Siesta time used to be sacred in Antigua Guatemala. Almost all business stop for lunch and siesta time between 12pm and 3pm or 1pm and 3pm. Nowadays, many businesses are owned by foreigners and the tradition of siesta is being lost. Heck, many businesses are not even closing for lunch anymore.

Even though it’s convenient to have everything open at lunch time, something very important is being lost, does anyone know what it is?

Every time the Barça and Real Madrid football clubs Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala for the matter go crazy with uniforms of each team, sometimes just t-shirts or anything with the official colors of each team. Restaurants and bars offer special menus and drinks to accommodate the fans. And regardless, which team wins, either the Real Madrid like today, or the Barça from Barcelona, there are people passionate about their team.

The photo above was taken near Casa Escobar restaurant which always have gimmicks such as colonial-time looking Spaniards inventing you to try the delicious charbroiled steaks or other things on the menu. Today, the colonial-time looking Spaniards were wearing the uniforms of the now most famous classic match of football.

By the way, do you want to know what the final score was for today’s match between the Barça and Real Madrid?

The blue looks even more colorful against a gray unpainted wall, don’t you think?

I was told once that in Guatemala if they are lucky coffee plantations can harvest twice a year. But, most of the time, there’s only one harvest season, which begins in February or March.

Do you know when is the other harvesting season in Guatemala?

Often I have shared with you the different recycling programs available around Antigua Guatemala. There are many recycling approaches that people use in Guatemala. Interesting enough, at first glance it may seem that there are NO recycling programs or that Guatemalans don’t recycle; nothing could be farther away from the truth. However, we must admit that most Guatemalan recycle out of necessity rather than recycling because of their conscience.

Here are some of the recycling approaches we use in Guatemala.

Reuse things until they can not be used for anything else anymore. Here we can find paca clothing or second hand clothes recycled from the U.S.A.; reusing cornstalks for walls, fences, and other things; reusing recycled magazine for handicrafts; reusing discarded wheel rims as charcoal grills; reutilizing sawing machines as restaurant tables and the machines as antique decorations; recycling coffee burlap sacks as handicrafts. There are many more examples, but you can get an idea from the ones listed.

Private and Non-profit fully-developed Recycle Programs. The first one that comes to mind is the recycling of burnt restaurant oil to create biodiesel fuel thanks to the Biodiesel Project of Biopersathe first Recycling program of Antigua Guatemala. Of course, many business have implemented recycling bins, like the toneles (metal cans) found in Finca Filadelfia. Guatemala Green is also a non-profit project which focusing in recycling and proper disposal of hi-tech junk. However, before computers become junk, they can be reuse in schools and libraries where often is not necessary to have the latest technology; there’s a non-profit project for that. These are some of programs I have highlighted in past at AntiguaDailyPhoto.

Picking recycled material from trash and trash landfills. Last we have the informal recycling businesses that pick recycle materials for sale from the trash. This picking of recycle materials happens at the collecting stage, at an intermediate stage as shown above or directly at the trash landfill. This is quite possibly where the most recycling gets done in Guatemala. Recycled scrap metal is another lucrative recycling business that I know about here in Antigua Guatemala.

As you can see from some of the examples above, Guatemalans do recycle and do it in so many ways; I did forget to mention that recycling of paint buckets, one of our favorite recycling approaches. Click on the Guatemala Green series and Recycling to browse all of the results found in the archives of AntiguaDailyPhoto.

Green Recommendation: If you live in the U.S., Canada or Europe, make sure your government or medium or large corporations do NOT dump electronic waste or junk as donations on the “Third World.” If it is electronic junk produced in your country, make sure it is properly disposed or recycled in your country. Thanks!

Once again, as in previous years, my dear friend and colleague Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos takes the steering wheel of AntiguaDailyPhoto during Semana Santa (Holy Week) to share with us his amazing and unique imagery of the most special celebration in Antigua Guatemala. This year Nelo has decided that the main running and connecting theme will be the photographers of the Semana Santa, so the main photo will always be a photographer, often another friend from Club Fotográfico de Antigua, plus other stamps of the Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala.

