Volcán San Pedro, Guatemala

 Some places in the world are so haunting. Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala lurked in my dreams even before I ever arrived at the lake. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world, water mountain sky all combining perfectly. But at times there is a sadness to the land. It is as if all of the pain of the civil war has seeped into the landscape. In spite of suffering the Maya of Santiago Atitlán have held onto their culture. Allen Christenson documents that preservation in his first book.

-Stephen Alvarez