This small, and largely unheard of bird, loves the relatively low temperatures and humidity offered by the Central American highlands. The Quetzal species has had a massive impact on the Central American people and government. This tiny colorful bird has been thriving in Central America since the times of the ancient Mayans. Here are a few ways this lightweight bird has influenced heavy changes in Central America. The species can also be found in Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela. The small fowl has been battling poachers and natural selection for thousands of years, but the advanced means that are used by man today can’t be matched by the Quetzal’s “live free or die” way of life.

The Namesake

The name Quetzal originally comes from the Aztec term in Nahuatl, meaning “large brilliant tail feathers,” which the Resplendent is famous for. The Nahuatl word “quetz” means, literally, “stand up.” This word would often be used in reference of a large plume of standing feathers. In the beginning of the bird’s long history, only the Resplendent was given the name Quetzal, but with time it was discovered that there are 5 other Quetzal species, none of which are doing much better than the Quetzal in terms of numbers.

Mayan history        

There are many different religions and belief systems that have tried to predict when the earth was going to end, all of them have been wrong. Every person and religion that has tried to predict earths final day had been, thankfully, wrong. What makes so many of us believe that the Mayans got it right?

Perhaps we believe them so much because of their amazing building achievements as a civilization, or maybe it was their ability to read the stars and make the most accurate calendar that has ever existed; the Mayan Calendar. The Mayans were also very good storytellers, and believed that the world’s destruction had happened several times before.

2012

Much like the Bible, and many other holy books, the Mayans listed a set of prophecies that are supposed to start on 22nd December 2012, culminating the next day – 23rd December 2012. The 7 Mayan Prophecies of  2012 are as follows:

If you are a fan of horseback riding, you can definitely enjoy the feel of wind as it blows past your hair and the breeze blowing freedom as beautiful landscapes roll past as you ride on a horse. Thousands of people who love equine all over the world enjoy this feeling and this has led to the burgeoning of horseback riding vacations in many parts of the world including Belize and Guatemala.

Horseback riding Vacations

You can find many package tour deals that offer many types of horseback riding getaways. For example, you can find inn rides, which allow you to combine riding with overnight stopovers in various places. The other packages available are safaris that enable you to enjoy beautiful wildlife from the back of a horse, tours for the entire family and horseback fishing trips. One of the best ways to get away from the stress that is caused by the demands of contemporary living is to take on the adventure of horseback riding vacations.

Two very distinctive traits, the highlands and the lowlands define Guatemala. Each area has it’s own unique look and it’s own unique inhabitants. The thick jungles of the highlands to the filled with natural wonders and spectacles lowlands, there are monuments here that can’t be seen anywhere else on the planet. For now, let’s concentrate on the amazing wildlife and geography of the Guatemala highlands.

One of the defining characteristics for the survival of all wildlife in the Guatemala Highlands is the mountain chain known called the Sierra Madre. It stretches from the Mexican border down to the mid highlands reaching El Salvador. The most intriguing part of this mountain chain is that it’s defined by volcanic cones, including a volcano that is over 13,000 feet tall called Tajumulco.  

Pacaya National Park is the protected area around a volcano with the same name situated about 50 km south of Guatemala City in the Guatemalan Department of Esquintla. The cone of the volcano has a height of 2552 meters above sea level and around 65.000 visitors visit the National Park annually.

The volcano first erupted and came to exist over 20.000 years ago. Pacaya is part of the Central American Volcanic Arc, a chain of volcanoes stretching along the Pacific coast of Central America. The Guatemalan Institute for Tourism (INGUAT) has published a bulletin stating the National Park will be closed to visitors until further notice. The volcano has been active for over 50 years and lightly increased its activity since March this year, together with volcanoes Fuego and Santiago nearby. In April a fatal accident occurred when tourists went beyond the allowed paths and were surprised by a sudden eruption and rock avalanche. In May part of the National Park was temporarily closed due to increased activity on one side of the volcano.