Today’s main photograph is wonderful portrait of our friend Willy and a very good representation of the two passions many us share at Antigua Guatemala’s Photo Club. By the way, if you’re in Antigua Guatemala now or will be within the next four weeks, stop by the Casa del Turista, Antigua’s tourist information board, to look at the Gente y Tradiciones de Semana Santa photo exhibit organized by the photo club members where you will find large format photographs by Willy, Nelo, mime and other photographer friends.

Please, let’s show Nelo our gratitude through comments and feedback as token of our appreciation for always sharing with us his amazing and unrivaled Holy Week images.

All photos by Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos

Well, it looks like the dry season it’s coming to an abrupt end. Joaquin Sabina would ask in a song, ¿Quién me ha robado el mes de abril? (Who has stolen April from me?). Honestly, I want to know why we’re losing about six weeks of the gorgeous dry season, does anybody know?

When I took this photo I knew right there and then that it was going to be a black and white photograph. The title is borrowed from the Coen brother film a, The Man Who Wasn’t There, about a gray man; if you haven’t seen it, I recommend you to watch it.

The picture was taken in San Miguel Escobar village; I wanted to show the nakedness and grayness of the concrete block wall and I was composing the photograph, the woman came out for a split second to take a look outside and went back inside just as quickly and disappear behind the curtain created by the shadows, but not before I took the shot.

There’s something I really like about this picture, but can’t put my finger on it, what about you, what do you think of it?

It’s amazing the old or past things one finds still being used today in La Antigua Guatemala. I found this library catalog at the Fundación Cultural Duane Carter Library, simply known as La Biblioteca, located on the second floor of banco G&T at Portal de las Panaderas, on the west side of Parque Central. So many good memories came to me as I pulled the drawers to check out the fichas (index cards) of this library catalog. I knew right there and then that I need to take a picture of it for me, for my memory bank and to share with you. Things do change and disappear all the time in this city that seems to be protected against change and the effects of time passing inside a time capsule; so many things found in the nearly 6-year old AntiguaDailyPhoto blogumentary archives no longer exist today.

Are index card library catalogs still being used where you live?

One of the benefits of living in the villages of La Antigua Guatemala is that many of the neighbors sell their excess of freshly-picked fruits and veggies from their back yard orchard. As shown in the picture, avocados are very inexpensive, just Q1 to Q1.50 ($0.12 to $0.18); with these prices it’s no wonder that antiüeños are known as pansas verdes (green bellies).

What other fruits and vegetables do think people grown in their home orchards?

As in previous years, once again I had the opportunity to attend one of the jazz recitals of the 12th International Jazz Festival at the Compañía de Jesús atrium. The Edgar Dorantes Quartet from Xalapa, Veracruz ignited the chilly night with a wonderful performance, a mixture of tried-and-tested classic pieces, latin jazz pieces and original material. This year the Festival Internacional de Jazz expanded to include performances in the cities of Antigua Guatemala, Cobán, Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango (Xela).

As some of you might recall, I love photographing concerts because of the colorful spot light and the play of light and shadows.

I took about 36 photographs and a few video clips, I am sharing three more images below and the closing Thelonious Monk piece. If you’re in Xela this Saturday (March 17), make sure you go see the Edgar Dorantes Quartet at the Teatro Municipal; the entrance will be free.

If you’re in Guatemala right now, don’t miss the remaining performances for this upcoming week. The 12 Festival Internacional de Jazz will close on Saturday, March 24.

The slogan of Antigua Guatemala is “La ciudad de las perpetual rosas” which translate as “the city of the perpetual roses” more or less. However, I believe that bougainvillea flowers are found more often in gardens, above walls, on river banks, in coffee plantations, in the cemetery, et cetera. Literally, bougainvillea flowers are everywhere all year long, making these colorful flowers the perfect recipient for the perpetual part of the slogan.

