I just move to the usa and because I wanted to have something that reminds me of home with the decoration of my apartment I had to buy it I saw the book in a furniture store in Antigua Guatemala days before I left but I couldt buy it!!
I decided to search and I found it, I am so happy

We bought 2 of these books in Guatemala and paid almost twice Amazon's price! Bummer but we loved the book. Pictures are awsome and when we got home everyone wanted our books to keep so I was so pleased to find it on Amazon and at a bargain price.

Not only is it a wonderful collage of home styles and decorating ideas with professional quality photos but the history of the architecture is a very interesting read as well. I'd call this one of the best books we ever purchased. If you are interested in Guatemala and/or Central American architecture, I think you'll love this book.

For a Guatemalan like myself, it is a thrill to have a book like this in order to show people some of the best our country has to offer in the way of art, architecture, use of space and color and textiles. I am sorry Amazon does not make this book available. However, it is found in both English and Spanish in Guatemala. Anybody going down there should pick it up. I picked one up during my last trip as a gift for my mother-in-law, a tenured ASID Interior Designer in San Jose, California (she was very thrilled!). My only 'complaint' is that they did not show more houses outside of the Antigua/Guatemala City circuit, e.g. Quetzaltenango, the great estates in Escuintla, etc. In fact, it is a bit too Antigua focused, which in that case it should have been called "Casa Antigua". However, do not let this detract from acquring this wonderful book.

(From Planeta.com Journal) - Reading Richard Mahler is like opening a letter from a well-traveled friend. This is the second edition of a regional classic. Its coverage of environmental issues and travel options is first-rate. This is a must read for any eco traveler.

As the author of this book, I am predictably biased in its favor. However, I feel it's important to say that I spent several months in late 1998 and early 1999 poring over every word, photo, and map to make sure that it was correct, helpful, and informative. Readers will find everything from restaurant and hotel reviews to reports on Spanish schools, craft markets, and Maya ruins. I find Guatemala a fascinating and rewarding country to visit and it remains one of the world's greatest travel bargains. However, since the Peace Accords were signed in 1996 and the guerrilla war ended, more and more people are discovering this place. Therefore, prices will only go up. I'm convinced that there is no better time to see the unspoiled treasures of Guatemala than right now, before the crowds descend. My specialties are the contemporary and ancient cultures of the Maya as well as the national parks of the country. In the latest edition of my book, I've gone to great lengths to include every possible useful tidbit of information on these subjects, from the best place to explore the rainforest to the best way to tour Tikal. As always, I am eager to receive reports from readers, who supply me with some of the best insider information available. Enjoy!

This book is based on an earlier book by Mr. Mahler, which I used frequently during my 1994-97 posting to Guatemala. I had several guide books, but found that Mr. Mahler's was the one I turned to most frequently. I eventually got to many of the places mentioned in his book, and found that the information he had provided was accurate and useful. I spoke with Mr. Mahler just before leaving Guatemala, and am delighted that he included some of my suggestions in this book, including Los Viejitos Restaurant in Nebaj (look for the green door)--the owner told me she used to cook for Nancy Sinatra!

I bought this book for my family as we are adopting a child from Guatemala. This was one of the only books with pictures of the culture that I could find, and I am SO glad that I did. I can be rest assured that my son will feel pleasure and pride in his birth-country after looking at the pictures in this book. It is a beautiful, colorful, and rich culture that deserves to be displayed vividly for all to see!

Stunning images, true to Guatemalan life. Not just "pictures". A window into a beautiful land with colorful people. !EXCELLENTE!

Guatemala Rainbow is just what I hoped it might be and more- the photos are stunning and full of local color. They portray the personality of the Guatemalan people. Having lived in Central America, I can say that they authentically document the typical lifestyle of those outside the capital city, free from United States' influence. This will be a real gem in my collection for Spanish classes as I introduce the students to the culture. The images will help them get a feel for being there.

When the Guantamalian soligers came to Saniagos village and kill alomst everyone. Santiago ran away to his uncle ramos house. His uncle shows Santiago how to work the canoe for his long sail to the U.S. Satiago faces alot of obsticals on the way. Some of them are starvation, dhydration. Overall I thought this book was a prity good book. WHen Santiago takes care of his sister was very memorial. I think that Satigo did a good job taking care of Of his sister and himself.

