Guatemala

Flores is the capital of the Petén, Guatemala's landlocked, northernmost province. The population is 13,700 (2003).

The old part of the city is located on an island on Lake Peten Itza, connected to the mainland by a short causeway. On the mainland is the suburb Santa Elena and, to the West, a contiguous municipality San Benito.

The Itza left the Yucatán region in the 13th century and built the city later known as Tayasal as their capital. They called it Noh (Nohoch) Petén, literally "City Island". It was also called Tah Itzá, or 'Place of the Itzá'.
It was here, on the island of Flores on the shore of Lake Petén Itzá, that the last independent Maya state held out against the Spanish conquerors. In 1541, Hernán Cortés came to the island, en route to Honduras, but needed to move on and did not try to conquer it.
The Spanish did not manage to conquer the island until 1697, when they marched in, attacked via boats, and destroyed it. Those who could flee did so, and many Itzá people hid in the jungle for years. From the ruins of Noh Petén arose the modern city of Flores.
Source:Wikipedia

Yay, finally additional cards of Guatemala, as I only have one from

this country before this. Thanks to Ale and Mario for the

2014 School Project.

Sent: 4 June 2014   Received: 23 July 2014   Travelled: 49 days

Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala

Chichicastenango is a large indigenous town, lying on the crests of mountaintops at an altitude of 1,965 m . As of 2012, 98.5% of the municipality's population is indigenous Mayan K'iche. 92% of the municipality's population speaks the K'iche language, with the remaining 8% being monolingual Spanish speakers. 71% of the municipality's population was bilingual, speaking both K'iche and Spanish, and an additional 21% were monolingual K'iche speakers. The K'iche people and language dominate the municipality.  It is located about 140 km  northwest of Guatemala City.

Chichicastenango is well known for its famous market days on Thursdays and Sundays where vendors sell handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, wooden boxes, condiments, medicinal plants, candles, pom[disambiguation needed] and copal (traditional incense), cal (lime stones for preparing tortillas), grindstones, pigs and chickens, machetes, and other tools. In the central part of the market plaza are small eateries (comedores).

Among the items sold are textiles, particularly the women's blouses. The manufacture of masks, used by dancers in traditional dances, such as the Dance of the Conquest, have also made this city well known for woodcarving.

Source:Wikipedia

Thanks to Ale for this Guatemala Classroom project back in 2014.

Sent from student Jonathan

Sent: 16 June 2014   Received: 23 July 2014   Travelled: 37

Copan, Honduras

Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the Copán Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. It was the capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries AD. The city was located in the extreme southeast of the Mesoamerican cultural region, on the frontier with the Isthmo-Colombian cultural region, and was almost surrounded by non-Maya peoples.

Copán was a powerful city ruling a vast kingdom within the southern Maya area. The city suffered a major political disaster in AD 738 when Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, one of the greatest kings in Copán's dynastic history, was captured and executed by his former vassal, the king of Quiriguá. This unexpected defeat resulted in a 17-year hiatus at the city, during which time Copán may have been subject to Quiriguá in a reversal of fortunes.

Yippee! So happy to have this historical site of Honduras come into my mailbox!

Special thanks to Ale for this great card, from her visit to Copan. Muchas gracias!

Sent: 25 June 2014   Received: 5 August 2014   Travelled: 41 days

Guardabarranco and Frangipani of Nicaragua

The turquoise-browed motmot is a well-known bird in its range and has been chosen as the national bird of both El Salvador and Nicaragua. It has acquired a number of local names including guardabarranco ("ravine-guard") in Nicaragua, torogoz in El Salvador (based on its call) and pájaro reloj ("clock bird") in the Yucatán, based on its habit of wagging its tail like a pendulum.

Plumeria alba is the national flower of Nicaragua and Laos, where it is known under the local name "Sacuanjoche" (Nicaragua) and "Champa" (Laos).

The stamps come from the Fauna of the Rainforest 1991 issue and the 1994 USA World Cup sheet

Thank you Ale for this beautiful stamped card of Nicaragua!

Sent: 16 December 2014   Received: 7 January 2015   Travelled: 22 days

El Salvador #2

 Monument to El Salvador del Mundo at Las Americas square at San Salvador.

My second card from El Salvador, thank you very much Ale of Guatemale!

Sent: 7 November 2013   Received: 3 December 2013   Travelled: 26 days