Not much to say about the marimba except it’s Guatemala’s national instrument. But, did you know the chromatic marimba was developed in Guatemala? If not, read on… The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets … Read more
This past weekend the municipal government promoted the work of the artisans from the villages around Antigua Guatemala through handicraft fair at the Plaza Mayor and what better sound track than to have live marimba music. That’s why the Kaqchikel Marimba played at the Main Plaza; normally they are found at Calle del Arco on … Read more
Watching the world-famous mime Tamagochy yanking smiles and laughs from the audience formed around his “maleta de la alegría” (happiness suitcase) I thought of the wonderful song “Garrick” composed and sang by the extraordinaire Guatemalan artist Gaby Moreno. You do remember Gaby Moreno, right? I shared a Gaby Moreno song and video with you in … Read more
Nylon becomes ubiquituos in Guatemala during the rainy season. Nylon is quite possibly the cheapest protection one can buy against the rain. You can even find nylon capes everywhere. The picture above was taken at El Carmen handicraft outdoor market which appears like magic on the weekends on the street in front of El Carmen … Read more
On the first day of AntiguaDailyPhoto, May 1, 2006, I shared with you a School beauty contest parade with Volcán de Agua in the background. It was truly the original Little Miss Sunshine since it was a sunny day; too bad the film Little Miss Sunshine had not come out yet otherwise I would have … Read more
Don’t be fool by all recent posts; we’re in the middle of the rainy days. This photo shows the clouds moving in from the east, a heavy downpour that was pounding hard Guatemala City with hail storm. Some people love the rainy season in Guatemala; others, like myself, prefer the dry season. Nevertheless, the rainy … Read more
Climber plants are very popular to cover walls around La Antigua Guatemala as shown in Guateflora: hiedras. As you can see in the picture above, they even placed a metal structure above the wall to accommodate the climbing plant. I didn’t get a good look at the climber plants, but I am sure it will … Read more
This plaza located in colonial La Candelaria, on the road that takes you to Cerro de la Cruz is the most recent park that I am aware of. To be honest, I am not sure if there was a plaza here before and it was just renovated or if it’s a brand new park. Does … Read more
Chaye is the Guatemalan slang for broken glass. Lots of chayes are installed on top walls to discourage people who like to “borrow” the belongings of other people. 😉 Well, you get the idea with the photo above.
Today’s entry is a follow up to Camouflaging Cellular Towers where I mentioned how fortunate we are in La Antigua Guatemala where efforts are being made to reduce the visual pollution found elsewhere in Guatemala. Here’s what posted before: Sometimes we don’t realized how lucky we are for living La Antigua Guatemala until we take … Read more
This kind of stoned wall is found through out Guatemala, especially, in the highlands. The purpose of this kind walls is to prevent landslides, deslaves in Spanish, or rather to prevent the landslides from damaging the roads and ridges. Of course, trees are the best defense agains landslides and campaigns against deforestation are the best … Read more
The colossal volcano that stands to the south of Antigua Guatemala is known at present as Volcán de Agua, but before it was known as Hunajpú (yes, there many spellings). Hunahpú is the twin brother of Ixbalanqué as told in the Popol Vuh, sort of the Mayan Bible, the two Maya hero twins. If you … Read more
This photograph was taken at the entrance of El Hato village, located about 5 kilometers from La Antigua Guatemala. El Hato villages belongs to La Antigua Guatemala municipality, but if you decide to visit, you will find the typical Guatemalan village embedded in the highlands. The road between and Antigua Guatemala and El Hato is … Read more
Here’s another panoramic vista taken from Cerro de la Cruz, which shows 3a avenida norte and the handicrafts market of El Carmen in the middle of the photo. I hope you like it, let me know your thoughts.
This is the main entrance to El Cerro de la Cruz park and mirador (viewpoint). There are two other entrances, one is a stairway for people who are walking from La Antigua Guatemala. The other entrance is a very steep roadway accessible only to 4x4s from El Manchén or the road to San Felipe. I … Read more