I am sure many Guatemalans have not had atolillo yet! If you have had atolillo before, please come forward.
Atolillo is made from baby corn, cinnamon, corn starch, milk and sugar. Atolillo is pure white and sweet. The flavour is sweet and delicate with a little punch due to the cinnamon… you have to try it!
Can you guess which way we are going to go tomorrow?
Sorry MO, you were cheated out of the morning refacción! 
For those worry about being served your atol in styrofoam cups and dishes, let tell you not to worry, they still have the ceramic bowls, glasses and cups and plastic dishes. The only reason all the photos in this series were served in styrofoam cups is because I requested them to go. I don’t think they would let me borrow the ceramics bowls to take into my office. Sorry guys for the confusion… worry not you can still chismear (gossip) with the other people at the puesto de atoles.
Today’s entry is atol de habas. Habas are broad beens. Next to the atol de habas, I present dobladas de chicharrón (pork rind maize wraps). Bon Appetite!
One of the benefits of having a Banana Republic (not the clothing store, but the real thing!) is the tremendous amount of recipes available with plantains that became an integral part of the Guatemalan gastronomy. Today’s beverage is atol de platano, made from boiled plantains, sugar and cinnamon.
Does anyone has the actual recipes for all these atoles? Would you mind sharing them with us.
Labor Code Side Note: The Guatemalan labor code allows for two short breaks of about 15 minutes (in addition to the lunch break); one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The breaks are known as refacción, and the act of eating something in this short break is known as refaccionar. Bon appetite my friends!
With the first rains comes the sompopo de mayo (May’s giant flying ant), and the sweet atoles become available at your nearest Guatemalan snack street vendor. The omnipresent atol blanco yields some space for one or two Guatemalan sweet atoles. In the chilly morning with rain curtains, one goes out to get the refacción, or “refa” for short (mid morning Guatemalan snack) and the sweet atoles are now available. This is the menu available at the street vendor half block away from the office: Atol de arroz con leche on Mondays; Atol de arroz con chocolate on Tuesdays; Atol de platano on Wednesday; Atol de habas on Thursday and Atol de platano on Fridays.
Today’s entry is Atol de arroz con chocolate which basically is a thick and hot drink made with rice and chocolate; thus its name. To prepare Atol de arroz con cholate, you boil some water with cinnamon sticks, then add some rice and you wait for the rice to be soft and finally add Guatemalan real chocolate bars, a pinch of salt and maybe some sugar. You can add Mexican chocolate instead, if you can not find real Guatemalan chocolate, but do not use cocoa. What’s the ratio between water and rice, I don’t know, but this is a drink so the ratio has to leave you with thick yet drinkable beverage.
Guatemalan Abbreviations of Names Side Note: One more aspect of the Guatemalan idiosyncrasy is the tendency to abbreviate or simply chop names. That’s how Guatemala City becomes simply Guate or “Uate” if you listen carefully to the chicken bus helper (cholojo is the technical name for the helper); Chichicastenango becomes Chichi (be careful with the pronunciation if you don’t want to be slap on the face); La Antigua Guatemala becomes Antigua; Panajachel becomes Pana, Huehuetenango becomes Huehue; Totonicapan becomes Toto; and so on. Interesting enough, Guatemalans tend to only abbreviate names of towns located on the Western highlands and costal low lands, where most of the indigenous people live. You rarely, if not ever, hear a short name for Zacapa, El Progreso, Puerto Barrios, Jutiapa, Santa Rosa, et-cetera. Why do you think is that so?
Often enough, I come across a door that just makes me stop, open my backpack and pull out the camera to capture its beauty. I have to admit I have failed at capturing the belleza of today’s entry doorway. Sorry!
I started capturing doors and windows from the very beginning of La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo, but it was until MarieMcC, from Doorways Around the World, showed me how attractive, gorgeous, impressive, lovely, charming and exquisite door and doorways can be that I began photographing them around Antigua more consciously. I am glad she opened my doors! 
Do you think photographing doors and windows could be considered a fetish?
By the way, today was the first day of the rainy season 2008. With the rain, a different approach is required and photo-ops get to one’s feet.
JennyStar DVD Rentals is the Netflix of La Antigua Guatemala. JennyStar DVD Rentals is what happens when you think through a good business model and apply intelligent solutions to what’s missing in your community. La Antigua Guatemala can be one of the smallest cities in the American Continent with only a geographic grid of 10 blocks by 10 blocks (about 1.5 square miles) and less than 30,000 inhabitants, but it has a home-delivered dvd rental with over 2,314 films, from old classics up to the latest releases, most of which can not be found anywhere else in Guatemala.
