AntiguaDailyPhoto.Com

I swear I could do a series just on unusual windows found in Antigua Guatemala. As a matter of fact, when I began almost 6 years ago, I created a Doors & Windows category because I knew that the distinctive and remarkable inventory of doors and windows found in La Antigua Guatemala was going to be a recurring subject. Well, there are 92 entries on the category as of now. Follow the white rabbit through all the doors and windows found in the archives of AntiguaDailyPhoto to get a general idea of what antigüeños like to do with the wholes on the walls.

Here’s a rainy season vista from A Room With A View. Believe it or not, La Antigua Guatemala always shows its most beautiful face even when the heavens cry incessantly. Don’t you agree?

In other places of the world, windows are just windows. In La Antigua Guatemala windows are shop displays, gardens, pet spots, plant pot spots, convenience stores, flag poles, decoration holders, bus stop benches, green houses, Christmas trees, et cetera.

What other uses you have for windows in your city?

I can almost think of the image above as window conceptual art. The combination of the pearls, the manikins, and the pan with a little spot light in the corner; everything behind bars on a public space stirs something in me which I am sure none of the elements do otherwise. A ‘je ne sais qoui’ impression.

Je ne sais quoi, yo no sé que in Spanish, it’s the expression use to describe something the moves you in special way without knowing exactly how or why. That’s the feeling I get from the photo above; some I-don’t-know-what sensation.

How about you?

Today AntiguaDailyPhoto.com is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Also, the CityDailyPhoto community around the world is having the monthly theme day which is Mailbox. So I thought it would be a good idea to participate in the theme day and at the same time request a post card or letter mailed from your home town.

Feed me, the letter slot says!

This is a follow up experiment to the Postscript test we ran back in 2007, when we wanted to test how efficient was the regular Guatemalan Postal Service. To our surprise we receive several dozen post cards and letter from many cities around the world. The first post cards arrive within 10 days and the last one we received was about six months later.

We were delighted by the kind words and to see postal stamps from many cities and countries. So, if you appreciate the work we do at AntiguaDailyPhoto and want to show it or simply participate in testing the snail mail system, please, send a post card or letter from wherever you find yourself now to the address below:

RUDY GIRON
P.O. BOX 139 EL CORREO
LA ANTIGUA GUATEMALA, C.P. 03001
GUATEMALA, C.A.

For the fifth anniversary (1,827 consecutive days) I am happy to report that the AntiguaDailyPhoto concept has expanded to Quetzaltenago, the city in the highlands (Los Altos we call it), with its XelaDailyPhoto and to Guatemala City and the rest of the country with GuatemalaDailyPhoto. To me there is no greater satisfaction than to be able to help others, to lend a hand and to provide all the support necessary to my fellow daily photo colleagues. Of course, none of it would be possible without the support from my wife, family and friends. A big THANK YOU for all their and your support!

Previous anniversaries Aside: Below, I share with you the music of Ishto Jueves, a Guatemalan musician I got the chance to meet and hear recently. Further down, summaries of my thoughts and feelings from the previous anniversaries. Enjoy!

On the first anniversary of AntiguaDailyPhoto I shared my goals with you:

My idea was to show the good, the bad and the ugly of this colonial town. I did not want to make a touristic site for the most popular touristic destination in Central America. La Antigua Guatemala is photogenic, so my goal has been a bit difficult. But I have tried to show other aspects of life which I did not see cover in other sites. Also, I wanted to ‘own’ a venue for practicing my inadequate written English and amateur photographic skills. Three hundred and seventy-six posts later I have improved neither; it’s so pathetic. On the other hand, I have gained a great deal of knowledge about this town and many good friends (even if they don’t see eye-to-eye on the issues we talked about here). What can I say, they’re are all wrong!

On the second anniversary of AntiguaDailyPhoto I reflected upon the concept of milestones:

Every time humans arrive at a milestone, we tend to review what we have traveled thus far. Two years of consecutive blogging is not much or even important in the big scale of things. Nonetheless, it is a big achievement for me since I have never done anything like this before. I am very happy to have reached this time mark and to have helped others in the process. I thank all my regular visitors for your support, comments, feedback and donations.

On the third anniversary of AntiguaDailyPhoto, I came to the conclusion that I was too wordy and nobody cares for long entries anymore or so I thought.

On the third year, AntiguaDailyPhoto became polyphonic with new guest author contributions which enriched and enhanced the blogumentary. Each guest author brought wonderful new perspective, photography and style. I was honored to have been given their trust. Also, I was happy to have opened the doors of AntiguaDailyPhoto to guest contributors.

