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Dante Alighieri also crossed the Atlantic Ocean in search for wider public for his Divine Comedy. It seems like the old folks had better sense of humor. Alighieri, Cervantes and Shakespeare had great sense of humor and for sure they would needed it if they saw what we done with this world. Not even 33 inconvenient truths will change our path of self-destruction. No way José, we know where we’re going; it’s just a matter of time.

Sometimes, we need Dante, Cervantes and Shakespeare to make it through the day. For sure I need them lately!

In the first decade of 1600s, one ingenious Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra set out to write a humorous tale about a tall, thin, fancy-struck knight by the name of Quijote (Quixote in old Spanish) and the fat, squat, world-wearing Panza. He succeeded in writing a very comic story and a best-seller, but little did he know he was also founding modern Western literature. Don Quijote is considered by many as the first novel as such.

Don Quixote is considered a satire of orthodoxy, truth, veracity, and even nationalism. In going beyond mere storytelling to exploring the individualism of his characters, Cervantes helped move beyond the narrow literary conventions of the chivalric romance literature that he spoofed, which consists of straightforward retelling of a series of acts that redound to the knightly virtues of the hero.

Quixote has served as an important thematic source not only in literature but in much of later art and music, such as works by Pablo Picasso and Richard Strauss. (source for all the copy above: Wikipedia)

This bronze statute is another example of how far the influence of Quijote reached. The name Don Quijote is very popular around Antigua where many businesses choose it as a name. My favorite and most appropriate, in my opinion, is a tour operator with Don Quijote as its name.

If they were to make of modern film based on Don Quijote, it would have to be a road movie a la Little Miss Sunshine. I recommend both to you.

I am sure this doorway will fit perfectly in MarieMC‘s Doorways Around the World. Well, I may be wrong because since she updated her submission guidelines she now only accepts doorways that are beautiful. We’ll see.

Angelina is decor shop in Antigua Guatemala with ‘big things for big budgets,’ I overheard someone saying once. It is breath-taking to walk into the shop and see so many beautiful things, all of them, outside my budget. Por ver no se cobra goes the Spanish saying, which, more or less, translates to “you will not be charged for looking”. I will go inside and ask permission to take a few shots next time.

Even though most, if not all, of the quick photo labs are digital now in La Antigua Guatemala, the old and traditional photo studios still remain open. How long will they stay open, I don’t know. I saw how in less than 18 months all the quick photo lab went digital and how the Guatemalan Photo Club members added a digital SLR as their main camera in their bags. Is film dead in Guatemala? Not just yet. Film cameras and Polaroid cameras are still the main equipment of the park and fair photographers and many of the traditional villages studios where digital equipment costs are prohibited and the technology too complicated. Besides, you can still find other uses for film cameras; for instance, I plan to use mine to shoot black-and-white only as soon as I can get a development kit for home. At chromogenic.net, you can find instructions for setting up your own black-and-white lab for $49.38 (update for inflation since the entry is from 2005).

Back on February 8th, 2007 on the entry New Aesthetic Values for an Old Town, I mentioned how many things are still made completely by hand, thus it is impossible to get two items to look the same. The angels in this wall at Doña Luisa Xicotencatl are a very good example of the beauty achieve by the artisans around Antigua.

This photo is dedicated to the memory of Sergio.

The restaurant and bakery housed under the name of Doña Luisa Xicotencatl, on 4a calle oriente #12 in La Antigua Guatemala, has become a landmark of the town. Many people meet here for breakfast on the weekends or lunch during the week. I believe one the reason this business has become a landmark is the fact that many Antigüeños do not use the regular addresses. If you ask for directions, they will point you the yellow house across the street from Deliciosa or next door to Fridas or in the same building where once was Subway. This is enough to make go mad if you don’t know the town, but it makes perfect sense one you’ve registered in your mind all the possible landmarks.

Here is a little more information about this restaurant/bakery:

Located in a painstakingly restored 1650 home, restaurant/bakery Doña Luisa Xicotencatl, S.A. — named after conquistador Pedro de Alvarado‘s faithful companion — has become an institution in Antigua with an international following for its bread. Every day, locals and tourists alike line up in the bakery for whole wheat bread, carrot cake, raisin bread, banana bread, cakes and desserts. Many more patrons visit for a leisurely breakfast, lunch or dinner from a menu offering 69 items. (source: Candelaria’s Antiguas Virtual Library)

A little over a week ago, Mary Johnston asked if I could publish a photo of Jacarandas. Well, I found some trees in Parque Central, out of all places, and in the process I manage to snap a shot of Central Park which I believe to be quite original. At least I haven’t seen this particular angle and I’ve seen thousands of photos about Antigua’s Parque Central.

By the way, the first time I remember being aware of Jacarandas was in Southern California, Long Beach to be precise, where the Jacaranda trees are very popular. Since then I totally forgot them and did not even thought there were Jacaranda trees around Antigua Guatemala. I thank Mary Johnston for pointing out the trees to me.

Enjoy!