JennyStar DVD Rentals has a web site from which you can pick your selection and have it delivered, if you choose so, along with a dvd player, pop corn and candies. From the web site you can also reserve movies for a later pick up. JennyStar DVD Rentals is located on Alameda Santa Lucía norte #12 (7832-0813).
On top all the great features of their DVD rental service, JennyStar DVD Rentals is an NGO (Non Government Organization) which aside from giving employment to Jenny and her staff (Enrique and Helen), donates all profits to support disable and poor children in villages around La Antigua Guatemala. Thus, by renting a DVD, you are yourself donating toward this worthy cause. See this is an example of Sí se puede (Yes we can) at a local level.
So if you find yourself in La Antigua Guatemala and need a dvd player to watch El Norte or No Country for Old Men, please give JennyStar DVD Rentals a call at 7832-0813.
Disclaimer Side Note: I am receiving no money or benefits for this review of JennyStar DVD Rentals, but I do hope that once they find out about it, they will give me at least a couple of dvd rentals for free (just kidding!).
Through our mothers’ safety zone we learn to crawl, walk, run, swim and fly! It is only fair that we assign one day out of the year to celebrate their unconditional support and the safety zone they provide for us.
In Guatemala, it is on May 10th that Mother’s Day is celebrated as “Día de la Madre.”
I wish a very happy Mother’s Day to all the mommies out there and a very special Gracias to my own mother for teaching me how to be a fairly decent human being (I think! ) most of the time.
What’s so special about the Esquisuchil trees around La Antigua Guatemala?
For starters, the esquisuchil trees (bourreria huanita) are very old and very few. Quite possibly, the oldest specimen is located in San Miguel Escobar where it was planted by Guatemala’s first bishop Francisco Marroquin in the 16th century. From the esquishuchil tree in San Miguel Escobar, the Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt (1626-1667) took pods and planted several trees around La Antigua Guatemala, being the most famous located inside the San Francisco El Grande Church; his burial grounds.
Most, if not all, of the esquisuchil trees around La Antigua Guatemala have plaques to highlight their importance and give out background information. The specimen of esquisuchil tree in the park of San Pedro Las Huertas is not an exception. If you can read Spanish, you can click the thumbnail below to read the plaque.
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day in Guatemala, let’s hope I can get a shot of all the mamas!
I caught these would-be High School teachers learning Guatemalan history on Sunday in front of the Church of San Pedro Las Huertas. I learnt that these future teachers were taking tours around the churches of Departamento of Sacatepéquez to learn mass movements in Colonial times as part of their history class. For sure, this history classroom beats my thick-n-boring-n-outdated-book-based High School history classroom.
From blue birds, to quetzals to owls; we are on a bird streak.
According to Damara, in Guatemala, owls or tecolotes represent luck, prosperity and abundance, especially with money and that is why ceramic artisans use owls as piggy banks. If you get an owl bank, you will have prosperity with income and savings. Boy oh boy, if I was the president of Guatemala, I would make all the alfareros (ceramic artisans) produce nothing but owl banks… perhaps then, the luck of this tiny banana republic would change for good.
With today’s photo I have published four (4) photographs with owls in La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo. To the fist person that can find all four and list their published dates and titles, I will send s/he these four post cards of owls so her luck can change as well. I wish owl luck to all of you in your search.
Let the game begin!
Black Bird Side Note: On a totally different note or tune, can you tell me what was the meaning of the Beatle’s song Black Bird. Hint, it was written by John Lennon Paul McCartney.
The typical Guatemalan camioneta (public transit bus or chicken bus for those who like the colourful derogatory term) is based on an old looking Blue Bird school bus. How the Blue Bird insignia became a Green Quetzal beats me. But I guess this sort of transfiguration is what makes the Guatemalan idiosyncrasy; don’t you think so?
In Guatemala and many countries in Latin America today, May 3rd, is celebrated the Day of the Holy Cross and also the Day of the Construction Worker. The Day of the Holy Cross is known in Guatemala as Día de la Santa Cruz and you can see many Albañiles (construction workers) placing an adorned cross at their current construction site.
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Antigua Daily Photo has become my food bible as well as a wonderful resource for all things about Antigua. It is updated daily and well worth checking out if going to this city... —rworange @ Chowhound
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