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Here’s a typical vista of a municipal clinic and pharmacy found in La Antigua Guatemala villages.

Can you guess the name of the volcano in the background?

Guatemala is a gun-crazy country. Everywhere you look there are men with guns. There are even signs forbidding to carry the naked guns inside businesses. Even delivery trucks always have a guard carrying a shotgun. No wonder Guatemala is among the most violent countries.

On January 4, 2010, in the comments posted under Digital life in Antigua Guatemala, Braaad wondered aloud:

“I can’t wait till smartphones are cost-effective enough to saturate the entire country, i.e. the average Jose will be able to browse, watch vids, get email…PAY BILLS ONLINE, ahem.

Can you imagine LAG without all the lines to pay utilities at the bank? That’s some Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
I give it 2 years to become a reality.

Within the same entry SJBJ commented:

one of the sharpest memories I have of Guatemala is our first trip there, in 2007. We were in Chichi and there was an elderly woman there, in traditional dress, could have been 100 years ago. EXCEPT, she was speaking (in a native language) into a cell phone. Really took us aback, the contrast between traditional and modern.

Well Braaad, it’s already happening and I forgot to mention that to you back then. Sorry!

I was enjoying a Guanabana ice cream from Sarita and having my shoes shined while I took today’s picture. Next to me were two young Maya men from the Quiché Department talking in the K’iche’ language and doing something with their phones which I did not understand. I asked them what they were doing and they kindly and slowly explained to me that they were swapping videos and music via bluetooth. Hah? I uttered and they spoke slowly and with terms a neophyte like myself could understand.

I asked where they had gotten the videos and music in the first place. “Oh, from various sources,” they said. “Sometimes we swap among friends, like right now. Other times we download from the internet or get them from cyber-cafes.” The two men kept flying through the telephone keyboards without missing a keystroke while explaining all those hi-tech things to me. It was like the scene from Martin Scorsese’s The Departed – where the infiltrated Collin Sullivan (Matt Damon) sends a warning text message while keying it blindly because the telephone was in his pants packet.

Both of the young Maya men, under the age of 25, are from San Antonio Ilotenango, Quiché and are entrepreneurs. The hand on the left belongs to the owner of several ice cream carts through La Antigua Guatemala. The other hand belongs to a shoe shiner with several boxes around the Main Plaza.

That day I learned that the Maya are not sitting down waiting for “us” to bring them the technology and the knowledge of “how to use it.” That day I learned to be hopeful of the New Guatemala that peeks from just around the corner of the near future. That day I was reassured that Internet access in every corner of Guatemala will become a realty sooner than I expected; that edge and 3G mobile smart phones with Internet access are being used by a wider range of people than I expected; that Open School computer workshops are benefiting a lot of people who are usually off our attention radar.

It’s like what George Whitesides said in his recent TED talk, A lab the size of a postage stamp about the cellphones: “I don’t know if the idea of one computer, one child makes any sense anymore; here’s the computer of the future… The screen is already there and the device is pretty ubiquitous.”

That day I left the park with my shoes shined, my appetite satisfied, my heart full and a big smile on my face. Life is good!

Reading the New York Times Sunday supplement that comes with Prensa Libre, I learnt about a revolution is taken place without making too much noise; accidental transportation upheaval, the NYT calls it.

It began in China, where an estimated 120 million electric bicycles now hum along the roads, up from a few thousand in the 1990s. They are replacing traditional bikes and motorcycles at a rapid clip and, in many cases, allowing people to put off the switch to cars. (… continue reading at the NYTimes.com)

Here in La Antigua Guatemala some people are adding tiny gasoline engines to their bicycles. When I took this photo I learnt from the bicyclist that these tiny bike engines come from China as well. The engine, installation and modification of an existing bicycle can cost close to Q2000/$240. The engine functions within 10 kilometers before needing a break or rest; of course, one can continue pedaling. That distance just about covers most villages and municipalities close the La Antigua Guatemala; many of which are connected through uphill road stretches. The estimated fuel efficiency for bicycles with this engine modification is about 250 kilometers per gallon; not bat if you ask me. Of course, the electric bicycles might be more environment-friendly or not. Ask me why!

Would you buy an electric or motorized bicycle if you were given the opportunity?