In the book I read Red Midnight by Ben Mikaelsen, a young boy and a young girl's whole life is destroyed right before their eyes. They must flee on a kayak across the Gulf of Mexico to the United States or they would most certainly lose their lives too. At the ages of 4 and 12 will they die crossing the gulf? Or maybe they'll starve. You'll have to read this book to find out what happens to these two unfortunate young children. Ben Mikaelsen uses an exciting plot with extraordinary descriptions and characterizations that lets the reader get to know the characters better than most stories. I enjoyed the exhilarating plot, real life characterizations, and detailed descriptions of Red Midnight.
One example of why I enjoyed this book was the edge-of-your-seat plot. As soon as I opened the book and read just the first few lines I knew this book would be hard to set down. Right away the book starts with an onslaught of soldiers maliciously terrorizing and murdering the entire town. Yet a little boy and a little girl escape barely holding onto their lives. Then, in a mere kayak, they set out into the Gulf of Mexico and sail towards America. Facing incredible odds they have no idea if they will make it to America alive. Every storm was brought into play as a threat to the young children's life. Their lives were in the untrusting hand of luck. This is just a brief summary! The plot was so exciting I honestly had to force myself to put the book away or I would never get any sleep!
Another reason I enjoyed the book was the life-like characterizations. I loved the perky little sister that seemed to think her whole entire life revolved around a game. I know a couple of people that are exactly like this, and it just amuses me when an author makes the characters have life-like personalities. Then there was the older brother who even I can relate to. He was stern in an "I know what I have to do," kind of way, but he was still kind and funny. I always say to myself, "If I can find a book with the characters having personalities I can relate to from my life, it is going to be a good book," and this was definitely a good book.
A final example of why I enjoyed this book was the author's use of descriptions. The vivid descriptions of the city burning to the ground and the sudden, nevertheless continuous, assault of soldiers made me feel as if I was right there watching the horrific event. Then there was the way almost every single wave was put into words. I often found myself rocking because I felt I was on the boat with them rocking in the ocean. Similarly, the storms were described with such imagination on the author's part, that I was almost frightened for my life. Some of the descriptions in this book were downright amazing; all I could say in an awed expression was, "Wow!" Just reading this book has given me a whole new way of looking at what I write, and putting the world into words.
I enjoyed the breath-taking plot, life-like characterizations, and vivid descriptions of Red Midnight. If you enjoy reading a suspenseful story, this is definitely one you will want to read. Even if you don't enjoy suspense, I promise there will be something in this book that will suit your taste. Ben Mikaelsen is a great author and he thinks about the reader when he writes. No matter what your preference of reading is, you are bound to find something you like about this excellent book. Now I am not your avid reader, but I was actually eager to turn each page and find out what was waiting for the young pair on the next page! You are pulled through multiple feelings all throughout the book. Excitement, sorrow, and fear are just a few of the feelings you will experience.

My class and I went to the libary to get books. I think I got the best book. The name of the book is Red Midnight. It was written by Ben Mikaelsen.
The book is about a twelve year old boy, named Santiago. Santiago lived in a small village in Guatamala, with his family.
One night soldiers burned his village. Santiago woke up to the sounds of his mothers crys. "go, take your sister and run. Go as far as you can, and tell the story of what you have seen tonight!" Santiago took his sister and ran. He spotted his uncle (who had come for a visit), already shot and dying. His uncle tells him to take the cayuco( a kayak ) and sail to the United States os America. Yet, the cayuco is at his Uncle's house. Santiago has about a ten hour journey. He has to be fast and keep out of site.
Once Santiago and his sister reach the cayuco, they face a long journeyout on the open sea.Many things can go wrong. Santiago knows that one mistake could kill him and his sister. Santiago learns that the sea does not forgive.
Red Midnight is the kind of book were you always want to know what will happen next. I liked Red Midnight because you couldn't guess what was going to happen next in the book. Everything comes as a complete surprise0. When I looked at the cover of the book I thought that Red Midnight was going to be about sailing a kayak during a storm. Well I guess It's true, you can't judge a book by it's cover.
This was the best adventure book! santiago and his little sister are always at the verge of dying. this is what makes this book exciting.Santiago and his sister through many obstacles while on their journey to the United States of America.One failed obstacles could mess up everything.
The book was written in the perspective of Santiago. Santiago tells a story about his past. I think that this book is great because the first chapter really grabbed my attention.Unlike other books, who's first chapter is usually boring, Red Midnight started out exciting. Red Midnight described the main characters a later in the book.
This book showed me thatlife can change abruptley without any warnings.I believe that this book could make anyone look at their life differently.
I, for one, rate this book ( on a scale of one to ten ) a five. Ben Mikealsen, the autrher of red Midnight, worded the book perfectly. There weren't many details in this book, which allowed you to use your imagination.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an exciting book to read. I believe that this book is great for people ages nine and up. If the reader is younger than nine, I don't think that they will understand it's meaning. The book is not confusing, but I thinkl that ages nine and over would appreciate Red Midnight more.
So, if you ever see this book in the libary, check it out. Bring it home and read it. You will not be disappointed!

