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Religiously, like every Ash Wednesday [miércoles de ceniza] before, La Antigua Guatemala get’s dressed up today with Lent decorations. Cuaresma is now officially underway.

What do Lent decorations really mean? In plain English, it means the Processional season 2011 is already here; have you gotten your plane tickets yet?

El Diablo no se quema film aside: Today I received an email from Julio Ro-Ariano, production director for Der Teufel brennt nicht or El Diablo no se quema, a movie filmed in Guatemala in 2010.

Like always, I like to share with you all the new Guatemalan films that are being produced in a prompt and expedite manner; don’t you agree?

The description goes something like this:

Perla, the prostitude, Juan here client and lover, and Verena, the wife, are the protagonists in this story about current-day Guatemala. Coming to movie teathers soon…

More information at Der Teufel brennt nicht web site.

About a month ago I shared with you photos of the new look of Palacio de Los Capitanes as well background information regarding the renovation. I mentioned that after two and half years and Q16 millions/$2 millions spent in renovations Palacio de Los Capitanes has finally opened again. The new façade is painted with yellow and white paint.

Here’s a follow up photo which shows the new spot lights which make Palacio de Los Capitanes the most visible building in La Antigua Guatemala at night. Honestly, you have to see it for yourself; it’s wonderful!

In our never-ending quest to bring you rare or unusual vistas from the same hackneyed places, today I present you an example of a new perspective for the overly-exposed Catedral de San José, quite possibly Antigua Guatemala’s most often photographed church, since it’s located in the Main Plaza.

Have you ever seen a photo from this perspective?

For those who have never visited the Mayor’s office at City Hall, this is what it looks like. It may also come as a surprise that for most Guatemalans, City Halls are the only place where they can exercise Realpolitik. Anything else above the municipal level is mostly vaporware.

What’s the highest level in politics at which you feel can have a say or make a difference?

After two and half years and Q16 millions/$2 millions spent in renovations Palacio de Los Capitanes has finally opened again. The new façade is painted with yellow and white paint. According to an article in Prensa Libre, CNPAG, the entity in charge of restoring and protecting La Antigua Guatemala, also removed 15 tons of extra weight. There is still a second restoration phase quoted at Q14 million more to be done.

If you’re interested in looking at the façade of Palacio de Los Capitanes before the renovations, please follow the white rabbit to the Palacio de Los Capitanes archives.

1. Arches Are Us
2. Visit The Time Tunnel
3. Captains’ Palace at night in Antigua Guatemala
4. Architectonic Details: Arches
5. Leaders of Guatemala’s Independence Movement
6. Municipal Band Concerts on Fridays

As I said before in Casa Antigüeña: The Terrace, “from the attic, it is only a matter of a few steps to reach the terrace or perhaps veranda would be more appropriate term.

Since the weather in La Antigua Guatemala is Spring-like year round, well it only makes sense to make the terrace or veranda accessible through stairways. From the terraces of the Casa Antigüeña you can get panoramic views of the volcanoes around Antigua. As of matter of fact, in many listings for rent or sell of houses around Antigua, you often find the “panoramic view of volcanoes” among the top selling arguments.”

A creative framing on a quiet afternoon with just the right amount and kind of people and we get a post card from the past. Of course I could Photoshop out a couple things to make even more convincing, but I am sure most people will not notice them anyway.

What do you think? Do you feel as if you were looking into the past? Do you like this perspective of all the arches of Palacio de los Capitanes?

Below you can browse additional posts of Palacio de los Capitanes:

1. Arches Are Us
2. Visit The Time Tunnel
3. Captains’ Palace at night in Antigua Guatemala
4. Architectonic Details: Arches
5. Leaders of Guatemala’s Independence Movement
6. Municipal Band Concerts on Fridays

El Palacio de los Capitanes building has to be one of my favorites edifices with lots of arches; and you know I love Arches. I also love repetition so it is no wonder that often have tried to capture the arching repetition found in the Captains’ Palace as well as in other buildings with mix results.

Here are some of my attempts, let me know which you like the best:

1. Visit The Time Tunnel
2. Captains’ Palace at night in Antigua Guatemala
3. Architectonic Details: Arches
4. Leaders of Guatemala’s Independence Movement
5. Municipal Band Concerts on Fridays

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Historically, colonial corridors have always been long and wide, and have always faced out onto a central patio, garden or fountain. Often chairs, sofas, rocking chairs, and plants adorn the corridors. This is the perfect place to have your afternoon cafecito with champurradas.

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Here’s the song thanks to our loyal reader Luis from SF.