Also, I believe that the colorful bougainvillea flowers make La Antigua Guatemala the most florida town in Guatemala, what do you think?

Sometimes you have to lose all the color to really appreciate the dramatic lighting of the cathedral of Antigua Guatemala. The picture above also happens to be a follow up to Antigua’s Cathedral at Sunset; follow the white rabbit to look at the cathedral during the afternoon.

On January 21, Under the name of Subida por la vida, there were over 8,000 people climbing Volcán de Agua (Water Volcano) to form the largest heart in the world at 12,335 feet as part of campaign to bring awareness and to reduce domestic violence. The event will also be a party with music and foot ball matches (the real McCoy) in different venues in Antigua Guatemala. Subida por la vida also stands as manifestation for Peace where Guatemalans want to demonstrate and let the world know that we want peace and we will not tolerate violence any longer.

Here’s the complete program of activities and below is the complete description of the event in Spanish and some maps of the event.

Volcán de Agua, Guatemala
El 21 enero 2012, vamos a reunir a por lo menos 8,000 guatemaltecos en una cadena humana de las faldas a la cima del icónico Volcán de Agua. De esos 8,000 participando en la cadena, 1500 llegarán primero al cráter para formar el corazón más grande que el mundo haya visto desde 12,335 pies. El evento será seguido por una fiesta de celebración en el estadio en Antigua para todos los participantes y para las estrellas nacionales que apoyen. La celebración incluirá un partido de fútbol con personalidades y un concierto con El Tambor de La Tribu y El Viento en Contra ya confirmados.

Para promover la campaña “Rompe el Ciclo” que está inspirando un cambio generacional de actitud en contra de la violencia doméstica, y ultimadamente para reducir los niveles de violencia en Guatemala. Para darle a la juventud de Guatemala un dramático estímulo de energía, unidad y determinación de llevar un cambio positivo a Guatemala. Para recaudar fondos para ayudar a las víctimas de violencia doméstica. Cada participante pagará Q50 y una obra de caridad será elegida a través de un voto democrático en la página de Facebook de Rompe el Ciclo desde 22 Noviembre 2011. Para crear una espectacular imagen positiva de Guatemala que alcanzará a los medios globales.

Subida por la vida Volcan de Agua climb stands for:

• Over 8,000 people climbing Volcán de Agua
• 1,500 people forming the largest heart in the crater of Volcán de Agua at 12,335 feet above sea level
• Awareness campaign against domestic violence
• Large manifestation for Peace
• Fundraiser to help the victims of domestic violence
• A party for Peace
• To create a huge positive image of Guatemala
• To bring people together to bring a change in attitude and to have fun

As in previous occasions, our dear friend and dare-devil adventurous reporter Nelo Mijangos took upon the challenge to document this Walk for Life, with pictures and in this opportunity with a GPS track so we can get real data of the climb of Volcán de Agua as experienced on the Subida por la Vida event. Below you will find photos and a map with the actual route walked by Nelo.

I also took photographs of some of the activities put on stage by the organizers of Subida por la Vida around Central Park and Calle del Arco. I know, my day was not nearly as though as Nelo’s, but what can I say, someone has to cover all the cultural events as well.

I also recorded several videos; here’s the first one I am sharing with you about the Maya ceremony asking for blessings from the Gods.

In my never ending quest to bring you unique and different perspectives of this enchanting 500-year old colonial town which we know as Antigua Guatemala, I bring you this photograph taken by one of my co-workers at Revue Magazine and fellow photograhy enthusiast César Tián. The photo above could be the facing view of the picture shown in Almost Ready for 2012. Obviously, César knows people in higher places than I do because I have never been to the roof top of the Muni building. I’ve gotta fix that! In the mean time, let’s thank César for sharing this rooftop panoramic vista of Central Park with us. Make sure you click on top of the photo above to look at a larger image.

Photo by César Tián