A beautifully illustrated book written by Omar S. Castaneda who was born in Guatemala and teaches writing at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. The artist, Enrique O. Sanchez was born in the Dominican Republic and has worked as a graphic artist for Sesame Street. Together they create magic.

Esperanza is a girl who is learning to weave with her grandmother, Abuela. On the day of the Fiesta de Pueblos in Guate, they decide to reveal their work to the world.

"Esperanza, however, wore her favorite huipil: it was a white blouse with red, blue and green threads in the rectangular collar. Under that, the colors bled into silver and blue, and hidden within the intricate designs of the blouse were tiny quetzals flying freely in the threads the way they once flew in the great forests of Guatemala."

They have to take a bus and then finally they arrive in the city. Once Esperanza starts to hang up her work, people start to look at the elaborate weavings and some even take pictures. She sells all the items and her grandmother is very proud of her.

A loving story that follows in the tradition of Guatemala's legendary artisans.

Buy it! For a delightful experience of a grandmother and granddaughter and how they grow closer through sharing of talent and love, you should read this one.

After returning from a solo trip to Guatemala, I was looking for a way to give my children a sense of what the country is like - not just what I saw there, but what I felt, being among the Maya. This book provided me with the tool I was looking for. This touching story weaves the importance and closeness of Mayan family, the responsibility that Mayan children must assume early in life, and a bit of the mystery surrounding the people into a wonderful tale. Reading Abuela's Weave to my children was one of the only times I have ever cried over a children's book.

The kids liked it, too.

If someone is planning a trip to the real Mexico, not just the hotel zone of Cancun or Puerto Vallarta, this is the book to read. The travel tips and information are very useful and the stories of their experiences are not only hilarious and entertaining but very helpful in understanding the differences in Mexican culture and traditions. I loved the story about the the fiesta for John the Baptist they accidently encountered, where everyone in town runs around throwing buckets of water on each other. This is a fun book to read even if you are not planning a trip to Mexico!

If you're going to Mexico, especially if you have even the slightest interest in Mexicans as human beings and not just a backdrop to your vacation - a rare virtue in some North American circles - and you're planning on getting out of the usual gringo mainline, you simply must read this book. There is no better book on Mexico available. It's funny, it's informative, and best of all, it's simpatico.

It won't tell you about specific places in Mexico to visit, but it will tell you what you will need to know in order to function on the ground anywhere in Mexico - eating, drinking, camping, hotelling, what to look for when you buy things, dealing with the police, insuring your car - in general, how to be a minimally offensive gringo. You'll thank yourself for reading it, and you'll thank Mr. Franz for writing it, after you get there.

Because my wife, Esperanza, is from a tiny village east of Juan Aldama, Zacatecas -- I had made a few trips to Mexico before having purchased this book. I truly wish I'd bought it before the very first time. Carl Franz humorously takes you through many typical venues and situations encountered in Mexico. In addition to being quite entertaining, these illustrations and anecdotal stories provide great insight to understanding the subtleties of Mexican culture. Carl Franz's love for the people, history and customs of Mexico come through in his writing. I can vouch, through my experiences in Mexico, that Carl is "right on the money" with his travel suggestions and understanding of the Mexican people. This book will give you the proper mindset for Mexican travel, leaving our preconceived notions at home, eager to take in all that Mexico has to offer and loving the country and people on their own outstanding merits.

I very much enjoyed this book. It presented the history, archaeology and architecture of Tikal in a clear fashion. Harrison wove the various threads of evidence together skillfully without getting bogged down in details. After an introduction to the site and its environment he proceeds in a chronologic order telling the history of this ancient city. He takes two breaks in his story to describe the city's architecture. Because there is dispute in the field of epigraphy you cannot take this book as the last word, but that is the nature of writing about something which is an intense subject of research. I must also say that I found some of Harrison's assertions about architectural alignments dubious. Certainly, I could not see how his maps could support all his claims. Nevertheless, I would heartily recommend this book.

