Antigua is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Mudéjar-influenced Baroque architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1773, the Santa Marta earthquakes destroyed much of the town, which led to the third change
Tegucigalpa City and Gay Sites
Tegucigalpa (population 1.25 million) is the capital city of Honduras and is also the country’s largest city. The defining event in recent Honduran history, and that of Tegucigalpa also, is Hurricane Mitch, which devastated the country in 1998. Mitch reportedly set the country back 50 years. Tegus is still recovering from the massive flooding of
Guatemala City Life and People
Guatemala City (population 942,348; Metro area 2,945,080) is the economic, governmental and cultural capital of the Republic. The city also functions as the main port of entry into the country, with an international airport and most major highways originating or leading to the city. In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels and shops,
Town of Boquete
Boquete is a small town tucked into the green mountain highlands of Panama, in western-most Chiriquí Province, about 60 km. from the border with Costa Rica. Because of its altitude, some 1,200 metres above sea level, its climate is refreshingly cooler than that of the lowlands. Its scenic location, temperature, and natural environment make it
Panama Old Town (Casco Viejo)
Old Town (Casco Viejo) Panama is a small section of the much larger Panama City. Located on a rocky peninsula it was the hub of life a hundred years ago during the construcion of the Panama Canal with elegant buildings, churches and hotels and many common residences. But the area was too small to hold
Panama City, Railroad and Canal
Panama City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 813,097, with a total metro population of 1,206,792, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal. Panama City is the political and administrative center of the country. The Panama Canal Railway Company is
Libertad City and Beach
La Libertad, city and port, southwestern El Salvador. Its open port as well as its location south of San Salvador encouraged La Libertad’s development in the 19th century as a shipping outlet for “balsam of Peru”—a variety of balsam yielded from El Salvador’s coastal forests. During the early 20th century La Libertad was one of
San Salvador City
San Slavador is the capital and largest city of the nation of El Salvador. It is the third most populous city in Central America after Guatemala City and Managua. The city has a long history, with origins dating back to the Spanish conquest of the Pipil tribes. The name of the capital city is the
Belize City Images
Belize City is the largest city in Belize. Unofficial estimates place the population of Belize City at 79,600 or more. It is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country’s principal port and its financial and industrial hub. Several cruise ships drop anchor outside
Images of San Pedro
San Pedro is a town on the southern part of the island of Ambergris Caye in the Belize District of the nation of Belize, in Central America. According to 2005 mid-year estimates, the town has a population of about 12,400. It is the second largest city in the Belize District and largest city in the
Gay Mexico: a Three-Part Journey
From three Mexican cities come three different stories about gay life. Part one reveals a subdued LGBT community in the provincial capital of Morelia in the state of Michoacan, a hundred miles west of Mexico City. Part two derives from the big city itself–Mexico City, an enormous megopolis of twenty million where, expectantly, the LGBT
Gay Panama Life 2010
Intro: The view of modern Panama depends on where you stand: in a luxury high-rise city condo or a tiny jungle village or a small working class town. All three will present a different face of homosexuality in this famous canal country. Homophobia runs high but gay life carries on openly, hidden or appreciated in
Gay Nicaragua – New Life and New Hope 2010
Intro: Nicaragua is a scenic mountain-and-lake country with a variety of social and ethnic groups, including a sizeable LGBT population. Unfortunately most live behind closet doors as the dominant macho/catholic culture has a major influence on sexual lifestyles. But surprisingly, there are several bold and vigorous human rights organizations that are unafraid, especially since homosexuality
Gay Life in Modern Guatemala 2010
Introduction This small ambitious country is one of Central America’s more prosperous nations but it doesn’t appear that way even to a casual visitor. Under the glaze of business and industry are serious human rights abuses, especially against LGBT people. Here is a small portrait of life when one is gay, poor, and disenfranchised. However,
Gay Honduras: Hidden, But Busy and Present 2010
Intro: Honduras does not come up as a gay mecca on any scale and I expected as much. But to my pleasant surprise I found the capital, Tegucigalpa, to be home to a bustling community of LGBT groups and activists. All it took was connecting with the right person who knew just about everything and
Gay Life in El Salvador 2010
Intro: The small country of El Salvador has seen it share of politcal, economic and social troubles, like other Central American nations. But for the past fifteen years, undaunted by threats, hackers and preachers, the single LGBT organization in El Salvador, Entre Amigos (Among Friends), has endured with determination and compassion thanks to help from benefactors such as Elton John. Today Entre Amigos is a beacon of light for many gay souls in this homophobic culture. But gay life can also feel good, as testified by a young lover called Ricky.
Gay Life and Work in Belize 2010
This story starts in Belize City, the largest and former capital city of Belize where I spoke to a leading activist, Caleb Oroczo, about LGBT and HIV organizations in Belize. From there I went to San Pedro, a small town on the island cay of Ambergris off the east coast of Belize to talk with
El Salvador and Survival: Gay Life Among the Chaos
Richard Ammon, GlobalGayz.com San Salvador, February 9, 2010 I am often amused and irked at how the gay community in any one country is portrayed both in the majority media and in the gay media as well. El Salvador is another one of those ‘throw-away’ countries in Central America that is mostly ignored unless there
Considering the Mayan Ruins in Honduras (and Human Hubris)
Richard Ammon, GlobalGayz.com Copan Ruines, Honduras February 7, 2010 After 1200 years, the Mayan stones tell a mute story of empire and human dominance. Teased out piece by piece by modern hands from the jungle’s clawed roots, from a millennium of rain and floods, baking sun and vegan onslaught, the exposed stones tell stories of kaleidoscopic religion, political intrigue
Letter from Gay Honduras
February 5, 2010 Richard Ammon, GlobalGayz Honduras It’s February 5 and the temperature is 100 degrees (F) in the village of Copan Ruines, Honduras where ancient Mayan ruins have baked under the hot sun for over 1500 years. Honduras is one of those ‘throw-away countries that hardly registers on any international scale of influence, enterprise
Gay Rights Activist Murdered in Honduras
Richard Ammon, GlobalGayz.com December 17, 2009 Once again we are humbled and infuriated that yet another courageous gay activist has been gunned down for his human rights work. In a previous blog we considered the irrational persecution and killing of LGBT (gay) people across the world and how human fear and hatred make us inhumane.
Gay Life in Belize 2009
Intro: In a conservative corner of the Caribbean/Central American lies quiet Belize, passed up by most of the world. But for some wise expats and knowing natives, this patch of earth offers a mellow life not found elsewhere. Despite some poverty and violence of Belize City–40 kms across the bay– the modest town of San Pedro offers a place of calm and natural beauty for a community of LGBT residents.
Mexico – Coba Village and Coba Mayan Ruins
Coba is a tiny village adjacent to the vast Coba Mayan Ruins. Life in the village is very quiet and slow. I stayed in the little six-room hotelito ‘Sac-be’ for $16 a night (vs $78 at the near-by Club Med, shown in the final four photos below). My towel was arranged like a flower and
Mexico – Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza Ruins The ruins at Chichen Itza date from about 600-900 AD and are a mix of Mayan and Toltec styles. Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Yucatán state, present-day Mexico. Archaeological data, such as evidence
Gay Panama: A Fight for Acceptance
A guest writer for Reuters offers a realistic and raw glimpse of mostly daunting gay life in this small country with the famous canal.Yet there are small signs of hope for easing of machistic policies and attitudes. Following this is a commentary from a recent visitor to Panama who found his own satisfying scene. Also