AntiguaDailyPhoto.Com

¡Adiós dos mil nueve!

This is also goodbye to a decade.

That’s it. At the closing of the 31st of December, we’ll be saying our goodbyes to 2009 and looking forward to a new tiger. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful people who have left comments or sent feedback. I want to send a big THANK YOU to all of you who supported my efforts through donations towards the hosting bills, gifts from my Amazon wish list or purchases of high quality prints from the over 2000 photos available in the archives of AntiguaDailyPhoto. A very SPECIAL THANK YOU to all the guest contributors who made AntiguaDailyPhoto a richer, polyphonic resource for all things Guatemala.

We close the year 2009 with 1368 pages, 9691 comments and 1,408,105 visits (at the time of writing).

Please, let us know what were your favorite entries, your favorite series, or your favorite photos of the year. THANKS!

When was the last time you had chocobananos or chocofresas? Do you know what they are?

Please, could anyone provide the recipe for Guatemalan quesadillas. Thanks!

Minimum Wage Salary Aside: Today Guatemala’s President Alvaro Colom announced a minimum salary increase for 2010 from Q52/$6.23 per day to Q56/$6-71 per day which translates into a monthly salary of Q1953,33/$234.21, up 7.69% for agriculture and city workers and 8.37% for maquila workers (Q1824.06/$218.71). The Canasta Básica (basic food basket) in Guatemala costs Q1917,34/$229.89. The exchange rate used is Q8.34 per 1 Dollar. Source: Prensa Libre.

Often it’s a bit complicated to go out on Sundays because La Antigua Guatemala gets crowded. Two dear friends from El Petén convinced me to go out this particular time to wander around Antigua Guatemala.

So, while we were walking and taking pictures, we ran into a mime. Initially, people just kept passing by and only a few stopped to watch the show. As the mime’s performance progressed, the show became much more interesting and captivating; thus more people paused to enjoy the mime’s play.

In the first part, the mime ran around performing some acrobatics thanks to the assistance of one person from the audience. It was difficult because the assistant didn’t have a good aim at throwing a roller towards the mime. Nevertheless, the mime did not give up, making fun of the whole situation. Then, the mime began flirting with a beautiful girl from the crowd.

This was the spark for next part of the show, which was completely improvised.

The mime asked a guy to stand in the middle of the street, then he also called a little girl, and finally he requested that the beautiful girl and another girl to join him as part of the show. Isn’t it amazing when the audience also becomes involved? All the players were in place for the fictitious wedding.

Obviously, everyone knew the show was going to be fun, but the suspense was still there, how would the participants interact? The wedding carried on and the guy (priest) pretended to perform the wedding ceremony, building up the anticipation for the moment of the kiss. Guess what? there was no kiss. The bride felt so nervous that she just couldn’t keep up. Nonetheless, it was a fun scene.

No kiss, no wedding. No kiss, no wife. The mime just wanted to get married!

There was one more show, but I had forgotten my flash, so I wrongfully chose to stop documenting.

Remember that anything and everything can happen as you walk around Antigua Guatemala on any given Sunday. Keep your eyes wide open for music recitals, concerts or mime shows; or whatever other surprises La Antigua Guatemala has for you. Chances are that you’ll have a lovely time if you take strolls around this enchanting town on Sundays.

text and photos by Arturo Godoy

Steve Jobs said: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

I agree with him. What about you?

The two most famous Guatemalan hot dogs are shucos and cheveres. I have covered Guatemalan shucos hotdogs often enough that I believe you know them now. Only once I have talked about cheveres… this is what I wrote:

“Chevere” is a Venezuelan Spanish word which means cool, fine, excelent, okay, just to mention a few of its meaning. Well, about the origin of the chevere word, I don’t know; perhaps it is not even Venezuelan. Nonetheless, the word is understood and used in Central America.

In Guatemala, a company of hot dogs decided to use it as its name in the late seventies or early eighties. The company did things right and it was a total hit and the Chevere brand became almost as omnipresent as Coca Cola, Pepsi and the Gallo Beer. It was everywhere.

The Chevere hot dog is very simple indeed, and maybe that was its strong point. The Guatemalan chevere hot was prepared (and still is) with a bun, one or two salchichas (Spanish for hot dog sausage), grated raw cabbage, mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup; Picamás green chili sauce made from chiltepes was available on request.