I visited Tikal last Feb. I had read about it for years and still wasn't prepared for the magnitude, the scope the complexity of the civilization it was a small part of--it is a place you have to visit and see for yourself to even begin to really grasp. When I got home I found this book--I really wish I had read this BEFORE I WENT, the trip would have been better for it. In any case, I was happy to read it after the trip. This is the single best work I've found for sharing part of what I discovered at Tikal with people who haven't been there. I recommend it--especially if you are considering a visit--but also if you just like to armchair travel...It is a nice place to go either way.

this book on tikal is essential for those going to the ruins. not only does it take you back in time, it also helps orientate the traveler so he can use the best of his time, money and efforts. Don't leave home without it!

First off, the authors are from the liberal establishment, so there view is the U.S.A. was wrong to bring down the government
of Guatemala in 1953-1954. Even though I believe most of the story, they did not write an objective analysis.

The U.S. Government viewed the Arbenz government as tolerating
Communists in the McCarthy era, along with nationalizing certain
land held by the United Fruit company based in Boston. These two conflicts resulted in the U.S. government authorizing the overthrow of the Arbenz government and the installation of the
Castillo Armas government. Bitter fruit is a play on words due to the involvement of the United Fruit government.

As stated, I think what the U.S. government did was wrong, but I
view this book as not being completely objective. Communists were involved in the government, and Guatemala was like a magnet
to Communists in the 1950s. See Anderson's book on Che Guevarra to note that there were not just a few here. I think the authors overlook this, and view Eisenhower and the Dulles brothers as too concerned for United Fruit.

The book was well written and short enough to read in one or two
days. The book did a good job portraying the actors in this drama, along with the environment in which they operated in.

A brilliantly written account of just one of the CIA/US govt crimes in the world (this one was called Operation Success), this book was so compelling that I couldn't put it down. The US paranoia against the communist threat led to some not very intelligent people, including Eisenhower, to assist in ridding the Western Hemisphere of anything that vaguely resembled a left wing movement, and installing the usual Latin American style, U.S. sponsored despotic dictatorship (also, see Nicaragua, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras, etc). When Arbenz reasoned about the Comunists in his goverment by saying "it's better to have them visible then to have them underground", no one, of course took notice. According to one set of research figures published in the book, the years which followed Arbenz's downfall have seen the death or dissapearance of up to 200,000 people. The authors of this book have done a fantastic job of revealing this part of American history in a very clear and concise manner, and all I can say is that it's a shame that Allen Dulles, the CIA director at the time, and his stoolies never got to be tried in court for the atrocities they were responsible for committing.

Well, OK, Watergate actually triggered the erosion of my faith in the US government. But I was barely a teenager as that story broke. I was in my early 20's when I read Bitter Fruit, prior to meeting Stephen Schlesinger at a university function.

This is the story of how the United States Government plotted against and overthrew the first democratically elected government in Guatemala. It clearly demonstrates how our government became an instrument, not of Democracy, but of oppression for the benefit of the wealthy. The right-wing coup, planned and supported by the CIA, led to other covert operations, many of which succeeded in enriching American corporations at the expense of Democracy.

Jacobo Arbenz, elected to the presidency of Guatemala was faced with a crisis of poverty. Most of the nation's land belonged to a very few rich, and to United Fruit Company. Much of that land lay fallow. Arbenz instituted a land reform package which called for turning over fallow land to the country's impoverished campesinos. Land would be purchased by the government from the owners at the value THE OWNERS had declared for property tax purposes. Sounds fair enough, right? Honest landowners would receive fair recompense for unused land. Dishonest landowners would get their just desserts.

Nevertheless, United Fruit Company, using its pull with John Foster & Allen Dulles, Secretary of State & CIA Director, respectively, managed to have their own revolution created and funded by the US Government, wrapped in a shroud of anti-communism. The dictator they instated continued the tradition of repression that Guatemala had known for decades before.

The only real winners of in this story were the stockholders of United Fruit. Today, in the "New World Order," we're more subtle, using international development loans and free trade agreements to undermine Democracy in third world nations. The tools may have changed, but the goal remains the same: Corporate wealth continues to supersede and destroy Democracy worldwide.

Martin Prechel need to get in contact with the alive members of the music group Juljuj Tijaax to write and outspread the story. Especially Diego Tiney.

