La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo

If I was meeting for lunch with you today, I would suggest we do it at Quesos y Vinos Restaurant, just half block away from La Merced Church. See, Quesos y Vinos is a real italian restaurant with some of the best italian food in Guatemala. To top it all, ever since they moved to its present location away from where they were at Calle del Arco, you now great food and at great place. They have a patio dining area which is a delightful place to have lunch, if it’s not raining.

This is how the inside of the San Pedro Apostol Church looked like last night as the last repairs were being done. As you can see, the whole church received a paint job, including the terra cotta floor tiles. Today, the whole town of San Pedro Las Huertas is having a party… as a matter of fact, I can hear the sounds of the town fair and firecrackers in the background as I write this line.

Do you really want a long name, here’s one: “Parroquia San Pedro Apostol, San Juan Bautista of San Pedro Las Huertas, La Antigua Guatemala”

If you remember at least one of the photos of the former San Pedro Apostol Church, you may say, “wait it a minute, this is not the same church, is it?”

Well, it is after over 600,000 Quetzales (US$80,000) have been spent in restoration works and a new paint job. You could say that’s not much, really, for the amazing new facelift and restoration. Well, you know how atmospheric temperature is now given in two forms: what the thermometer reads and in parenthesis (what is feels like). Okay, US$80,000 feels like half a million bucks in Guatemala; that’s how you explain the complete transformation.

This amount does not include the spot lights system and the paint job which was donated by the Novella Foundation (one of the 20 wealthy families of Guatemala). This amount does not include the thousands of man-hours donated by the San Pedro Las Huertas neighbors.

You guys are so lucky, and don’t even know it. Well, that is whoever comes to see this photo tonight. See, this image is quite possibly the one of first photos taken of this church now that it’s been restored to its former glory. This church opened its doors in 1672. As a matter of fact, they were still painting the terra cotta floor tiles tonight, running against time, since tomorrow morning they will have a big procession, mass service and at 11a.m. and right after the inauguration of the new Parroquia San Pedro Apostol, San Juan Bautista of San Pedro Las Huertas, La Antigua Guatemala. You are also lucky because I am making available this photo as a computer wallpaper for your workstation at 1600×1200 pixels.

Next week, it’s going to be the San Pedro Las Huertas Town Fair.

Today, however, was a-wonderful-first-day of the Summer season and even though we’ve been having lots of rains and floods lately, today was a gorgeous dry day with the most amazing light. To me, the quality of days is measured by the quality of light; what can I say. With this nice weather, I felt like taking a walk to the park for un atolito. I am so glad I did and that I took my camera with me.

With the atol de habas in my hand, I walk a few steps towards a gathering of men, all standing up and enjoying the beauty of their newly restored church. I shook the atol while exchanging a few words with these proud neighbors. That’s how I found out how much they have spent in the restoration; that Q400,000 of it was donated by the only factory in town (Sacos Agroindustriales); that paint job and spot lights system was donated by the Novella Foundation; that 10 construction workers were hired since January and that almost all neighbors were required to help with their own labor or donate money towards the restoration; that floors and ceiling were repaired; that tomorrow they will be having a procession, mass and inauguration, that the name of this church is very long and confusing; that these people are very nice and friendly (my neighbors, you know). All of that transpired while I shook my atol to cool it down.

That short while with the neighbors of San Pedro Las Huertas and the dozen photos I took are my highlight for the week: what a delightful time!

If you would like to see other photos with the former San Pedro Apostol Church in San Pedro Las Huertas, check out the following entries:

1. Guatemalan Fair: The Ferris Wheel
2. Guatemalan Fair: The Church and its Saint
3. Altar Inside San Pedro Las Huertas Church
4. Mobile Library Chicken Bus
5. San Pedro Las Huertas Cathedral
6. Bell ringer
7. Guatemalan Women & Killer’s Paradise

You can also browse the over 40 entries about San Pedro Las Huertas. Boy, I need to turn San Pedro Las Huertas into its own category; don’t you think so?

P.S. Today’s entry is number 796… counting up to 800 pages in La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo.

Can you guess what this is? Hint: it is not a weapon.

Photography 101: capture contrast. Well, that’s another easy task around La Antigua Guatemala. Here you can find contrast in color, between the old and new, between hi-tech and lo-tech, between local and foreign, between being safe and unsafe, between the wealthy and the rest of us, and between the betweens.

Contrast is one of the key adjectives people take away from Guatemala after a short visit. So, next time you come around Antigua Guatemala, make sure you look for it and take its many manifestations in your memory chip.

Photography 101: capture repetition. Well, photographing repetition is not difficult in La Antigua Guatemala; quite the opposite. This is a simple image of repeated arches and beam horizontal lines, I know, but thought you might enjoy it.

To me, the misaligned chair in front of the lonely desk provokes the feeling of person who just got up and went quickly somewhere; I don’t know, perhaps I am reading more than what really is there.

What kind of sensations does the image produces in you, if any?

The indigenous people of Guatemala rarely show their love in public; affection yes, but kissing kind of love, very seldom. Perhaps, this reservation is another aspect of the Guatemalan identity.

What do you guys think?