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No worries, the clock has not been stolen. The clock was removed for a routine maintenance. By the way, I heard in one of the weekly talks by Elizabeth Bell from Antigua Tours at El Sitio that
access the actual arch is guarded by the owner of the Hotel El Claustro [Cloister] and nobody is allowed up there except for the people who service the clock.

I wonder if I could manage through my social engineering skill to get access to the world-famous Arco de Santa Catalina, what you think?

On my way to La Bodegona to get some red wine for the new year celebrations of 2011, I noticed that the streets were crowded. Like always, La Antigua Guatemala is the place to be for a great celebration; there was music all over, even the mime was present on Calle del Arco. Of course, there were other festive activities, I just managed to snap some shots.

Afterwards, my friends and I went to Casa Herrera as other friends were waiting for us there. While at Casa Herrera, we were lucky to witness Volcán de Fuego showing off against an amazing sunset. Also, although I forgot my tripod, I managed to take a photo of the world famous Arco de Santa Catalina all the way from Casa Herrera.

Later on, we went to different bars, like JP’s Rumbar, The Ocelot and Angie’s Angie. We all just wanted to start 2011 in a warm and relaxed atmosphere.

Unfortunately, this year I didn’t get to photograph the fireworks because it was just too crowded that I didn’t get a chance. Nevertheless, here are some of the photos to welcome 2011.

My best wishes for a happy new 2011!

text and photos by Arturo Godoy.

A few weeks ago I introduced you to the recycling truck of La Antigua Guatemala and hi-lighted the fact that it runs on biodiesel which is obtained by processing the restaurants’ burnt oil and other liquid fats and how it is used for the recycling program as well. Here’s, once again, my friend Kara Andrade explaining the first recycling program of La Antigua Guatemala.

My dear green friend Kara Andrade had this to say about recycling in La Antigua Guatemala:

For weeks I’ve been asking different people about recycling centers, pickup services, anything to stop the madness of the trash we’ve been generating in our house for the past two months. Everyone’s says “Oh yeah, La Antigua recycles.” or “Have you tried that place in Ciudad Vieja?” “The capital has a few places, go there.” All so vague and unhelpful that it made me question whether  it was sheer urban legend.

… I looked in the yellow pages, I tweeted, I asked other “greensters,” but nothing satiated my need for convenience, conservation and practicality.  So I spent a few hours on Facebook looking for Facebook groups with the keyword “Guatemala” in them and poured through 500 pages until I found these folks:

Guatemala Green: How it Works

We called and spoke to Pedro Morales  Tel: 5104 8447 (there’s also an English speaker – Becky Harris (English Speaking)  Tel: 5778 4009) and scheduled a regular pick-up from our home on Tuesdays. We neede  to improve our sorting/storing methodology, per their requirements, but an hour of sorting, washing out and rearranging everything did the trick. We got some neighbors in on it and they brought their recyclables over. (Continue reading… It’s worth every penny)

Guatemalan Video Aside: You know I’m always looking for Guatemalan music and videos to share with you and to promote what’s being done here. I was made aware of the video “Son de la armonía” by Razones de Cambio by @ykro who in Twitter said this: “No sé pero algo tiene esta canción… que me hace sentirme más orgulloso de ser guatemalateco «I don’t know, but there’s something about this song… which makes me feel more proud of being Guatemalan»”.

Early on I had been bewitched by the abstract possibilities found in every nook and cranny of this enchanting and vibrant sleepy little town. By day 100 with entries like Antigua Colors, I began collecting the bit and pieces of what will become my Antigua Abstracta photo exhibit. A few other samples captured along the way are found in New Aesthetic Values of an Old Town, Upside Down Arches, Shadow Casting Lamp, Dome Roof Details, and most photos in the tagged with Textura, just to list a few images.

I hope to have all the images, the venue and the Antigua Abstracta exhibit ready before the end of the year!

Of course you don’t have to wait until my next photo exhibition to acquired high quality prints to decorate your or your loved one’s home or office walls since you can purchase them at any time, like right now!

This Sunday afternoon at Calle del Arco was just as guest contributor Arturo Godoy said in The mime just wants to get married post, “Often it’s a bit complicated to go out on Sundays because La Antigua Guatemala gets crowded… Remember that anything and everything can happen as you walk around Antigua Guatemala on any given Sunday.”