Prechtel's book is incredibly beautiful, describing the life, loves and rituals of a small town in Guatemala, Santiage de Atitlan and the changes that have occurred there. As a companion piece to the Secrets of the Talking Jaguar, which is equally profound, this book leads us away from the Shamanistic and into the everyday life of these beautiful people. The book is full of the wisdom of the past regarding such things as marriage, teenage years, birth and death. My emotions and memories of the indiginous peoples of this land are brought vividly to mind in this book. I have lived and worked for many years with Pueblo people and am struck by the many similarities of belief and ritual.Prechtel is a fantastic writer who keeps one wanting more!

This being third in the sequence of Martin Prechtel's books that I'd read this year, completion of the triptych brought my understanding to critical mass/tears in view of how much has been lost in Guatemala's entry to the 21st century. However, these writings make it highly probable that the loss is not complete, or unmourned. His books embody the very processes he tells of; for example, his mention of customs which are made to be broken: people's learning the significance of who breaks them, how, and when they are broken or allowed to be broken strengthens the culture.* His own experience of out of sequence initiation illustrates this, but beyond that, the fluidity with which he passes between poetic and humorous storytelling and epilogues in a more philosophical tone invites inner dialogue in the reader. He is well aware of the modern consumer mentality as a ghost layer mimicing an underlying spiritual void, when he taunts the readers at the outset that many will voraciously consume his books and move on, without fulfilment. *This realization is the most important one passed from mentor to initiate in any culture. My mentor at the same period (the 1970's)was a halfway-house worker who realized and taught others that we were not there to enforce a culture on the mentally ill, but rather light-heartedly yet seriously to help them draw the line as to what they could expect to get away with and more importantly, not get away with, in this life, and to plan accordingly. Indigenous music and language being preserved and used in their celebratory (if no longer ritual) uses may be all we have left to work/play with. Prechtel does well to begin his story with his introduction to Mayan music. The depths have not yet been plumbed as far as the role music plays in initiation, since the printed word is not the right medium to convey this. It struck me as wonderful that a Peruvian flute band were playing their hearts out last weekend in Portland, Maine, at the last visit of the Tall Ships- a proper "send-off" to the ghosts of Conquistador navies by a very much alive pre-columbian musical band.

I read this pretty quickly. There's no problem with knowing what the author is trying to say. I found the representation to be a little full of sad satire and sorry history lessens but then again the reality really has been horrific.

I will hang on to this and use it as a reference. I always find it interesting the way several 1st person accounts of a like place will produce inconsistencies in attitudes and reactions.

At first this book appears to be merely a travelogue of Wright's journeys through the Maya areas of Mexico and Central America. Sure, he gives us the goods on the ancient Maya ruins and archeological treasures, plus a lot of great historical coverage, but these turn out to be the background of a much larger narrative. Instead, Wright spends the bulk of his time visiting with the local people, both modern Mayas and non-Mayas who inhabit these regions today. Therefore we get an excellent sociological study on these peoples. I was surprised to learn of the large numbers of Maya that still exist, not just as an ancient fringe religious group, but as a sizeable portion of the populations of Guatemala, Belize, and Southern Mexico. Unfortunately these people still deal with the fallout of nearly 500 years of oppression, and continuing discrimination today. Their resulting hardships are a major focus of the book. Wright also has a flair for picking out offbeat and enjoyable characters among the people he meets, like the nearly-Rasta mestizos of Belize and a variety of befuddled and naïve traveling companions. Wright could stand to be a little less biased at times, especially in the portion of the book that deals with Guatemala. Wright gets really carried away in describing this dreary nation as a hopeless hellhole. This characterization is probably not too far from reality, but impartiality is missing at times in this book. (Note that this was written back in the mid-80's, though it's doubtful if much has changed since then). Also, pictures of the many fascinating areas Wright visited would be a nice addition to this book. You have to rely on Wright's descriptions instead, although he does a pretty good job. Ultimately, this book is less a standard travelogue than an entertaining and very enlightening sociological study on a people who are still going strong even though their culture "collapsed" (in Western eyes) centuries and centuries ago.

A travel book, with culture and policitcs woven in, but not too heavily. Geography, environment, and a collection of characters encountered along the way, a fascinating book on several levels. Also in the fabric of the book is a discussion of how the Mayans keep time, what happened to them as a culture and people, as well as what their future might be. But is it all done with excellent writing, none of it too academic or dry, all interesting, with great writing artistry. A very good book. Simple and powerful. A good read if you have any interest in this area of the world or the Mayans.