For the fourth anniversary I ask again the following questions:

what does AntiguaDailyPhoto mean to you? What kind of themes you care about? Do you prefer entries with lots of information or just the picture and a brief caption? Do you care for music, videos and maps that accompany the photos and information? Have you had enough food images? Should I leave out all the controversial and politics out? Should I focus more or less on the people, landscape, animals, idiosyncrasies of Guatemalans? What else should I be asking?

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 globe.

It’s been a while since I shared with you a shot of a doorway. For a long time, doorways and windows used to be among my favorite things to photograph around Antigua Guatemala. Heck, I used to be regular contributor for Doorways Around the World. Anyway, believe it or not, I don’t think I have seen today’s photo ever. What about you, have you seen the photo above before?

Isn’t it just engaging to run into so many different doorlocks around La Antigua Guatemala? This one is found in one of the villages around Antigua Guatemala; it is from a museum, can you guess which one?

text and photo by Arturo Godoy.

I would also want out with such a gorgeous day. This beautiful dog was so peaceful and enjoying the breeze that it appeared like he didn’t mind being in such a tight spot. Although, I am sure that he was offer a walk, he would wiggle his tail, don’t you think?

This has to be the rainiest year ever in my entire life. I had never ever seen so much rainfall. After several consecutive days of non-stop rain I posted this in Twitter:

@rudygiron: Éste es el año más lluvioso de toda mi vida y sinceramente ya me tiene harto y deprimido.

@rudygiron: This has to be the rainiest year ever in my entire life and frankly I am already tired of it and depressed.

However, other Guatemalans don’t seem to be affected at all. Here are other tweets:

@stephaniefalla: Guatemala parece Londres con tanta lluvia y días grises jajaja! pero tiene su encanto, así que no me quejo!

@stephaniefalla: Guatemala looks like London with so much rain and grey days hahaha! But, I find it charming, so I don’t complain

@anitagt: morning morning!! rainy day in my dear ol’ Guatemala!! ….loving it!!

What do you think, is it TOO much rain or am I just whining unnecessarily?

How can one find beauty in such a rustic forged metal knocker? I don’t know, but the instant I saw it I knew I had to add it to my door knocker collection. I found this door knocker in Finca Filadelfia; look for it next time you visit La Antigua Guatemala.

Do you believe this couple will also record their names interlocked inside a heart as proof their present love?

Don’t we all would love to have a room with a view? Even though this is not my daily view, I can’t complaint from my rooms with different views towards the jardín florido, flowering garden.

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Arched windows are quite common in La Antigua Guatemala; I am sure I have shown you one arched window before, but I believe today’s image is a better example since you get to see the window in context.

This magnificent garden is part of the El Sitio Cultural, one of the culture centers of Antigua Guatemala. Come back tomorrow to see the view from inside towards the garden.

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Oh leave it to the French and their Je ne sais quoi, yo no sé que in Spanish, to describe something the moves you in special way without knowing exactly how or why. That’s the feeling I get from the photo above; some I-don’t-know-what sensation.

How about you?

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Sometimes the ride from Guate city (la capital) to LAG takes a bit longer than expected and then there is not enough time to visit some of the interesting places. Or at least you end up finishing your pie de ayote or pie de higo by closing time, and then between getting some clay lantern and marimba CDs and paying for the plants you are taking back to la capital you end up having to ask the gatekeeper to let you out.

We can imagine names such as don neto or don chepe, always diminutives, showing a familiarity that may or may not be there, and at the same time a respect towards someone at our service. In Guatemala (and LAG is Guatemala) there is a marked difference, if not in ethnic group, at least in social class, between “us” and gatekeepers. Maybe it is the same worldwide, maybe it only exists inside my head.

Gatekeepers exert their power, limited as it might be, by being there to help us. Catholics might have something right by portraying one of their founding fathers, St. Peter, as the gatekeeper of the heavens. More earthly gatekeepers usually are there to open the door so we can continue our journey and leave the dreamland we are visiting. Gatekeepers have the keys to the outside world and the keys to inner worlds beyond our right to roam free. They let us in, they let us out.

I’ve been reading an online novel by Ronald Flores called Una cabaña en Atitlán (in Spanish) and it reminded me of this picture and this post I’ve been wanting to write. The central character in the novel (a middle-class ladino from la capital) has a couple of encounters with Mayan people, one of them that opens and closes a door for him. A door to another life, to the possibility of escape, to the possibility of change. Beautiful doors (and windows) are abundant in LAG and probably represent more than architectural elements…

Can you guess where was this picture taken?

How are usually the gatekeepers where you live or where you come from?

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