Guatemala is Our Muse

Posted by Laura Benoit on Sep 14, 2017

Hey there, did you know that we, UTZ Market, are based in Guatemala? Our headquarters are here, all of your orders ship from Guatemala, most of the team is Guatemalan, and the few of us who aren’t born and raised Guatemaltecos, we feel happy and at home here. This little Central American country has captured all of our hearts with its culture, its incredibly diverse landscapes & environment, the warm smiles of people who work hard everyday to build themselves a better tomorrow, and beans & corn tortillas. Not everything here is picture perfect, there are many challenges, social, environmental, and political but we are willing to bet that if you experienced Guatemala it would capture a piece of your heart too.

Guatemala is Our Muse 1

Today, September 15, 2016 is Independence Day in Guatemala, actually most of Central America celebrate their independence on this day, so we decided that we would share with you why Guatemala is our muse and why we are doing what we are doing here.

Guatemala is a land of contrasts and beauty. It is steeped culture, home to the Mayan Civilization whose traditions go back thousands of years and are still celebrated & practiced in the daily lives of much of the population. Guatemala produced two Nobel Prize winners in peace & literature and experienced a 36 year long civil war, the longest in the region. It is home to traditional artisans and artists, musicians and writers, athletes and techies, farmers and entrepreneurs.

Traditional artisans weave and embroider colorful textiles by hand to use as traje (traditional dress), or to sell to visitors. Each community has their own distinct designs and techniques that represent their unique culture. Leather workers handcraft shoes, boots, and bags. Carpenters carve out beautiful furniture and wood wares from the native trees. Coffee producers attend to their plants and process their beans by hand. Vendors sell fruit, veggies, meat, and flower stands at bustling open air markets selling what they themselves produced.

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Known as the ‘Land of Eternal Spring’ the landscapes of Guatemala are truly breathtaking, lush and tropical in the lowlands, forested and mountainous in the highlands. Volcanoes, both active and dormant stand tall, small towns dot the countryside, rivers wind through valleys, beautiful lakes invite you jump in and refresh yourself. Flowers, birds and butterflies bring splashes of color to any setting any time of the year. And you don’t have to travel long to change from one scene to a complete opposite.

Guatemala is our muse 4 - things to do in Guatemala

Lake Atitlan looks like a jewel set in a crown made of Volcanoes. The black sands beaches on the Pacific Coast warm your spirits as you play like a child in the crashing waves, or release sea turtles in the early morning light. Antigua charms your eyes, a colorful colonial town, full of ruins, and beauty. Huehuetenango is a coffee lover’s dream land where small-holder coffee farmers grow the world’s best coffee on steep mountain and volcanoes. Between caves, and waterfalls, “Las Verapaces”, lure you in with the turquoise waters cascading from one natural pool to the next at Semuc Champey. Hidden ruins spread out in a vast jungle share the ancient history; Peten hosts cities like Tikal and El Mirador.

Guatemala is our Muse - Things to do in Guatemala

These are just a few of the reasons why Guatemala inspired us to create a business that celebrates the local culture and shares it with the world. Join us in celebrating Guatemala’s Independence Day this year by supporting the incredible artisans and producers who call this country home and are working to build a brighter future for themselves, their communities, and their country. Share your favorite part of Guatemala in the comments below.

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