I don’t know what happened to the company in the late eighties or nineties, but today you can barely find the infamous Chevere hot dog cart in a few places, like Panjachel, Xela, La Antigua and Guatemala City.

In La Antigua Guatemala I have seen three Chevere hot dog carts: one on the Alameda Santa Lucí a, in front of the Rafael Landivar Memorial; another cart right across the IGSS park on the road to San Felipe; and the Chevere cart picture above right outside the San Francisco El Grande Church (burial home to Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt).

Here is a question for those who have visited Guatemala and for those Guatemalans living abroad, when was the last time you had a Chevere hot dog and where? Did you have more than one?

Christmas is such a quite and relax day in Guatemala, except for the burning of fireworks and firecrackers at noon and 6 p.m., most Guatemalans stay home watching movies, sleeping, eating and spending time with the family.

How does your family celebrate Christmas?

Christmas Eve or Noche Buena in La Antigua Guatemala is celebrated by staying up all night burning firecrackers and fireworks, eating tamales, turkey, or roasted pork leg, and drinking real fruit punch or hot real chocolate, visiting family, friends and neighbors for the respective abrazo de Noche Buena and buenos deseos (Christmas Eve hugs and best wishes); many even go to midnight mass. At midnight the presents under the Christmas tree, around the nacimiento (nativity scene), are opened and everyone laughs and hugs indiscriminately everyone around.

These celebrations rate the highest on the nostalgic memory scale; everyone who is living abroad wishes to be in Guatemala for this season and for this night in particular.

A todos los chapines en el extranjero, y en especial a mi familia, les envío mis más sinceros abrazos de Noche Buena y mis mejores deseos. Les prometo que por ustedes, este día no haré dieta alguna. ¡Qué tengan unas felices fiestas!

Best wishes and Noche Buena hugs to all the visitors to La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo.

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Believe it or not Santa Claus paid a surprise visit to La Antigua Guatemala two days before Christmas. No wonder we have been experiencing unusual weather and really low temperatures (almost 45F) in La Antigua Guatemala.

It is uncertain if the snow seen over Volcán Tajumulco just the other day fell off Santa’s new sleigh.

What we do know is that Santa Claus has new more attractive personnel and now brings a spectacle of Ranchero music dancers and mobile DJ to entertain adults while his team hands plastic balls to children.

¡Feliz Navidad!

What characteristics or traits can be extrapolated from a culture by looking at a simple kiosk? I’ll start and then you share with the rest us your thoughts.

First, I see that Guatemala is country of pyromaniacs who love color and loud sounds.

Guatemalans do not like gray, easy, mellow, avoid-the-extremes-sort of lifestyles. Everything is Guatemala has to be rich, colorful, and extreme (often dangerous); life is too short and everyday has to stand on its own.

Guatemala is a mystical country with deep religious and spiritual rituals that blur and often crisscross the boundaries of culture, tradition and religion.

I also see that Guatemala is a country of creative people who come up the ingenious names for the most diverse fireworks. Here are some of the fireworks names: cohetes, fosforitos, toritos, arbolitos, volcancitos, tanque, metralladora, chiltepitos, bombas, batería de luces, ametralladoras, pistolitas, estrellitas, abejitas, canchinflines, silvadores, etc.

Guatemala is country that loves chaos and randomness. This is more apparent during celebrations like Burning of the Devil, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve where people burn firecrackers and fireworks EVERYWHERE. There’s not a single place, organized by single entity to burn the pyrotechnics.

Okay, that’s what I can extract from the photograph above. What about you? What traits or peculiarities can you draw out from the image above?

Blowing Up Christmas– “It’s Bomba Time” Music Video

Thanks to my close friends Brad and Kara from NewMaya.Org for allowing to share with you this video clip of the shopping and burning fireworks in Chiquimula, Guatemala.

Fireworks are a must for Christmas in Chiquimula, Guatemala! Director: Kara Andrade. Music: “Keep It Hott (BradElectro Remix) by The Middle Agent, feat. Garth Culti-Vader & Tech N9NE.

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During early December, in Guatemala people begin putting up their Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes); a tradition that was brought to Guatemala by Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt and then spread to the rest of American continent.

One important aspect of nacimientos is that baby Jesus is missing from the scene since his actual birthday is on December 25th. In the mean time, Marí­a and José begin asking posada, the quest of shelter; these celebrations are known in Guatemala as Posadas.

