January 2025.
He will operate on 40 - 6m Bands, CW, SSB, FT8.
Recent DX Spots TG9BBV
QSL via home call, LOTW, eQSL.
Ads for QSL direct:
Dwight Edward Morrow, 7135 Blackwell Road, Kamloops, BC V2C 6V8, Canada.
Guatemala: the “land of trees” of Mayan heritage
Guatemala, which gave the world instant coffee at the beginning of the twentieth century, lies between the southern and northern parts of the American continent. Washed by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, it is one of the bright and colorful states. The official language is Spanish, but more than ten Amerindian dialects coexist freely. The overwhelming number of inhabitants are Catholics and Protestants.
Hummingbird, Guatemala. Author - Martin Zeile.
Reach the mouth of an active volcano
Most of the country is located in the Cordillera earthquake belt, so earthquakes are not uncommon. In addition, of the 35 existing volcanoes, four are still recognized as active. The largest of them - Tahumulco in four and a half kilometers - the highest peak of the two American continents. In the craters and highlands are located amazingly beautiful lakes. Climbing the active volcano Pacaya for safety reasons is prohibited, but its slopes are trampled with paths and tracks: extreme tourists - a sight not for the faint of heart....
Guatemala. Author - akou12.
Balsa, bacauta, seiba and quetzal live here
Almost half of the country's area is covered with dense evergreen forests, so the flora and fauna are very diverse. In the Mayan language, Guatemala sounds like “the land of trees.”
Campeche tree, the wood of which is used as a dye, balsa - the lightest in the world, rubber, valuable mahogany and bacaut, palms and even oaks, lianas, orchids, numerous shrubs - is not a complete list of plants in this area. The national tree is a fifty-meter seiba from the subspecies baobabovyh. The animal world is represented mainly by predators: pumas, tigers, coyotes, jaguars. There are anteaters and armadillos, as well as poisonous snakes, crocodiles and iguanas. By the way, the meat of the latter is consumed by the local population.
The symbol of the forests and the country as a whole are the white orchid and the Quetzal bird, honored by the Aztecs and Mayans as sacred. The songbird is painted on the flag of Guatemala, it also means the national currency. A nature reserve is also dedicated to it.
Rip off the chayote and stuff the chili peppers
Guatemalan cuisine is similar in many ways to Mexican cuisine. It is based on corn, rice, beans, maize, millet and poultry meat, flavored with an abundance of the most diverse and sometimes exotic herbs. Pork and venison are eaten. A favorite vegetable is chayote or Mexican cucumber, and a bright dish is stuffed chili peppers. Oranges, bananas, mangoes, mangoes, papayas, coconuts and avocados are out of competition. Strong coffee is the national drink, as is plain water infused with fruit, juices and rum.
The country is largely agrarian. This means that Guatemalans overwhelmingly live off agriculture. They raise goats, sheep and cattle. They export sugar, tropical fruits, cotton, sesame, tobacco and sisal.
Hotel Santo Domingo, La Antigua, Guatemala. Author - Javier Gallego.
Mayan heritage
Once these places were inhabited by Maya tribes, therefore historical monuments are found almost at every step, and the influence of Indian culture can be traced in almost all spheres of life.
In the 16th century the natives were defeated by the Spanish, but the architectural sights created by them have survived to this day and are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: Tikal Park, Ruins of Quirigua and the city of Antigua-Guatemala.
Tikal was once a major center of ancient civilization. Lost in the jungle, it has not been fully excavated and therefore there is a good chance that any traveler may accidentally become the discoverer of yet another landmark. According to various estimates, several hundred thousand people lived here. They left behind seventy-meter long numbered pyramids, sixteen stone temples and three multi-layered acropolises.
There are many similar cities in the nearby vicinity, but they are completely absorbed by the forest, access to them is almost impossible, and excavations have been suspended for some reason.
In addition to historical monuments, there are many amazing buildings of new times. These are the City Hall, Palacio de los Generales, the Cathedral of Nuestra Señora, the Arch of St. Catalina in Antigua Guatemala, Fort San Filippe de Lara, built to protect the eastern borders from pirate raids, colorful villages of Flores, old buildings of Quezaltenango and the central square with a rotunda to composer Ovalle, the author of the anthem of Guatemala.
The capital of the same name, to which the postfix “city” is often added, lies at the foot of two volcanoes and is famous for its Spanish architecture. The city is divided into streets, quarters, which do not have names, but only numbers. In the most important, the first zone, are the National Palace, the library and the main Cathedral. On weekends Guatemala City turns into a bustling fair, where you can buy anything from small handicraft souvenirs to delicious sesame buns, carpets and jewelry.
Of interest are skillfully carved wooden mugs and pottery, painted utensils, embroidered bags, amulets and statuettes made of jade as a speaking symbol of the Maya. In a word, it is worth to get to this colorful country at least to touch ancient Indian beliefs, culture and life of the times of the beginning of our era.
