4th of July in Guatemala

Guatemala Independence Day - Sept 15, 1821. It turns out that all of Central America shares this date (Independence from Spain). There are different types of celebrations.

I hear there is a torch that starts in Guatemala on Sept 14 and is carried all the way to Costa Rica by the 15th. The lighting of the torch starts in Antigua, the original capital for Guatemala. There are a few "local" torches along the way. Its a big marathon. Lots of people on the roads. Lots of yellow school buses. People are decorated in their skyblue and white colors (just like our red, white and blue). It can be a nightmare for driving.


Today is Guatemala's Independence Day. It is very much like the 4th of July in the States. Businesses are closed. People are taking off and enjoying the long 3 day weekend.

As we drove into Antigua on Sunday morning, we noticed tons and tons of yellow school buses that were packed with youth and kids. We passed several local torches along the way.

Happy Birthday, Guatemala