Don’t you wish you can have one these adorable Guatemalan nacimientos in your own home for Christmas?

Last month I shared with you La Antigua Guatemala Sign Ordinances. I will again post the information below to keep fresh. One thing I forgot to mention last month is the fact that only “ONE” sign is allowed per business or institution.

How many signs do you see in the picture above?

Here’s a little summary of what the PDF documents below describe at length:

The sign can be any of this three dimensions 0.70m x 0.70m square, .50m x 1m rectangle and .25m x 2m rectangle. The sign can only include any two of the following materials: wood, metal, ceramic tiles, bronze and forged metal. Three is the maximum limit of colors that can be used; with a matte finish. The business sign can only have a logo and name of business and nothing more. The sign must be in Spanish and following the grammatical rules set forth by the Real Academia de la Lengua Española; text in other languages can be included as long as it’s set at a much lower size and must include at least French and English. The typography (font) should be roman typeface (up and lower case) and can not be a modern-looking font. Synthetic materials and glass are forbidden.

No advertising signs and/or billboards can be placed within 4 kilometers on the road coming from Guatemala City; anywhere on the roads between La Antigua Guatemala and Alotenango, Santa María de Jesús and San Luis las Carretas (road to Chimaltenango).

Here are the three PDF documents which are required to obtain a sign license:

• Lineamientos para obtener Licencia de Rótulos — Sign License Requirements (PDF download at CNPAG)
• Reglamento para la colocación de rótulos o letreros — Sign Placement Ordinance (PDF download at CNPAG)
• Solicitud de Licencia de Rótulo — Sign License Application (PDF download at CNPAG)

The La Antigua Guatemala sign ordinances were enacted on March 23, 1973. All existing signs were given 12 months to comply with the new sign ordinances.

Guatemalan Film Trailers Aside: Once again, we continue showing trailers of Guatemalan films and short films. These trailers are for Un día de Sol, which was recently filmed Guatemala by Códice Cinema and directed by Rafael Tres. If you would like to see the photos behind the scenes and the making of, follow the white rabbit.

Algunas imágenes de la película Un día de Sol grabada en Guatemala en el 2009. Cast – Ana Lucia Martinez, Giuliana Vettorazzi, Alexandra Wever, Johann Boy, Sammy Morales, Amabilia Alvarez, Vera Mansilla y Tatiana Palomo. Película ha estrenarse a principios del 2010. —Rafael Tres

Some images from the film Un día de Sol, filmed in Guatemala in 2009. Cast: Ana Lucia Martinez, Giuliana Vettorazzi, Alexandra Wever, Johann Boy, Sammy Morales, Amabilia Alvarez, Vera Mansilla y Tatiana Palomo. Un día de Sol will be released in the first quarter of 2010. —Rafael Tres

Ho ho! not the Christmas shopping you were hoping for… merely some Guatemalan Christmas decorations (follow if you dare; I will not be held responsible if you end up doing Christmas shopping all over again ).

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San Felipe de Jesús is just a small town next to La Antigua Guatemala, which has its own particularities. San Felipe’s church is gothic, its market is cozy, there are many options to have some delicious food… So, why not pay a visit to San Felipe on a Saturday or Sunday? I guess I am becoming a bit obsessed with Sundays, as there is plenty to do Don’t forget to tour around all the villages of La Antigua Guatemala; there’s more to come. Stay tune!

text and photos by Arturo Godoy

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How do you get people infected with good stuff? I mean, it is difficult for foreigners to visit Guatemala, and, sometimes, that’s even true for Guatemalans living overseas. Taking on a lesson from our friend Iván Castro, we can only do it by getting everyone infected with good stuff.

So, here is one of my attempts at infecting you

How many countries have so many volcanoes, so many mountains, so many cultures, so much diversity, and in all, so much greatness? (don’t ask about negative stuff, eh) Very few countries, and Guatemala is one of them…

Antigua is surrounded by volcanoes that give sunsets a subtle, beautiful touch. And, just walking around on Sunday; you can find even more good stuff. On Friday’s afternoons (4 p.m.), there are also free concerts by the Central Park. Music is also in and around Antigua. Art in general.

Paraphrasing a bit Colombia’s tourism slogan “The Only Risk Is Wanting to Stay”, the chances are that if you come to La Antigua Guatemala, you’ll want to stay and live here; I know I did! ;O)

text and photos by Arturo Godoy