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Que llueva, que llueva
Canción infantil

Que llueva, que llueva
La Virgen de la Cueva
Los pajaritos cantan,
Las nubes se levantan.
¡Que sí, que no,
que caiga un chaparrón!

Que siga lloviendo,
Los pájaros corriendo
Florezca la pradera
Al sol de la primavera.
¡Que sí, que no,
que llueva a chaparrón,
que no me moje yo!

Let It Rain, Let It Rain
Children’s Song

Let it rain, let it rain,
The Virgin of the Cave,
The little birds are singing,
The clouds are rising.
Oh yes, oh no,
Let a downpour fall!

Let it go on raining,
The birds go on running,
Let the meadow blossom
Under the spring sun.
Oh yes, oh no,
Let it rain cats and dogs,
Let me not get wet!

(source: Mama Lisa’s World)

These are the very last days of the dry season. Soon, in May, the rainy season will begin and the sompopo flying ants will come again, in lesser numbers than before. We should enjoy the typical dried patios while we can!

Will you join me for lunch or a cup of coffee?

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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Last Friday night at 7 p.m. AntiguaDailyPhoto guest contributor and professional photographer Arturo Godoy, Kara Andrade from HablaGuate and I attended the conference La verdadera estructura del Calendario Maya, or The True Structure of the Mayan Calendar, given by Mayanist David Stuart. Dr. David Stuart refuted the modern visions of the end of the world of the 2012 Mayan Calendar as false and lacking any base in the old Maya civilization. The conference was centered around the Mayan Calendar from a new perspective based on the latest research done by Dr. Stuart of the true internal structure of the Mayan Calendar. This was the first time Dr. Stuart gave this conference. In other words, the 2012 Mayan Prophecy is a hoax!

Luckily, Kara Andrade, a new media journalist, took notes and broadcasted them in real time at the new citizen-based and contributed journalism HablaGuate web site as Demystifying 2012; follow the white rabbit if you want to read her notes of the conference. Arturo Godoy and I, on the other hand, took the opportunity to document the conference through photographs. Okay, I will you guys in a little secret, the entire conference was video-taped and the audio recorded by both Arturo and Kara; hint, hint, if you bug them long enough, they will provide links for the video and audio.

This was also my first time at Casa Herrera, a wonderfully restored colonial house. I was delighted with the results of the restoration and I promise I will make the time come back and photograph the entire house and so a series about it.

For now I bring three snapshots taken with the aid of the fish eye attachment donated by Michele and Eddie from Toronto through my Amazon Wish List. Let’s thank them both for their continued support!

Here’s a little overview about Casa Herrera:

The Casa Herrera is a research, conference and teaching facility located in the heart of La Antigua Guatemala that focuses on the varied and inter-related disciplines that contribute to the study of Pre-Columbian art, archaeology, history and culture.

Since 1977, The Maya Meetings at Texas have been at the cutting edge of research into the culture of the ancient Maya of Mexico and Central America. This annual conference draws scholars from a wide spectrum. (source: Facebook Casa Herrera page)

Basically Casa Herrera is The Mesoamerica Center of the University of Texas at Austin.

David Stuart speaks about the myth of 2012 by hablaguate

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It was only last week that I told you that often during December or the Christmas season, there are several free concerts around La Antigua Guatemala. La Antigua Guatemala’s cathedral is use as backdrop for concerts and recitals. By looking at the larger version of that day’s photo one can agree at the excellent choice.

Well, it seems like the Palacio de los Capitanes building is also often used as backdrop for concerts and recitals. Remember for World Aids Day, Palacio de los Capitanes was used as backdrop for the marimba concert.

Wow, I wonder how many free concerts and recitals there have been already since December 1. I love all the Free Culture available in La Antigua Guatemala year round, don’t you?

I taped a little clip of the Christmas Carol of this afternoon. Enjoy!

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This year the first official rain of 2009 was reported on April 24 with a photograph of a woman with a green umbrella walking in front of a orange wall. Somehow I remember clearly the scene and the circumstances of that image.

Today, I bring you another photo of rainfall taken inside El Jaulón building, located one block away from Central Park. Today’s photograph, however, marks the last rains of the season, the driest rainy season since we are living in La Antigua Guatemala. Interesting enough, normally there are almost no rains in November, but thus far almost everyday we have had precipitations.

Invitation for the first expo of the Club Fotográfico de Antigua

Also, don’t forget that the first exhibit of the Antigua Photo Club will be this Friday evening at Las Capuchinas ruins. If you’re in town, don’t miss this rare opportunity to purchase high quality prints of the captivating images from the photo club members, including of course, photographs from yours truly, at discounted prices. All funds raised will be donated to a charity.