Nelly Ocacia and Benjamín Moldonado are both 19-year-old university students, and enjoy dancing with the Ballet Folklórico Guamanique when not studying. We caught up with them at the airport in San Juan, where they were welcoming new arrivals and seeing off departing passengers, much to the delight of travelers.

Deep in the heart of Old San Juan you can hear live salsa music playing most any night at the Nuyorican Cafe. We stepped into the alley for a breather and had a little chat with two lovely salseras to get an insider view of what brings them back to the dance floor night after night.

Juan paints outlines on his tiles using a paintbrush and manganese oxide, but at one time practitioners did this by laying down fine strings dipped in wax, and this explains why Juan still calls the technique he uses cuerda seca, or “dry cord.” Note that he describes the technique as one of alto relieve, or “high relief,” which is the opposite of bas-relief (low relief).

In Guatemala, people of Mayan descent not only retain various native forms of dress, but they also speak dialects of the Mayan language, a language many people wrongly presume to be long lost to history. Rafael treats us to some examples of words and phrases in this language, and also explains some of the particulars of traditional dress.

Ecological awareness is universal these days, especially among young people. Javier explains his own use of natural and biological materials, a use that does not involve the destruction of any living creatures, but rather the reuse of materials that have been jettisoned by their original animal owners.

As an artesan, Javier Marin works with a variety of materials, employing many techniques to create his pieces. He has been kind enough to take the time to explain some of these materials and processes. Javier’s father, in the days well before email, used to transmit telegraph messages via morse code in the building adjacent to where his son now works.

Our friend, Rafael, returns this week to talk to us about his homeland and its culture. As he explains, the Mayan culture continues to thrive in Guatemala via its language, clothing, and customs.