That’s exactly what I felt when I walked onto Calle de Arco this past Sunday as the enchanting Mayan music coming off from the marimba from Grupo Maya Kaqchikel. The crowds were making a natural amphitheater around the marimba players. Watch the short video clip below to get an idea.

Everywhere you look there were people, locals and foreigners alike, having a good time. Every a few steps, people were snapping shots or having their photograph taken. There were several algodones (cotton candy), globos (balloons) and chupetes (triangle-shape hard candy) vendors all along Calle del Arco. To top it all, of course, there was a large procession on Calle del Arco as well. For a few hours this past Sunday everything seemed to be in harmony; one of those Life is good! moments I have talked about.

Do you remember when was the last time you had a chupete candy?
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Sunday was such a great day in La Antigua Guatemala; nice weather conditions and a wonderful atmosphere all around town with people enjoying the processions. The Holy Week aromas could be smelled everywhere. Music, balloons, chupetes, clowns, cucuruchos, town fair food; what a cornucopia for the senses.

If you don’t already have your plane ticket, I suggest you buy now, life is too short to miss Semana Santa in La Antigua Guatemala.

Portfolio Aside: Some of the photos that you see here everyday were turned into high-quality large-format prints to add colorful imagery to the walls of Máximo Nivel Spanish School in La Antigua Guatemala. If you’re interested in getting large format prints from my photographs to add color to your walls or as gifts, please, get in touch with me. Of course, you can also purchase 8″x10″ and 11″x14″ high quality prints from the Buy photos page. If you want to keep up with all the places where the AntiguaDailyPhoto images show up, check the Portfolio page regularly.
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On September 14 10, people from all over the country begin a marathon to go to another part of the country to get the fire for the Independence Torch in their communities. There are many places the have a torch where other people from other towns can light up their torch to bring back to their own communities. Of course, there are favorite destinations to go and get the Independence Flame and La Antigua Guatemala is one such destination. There are different torches in different locations throughout Guatemala and their respective marathons build a web of people running in all kinds directions at the same time. It is traffic nightmare and it is better to stay home on those date, unless, of course, you are running for your community to fetch the light for your torch.

How do you celebrate Independence Day in your part of the world? Or do you even have such a celebration?

Watercolors from La Antigua Guatemala can be found and bought in just about every tourist town in Central America. In Calle del Arco you can find many of the watecolor painters sitting on their little stool and with their portable studio over their knees.

Although, I do not like pinturas costumbristas, costumbrism paintings, many people seem to find them irresistible. Nevertheless, I am happy to know many of these painter are able to make a living doing what they love; not many people can say that, right?

To finish the miniseries on The Arch of Santa Catalina, here it is the actual arch with white stucco and classic Antigüeño yellow bands. You can also appreciate the mildew and grime caused by the high humidity levels in Antigua Guatemala.

Oh how I wish I could capture in images the feelings, the energy and the tranquil atmosphere one gets while strolling around Calle del Arco. This warmly-lit late afternoon shot is the closest I ever gotten.

Let me know what this images makes you feel?

Somehow, I manage to do everything backwards, on purpose, or not.

See El Arco de Santa Catalina is the most famous landmark from La Antigua Guatemala; the photo that everybody carries in the camera memory or film, whatever the case may be, to show they have been to Antigua Guatemala. So you might think it is only obvious that one must begin a photographic journey of La Antigua Guatemala with The Arch of Santa Catalina, right? Well, me thinks differently and that’s why I have published 1,093 consecutive entries and 8 additional static pages totaling 1101 pages and not once I have shown you the Arco of Santa Catalina as the main subject. I even made a reference at 90 days into the journey:

Somehow, not by conscious intention, I have managed to avoid the common references and photos of Antigua. For better or for worse, at 90 days from the beginning of this blog I have yet to publish a photo of Santa Catalina’s Arch and Calle del Arco which is the most emblematic photo of Antigua; the equivalent will be not to have published a photo of Statue of Liberty in New York or the Eiffel Tower in Paris after 90 days.

Even though I have shown you pictures of Calle del Arco (The Arch Street), which it is actually an avenue, I believe not once I have shown the actual Arco de Santa Catalina; wait it a minute, maybe once in Weekend Scene at Calle del Arco. I invite you to browse all the archives in which a reference was made to Calle del Arco and if you can find another photo with the arch, I will print it and mail it to you as a post card.

Anyhow, I as I approach the publishing of page number 1,111; I figure I should include some photos of the Arch of Santa Catalina and some other photos around Calle del Arco. I have earned my right to so by now; don’t you agree?