Pablo Martinez
Pablo Martinez was born in Guatemala City. His father was Mexican and his mother was Guatemalan. He grew up in both countries, experiencing the dynamic diversity of cultures, customs, traditions and landscapes. He spent much of his youth in Guatemala City where he attended school. After he completed his primary studies, he received a sports scholarship to play soccer at the Cuauhtemoc University in Mexico. There he studied international commerce.
Once he completed university, he returned to rural Guatemala where he formed a company based based in fair trade practices and focused on responsible tourism. This is also when he began putting his broad-based knowledge of cultural traditions in Guatemala and Belize to introduce Big Five Tours & Expeditions’ travelers to the natural wonders and ancient civilizations of his homeland and beyond.
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Miguel Ignacio Ventura
Miguel Ignacio Ventura was born near the Sacred Hill named Pascual Abaj in Chichicastenango in the Guatemalan highlands. He is the son of Mayan priests and healers. In addition to his work as a professional tour guide, he is a fifth-generation carver. An artisan carver, he creates wooden masks for use in ceremonial and folkloric dances as well as dance costumes. In his community, he is a spiritual guide and healer and is responsible for maintaining the dances and other traditions of his region of Guatemala. He teaches the arts of traditional dance, wood carving and painting, especially to children of the community. Miguel speaks three languages: Maya ki-ché, Spanish and English.
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