One of the things that most people notice when they get to La Antigua Guatemala is the large quantity, critical mass really, of people riding bicycles. This is even more true if one ever walks around town between 5 and 6 in the morning when all the workers are coming into town from their homes in the surrounding villages.

Have you noticed the all the ciclistas around town?

We get a lot of things from our neighbors from the big white north like remittances, retired chicken buses, junk cars, and so on. Now, it it looks like we are also getting the eating habits and as a result Guatemala has made the top ten of the most obese countries.

Other Latin American countries with high obesity rates are Mexico (fifth) and Venezuela (sixth) according to an article recently published by the newspaper El Tiempo.

It seems like Guatemalans are abandoning the traditional cuisine in favor of fast food. This can be seen even in the remote villages where pizza, hot dogs, french fries, tacos, hamburgers, et cetera, can be found at town fairs.

What do you think of this switch in eating habits?

Democracy Now Podcast Aside: I am subscribed to receive the Democracy Now podcasts which go directly into my iPod Touch to listen to anywhere I find the time. Interesting enough today’s podcast from Democracy Now was an interview to Michael Pollan, who is the author of Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. He is a professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. His earlier books, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto and The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat. Below you can read the introductory paragraph to the very interesting interview or listen to the entire podcast.

MICHAEL POLLAN: The way we eat has changed more in the last fifty years than in the previous 10,000. The modern supermarket has, on average, 47,000 products. The industry doesn’t want you to know the truth about what you’re eating, because if you knew, you might not want to eat it. (… Continue reading the entire interview transcript at DemocracyNow.Org)

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As a graphic designer I can only have admiration for the excellent handling of color, texture, patterns and shapes found in Guatemala’s indigenous art. Come on, just look at the intricate use of colors, dots, and forms in the wooden animal heads above; it is amazing that so many different elements can be in complete harmony as a whole.

Next time you visit Guatemala, make sure your take home a piece of the chaotic, harmonious and colorful Guatemala.

Even though I have shown quite a few photos of Iglesia de La Merced, I believe this is the first time I actually show you the entire front façade of La Merced church. Oops, sorry! I guess my approach is to skip the obvious shots at first and to share with you less common angles or perspectives. Over one year and half had past before I published the first photo of Calle del Arco. I hope you don’t mind seeing other parts of town or perspectives first.

The last time I showed you La Merced church from this perspective I forgot to include this vertical shot, which has a warmer light and better contrast between the yellow church and the blue sky. Go back to look at the previous photograph and tell me what you think?

Chelada or Michelada, or which ever way you have them, Guatemalan beers are so refreshing!

How many Guatemalan beers can you name? How many different Guatemalan beers have you tried? What’s your favorite Guatemalan beer?

Ephemerides Aside: 34 years ago today Guatemala had the most devastating earthquake of its recent history. On February 4th, 1976 Guatemala experienced a 7.5 earthquake that killed over 24,000 and injured over 77,000 Guatemalans and changed Guatemala forever. Read all the details and about it at ClimaYa.Com and the eye-witness interview to Kara Andrade’s abuelita at NewMaya.org; both great readings.

Like I said yesterday, “my never ending quest of bringing you the contrast of the ‘Old’ Guatemala versus the ‘New’ Guatemala…”

Also, I believe I mentioned before that living in La Antigua Guatemala is not like time traveling to the past, but rather, it’s more like collapsing the time-distance among different time periods so that they co-exist all at once. Am I making any sense?

When I grow up, I want to have a kitchen like that; wouldn’t you?

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«Luna de Xelajú», “Moon of Xelajú”, has to be the most popular Guatemalan waltz played on marimba and quite possibly the most famous Guatemalan marimba song. “Xelajú” (pronounced shay-lah-HOO) is the old Mayan name for the Guatemalan city Quetzaltenango, still often popularly called “Xelajú” or “Xela”.

Now, I wonder why nobody has made such a song about La Antigua Guatemala’s moon; which is, if I may say so myself, just as enchanting and inspiring. Since Xe-la-jú is a three syllable word, the same as An-ti-gua, could we pretend the song also applies to the beautiful and enchanting Antigua Guatemala, right?