In the Catholic realm the Holy Week Celebrations begin today with the Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Cuaresma, the Spanish term for the forty days of the Lent season. The Holy Week celebrations in La Antigua Guatemala end at this church: El Calvario. Back in January 18th, I showed you the El Calvario Church. El Calvario or Calvary (Golgotha) is the name of the mount on the outskirts of Jerusalem where it’s believe Jesus Christ was crucified (source Wikipedia).

Can you see the symbolism in the three arches with three crosses on top?

Ash Wednesday also marks the end of the carnival (goodbye to meat). So it was so fitting that yesterday’s photo was a charcoal-grilled meat selling stand.

The origin of the name “Carnival” is unclear. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the name comes from the Italian carne- or carnovale, from Latin carnem (meat) + levare (lighten or raise), literally “to remove the meat” or “stop eating meat”. (Carnival at Wikipedia)

So today marks the start the procession season as well. I will do my best to catch as many as possible for you.

One of the most popular meals around Antigua is charcoal-grilled meats like beef, chicken, pork in adobo curry, sausages —red and white with herbs— all with radish salad, avocado sauce —guacamol is the Guatemalan spelling—, chirmol —a Guatemalan pico de gallo sauce—. Everything is freshly made, including the charcoal. As you can see, there are many street meal vendors around Antigua.

Nowhere is Guatemala’s syncretism more evident than in its food. Here you have a sampler of what is considered authentic traditional Guatemalan dishes, yet you can see Chinese fried rice and chow mein, French roll sandwiches fill with Spanish-style pierna (leg), Russian potato salad, buche and tomato salad, revolcado Guatemalan curry, Guatemalan tacos (fried flautas), fried chicken, and fried plantains in chocolate-based sauce by the name of mole. However weird this may sound, these dishes have little in common with the meals that originated them; they are Guatemalan food now.

Bon appetite!

Trompo is the Spanish word for spinning top. Here you can see the Guatemalan wooden handicraft version and one of them at full spin. Some of you who have been following the photos at this site might remember these arches from the Book Fair in Antigua, back in July 22nd, 2006. Also, there is a great perspective of the hallway and the arches back in May 1st, 2006. If you came recently, please take a look at the two photos from linked. Furthermore, you can see many of the arches around Antigua Guatemala by browsing the Arches category.

Photobloggies 2007 Award Finalist Side Note:
Yesterday, before shutting down I found a link to the 2007 Photobloggies Award in the referrer logs and today Karine and Santy made references to it, so I decided to take a look at it. Surprise, surprise, Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo is among the finalists for the Best of Latin American Photoblog even though I was not even aware it was nominated. I was happy to see AGDP and several others like San Francisco DP, Trujillo DP, Sochi DP, my friends Edwin’s Kuala Lumpur DP, Lisi’s Hong Kong DP, Santy’s Jakarta DP, Nathalie from Sydney Daily Snap, Beirut DP, Dubai DP and Accra DP. Good luck to all of you. I don’t really think AGDP has a chance since it’s competing against photoblogs from “real and professional” photographers. However, it is a great honor to be among the finalists. Do you know who nominated so many of the Daily Photo Blogs?

Wood is a very popular material for handicrafts made by the artisans around Antigua Guatemala. Last year on May 25th I told you about the meaning of the name of this country:

The name Guatemala derives from the word Goathemala which was given by the Spanish conquistadors and it derives from Quauhtlemallan a word from the Nahualt language spoken by the Tlaxcala’s natives that accompanied the conquistadors. Quauhtlemallan was a direct translation from the Mayan language’s Quiche or Iximche which more or less translates to the land of many trees or forests. This was long-winded explanation to bring forth the fact that this land has been a powerful lung for earth for a very long time; thanks to its many forests.

The follow-up post Detail of a Stairway even included a trivia language game:

What other words in any language could be translated to the concept of “land of forests or trees”? I will get you started with three: Quauhtlemallan in Nahualt, Quiche in Maya, Holland in Dutch. Please help with other words in other languages.

Mahogany Side note:
Mahogany trees are everywhere in the north side of the country. The mahogany forests in the north are the reason why there is now an English commonwealth country called Belize, a former Guatemalan territory.

I hope the explanations above clarify why wood is such a popular material for the craftsmen and their creations.

The Artisans Fair was the showcase for the handicrafts made in all the villages around Antigua Guatemala. So far we have seen textiles, seeds, jade jewelry, wood, fruit and vegetable jars and now a forged metal owl. Wouldn’t you like to have a piece like this in one your rooms?

One of the things that caught by viewfinder at the artisans fair was sweets and pickles in the jars. Although this photo is not as colorful as Olivia’s Pickels from Istanbul Daily Photo, it shows some of the fruits and vegetables very popular in Guatemala like Nisperos (the yellow fruit jars also known as Loquat), Pacayas (the white date palms, now available through Amazon), and, of course, Chile Jalapeños. Here is another shot of the nispero jelly jars.

The crosses are everywhere around Antigua Guatemala even though one may become blind to them after a while. This black cross was capture in the Fair of Artisans from around Antigua. As a matter of fact, all the recent folk-art photos where taken there, including Don’t get burn! and Close-up View of Guatemalan Textiles. There will be a few more images from the fair and we will move onto something else.