Anyway, in my never ending quest of bringing you the contrast of the ‘Old’ Guatemala versus the ‘New’ Guatemala, I share with you two new versions of Luna de Xelajú. The first rendition of Luna de Xelajú is by Malacates Trebol Shop. The second version of Luna de Xelajú is performed by the group Abracadabra. Next, you will find the lyrics for Luna de Xelajú in Spanish and English right below. Last but not least, you can watch and hear the Marimba of Bellas Artes performed Luna de Xelajú. Enjoy!

Luna de Xelajú lyrics in Spanish:

Luna gardenia de plata,
Que en mi serenata,
Te vuelves canción,
Tú que me viste cantando, me ves hoy llorando,
Mi desilusión,

Calles bañadas de luna,
Que fueron la cuna de mi juventud,
Vengo a cantarle a mi amada,
La luna plateada de mi Xelajú,

Luna de Xelajú,
Que supiste alumbrar,
En mis noches de pena,
Por una morena de dulce mirar,

Luna de Xelajú,
Me diste inspiración,
La canción que hoy te canto,
Regada con llanto de mi corazón,

En mi vida no habrá,
Más cariño que tú,
Mi amor,

Porque no eres ingrata,
Mi luna de plata,
Luna de Xelajú,

Luna que me alumbró,
En mis noches de amor,
Y hoy consuelas mi pena,
Por una morena que me abandonó…

Luna de Xelajú lyrics in English:

Moon, silver gardenia,
In my serenade,
You turn into song,
You who saw me singing, now see me crying,
My disillusionment,

Streets bathed in moonlight,
That were the cradle of my youth,
I come to sing to my beloved,
The silver moon of my Xelajú,

Moon of Xelajú,
You knew how to shine,
In my nights of grief,
For a sweet looking dark-haired girl

Moon of Xelajú,
You gave me inspiration,
The song that I now sing,
Watered with the tears from my heart,

In my life there will not be,
More love than you,
My love,

Because you were not ungrateful,
My moon of silver,
Moon of Xelajú,

Moon that shone,
In my nights of love,
Now you console my grief,
For a dark-haired girl who abandoned me…

(source: Wikipedia)

As almost every first of the month, AntiguaDailyPhoto is joining the City Daily Photo community in the orchestrated global effort to show you “wood” as a theme day. I opted to show you Maximón effigies made from wood, now holly wood really since Maximón is worshiped by the Maya people of Guatemala. Below, an introduction to Maximón from Wikipedia.

The origins of his cult are not very well understood by outsiders to the different Mayan religions, but Maximón is believed to be a form of the pre-Columbian Maya god Mam, blended with influences from Catholicism. Maximón may also be called San Simón. Originally, he was believed to be a Catholic priest who had looked after aboriginals during early 1600s.

Where Maximón is venerated, he is represented by an effigy which resides in a different house each year, being moved in a procession during Holy Week. During the rest of the year, devotees visit Maximón in his chosen residence, where his shrine is usually attended by two people from the representing Cofradia who keep the shrine in order and pass offerings from visitors to the effigy. Worshippers offer money, spirits and cigars or cigarettes to gain his favour in exchange for good health, good crops, and marriage counseling, amongst other favours. The effigy invariably has a lit cigarette or cigar in its mouth, and in some places, it will have a hole in its mouth to allow the attendants to give it spirits to drink.

Maximón is generally dressed in European 18th century style, although with many local variations. In Santiago Atitlán he is adorned with many colourful garlands, while in Zunil (where he is known as San Simón) he has a much more intimidating style, with his face obscured by dark sunglasses and a bandanna.

The worship of Maximón treats him not so much as a benevolent deity but rather as a bully whom one does not want to anger. He is also known to be a link between Xibalbá The Underworld and Bitol heart of heaven (Corazón del Cielo). His expensive tastes in alcohol and cigarettes indicate that he is a very human character, very different from the ascetic ideals of Christian sainthood. Devotees believe that prayers for revenge, or success at the expense of others, are likely to be granted by Maximón. (source: Wikipedia)

Video of What Would Maximón Do? courtesy of Kara Andrade of NewMaya.org:

Like many firsts of the month, AntiguaDailyPhoto is participating in the theme day of the City Daily Photo community around the world. To see how others in the City Daily Photo community have interpreted today’s theme please click here to view thumbnails for all participants around the planet.