The country of the eternal Spring is Guatemala’s slogan or selling hook, except Guatemala does not have Spring seasons, nor Winters; the same for Summer and Fall. Guatemala only has a dry and ready seasons. However, the slogan does applies because of flowers are always blossoming and the weather is temperate most of the time. So there you have it, come the country of the eternal Spring and enjoying the ever-present flower blossoms.
Often the perimeter walls for residential homes have carefully guided bougainvillea trees flowering all year long along to the top. In a way, bougainvillea and other such trees served as a safety fence to keep the amigos de lo ajeno at bay. Of course, at the same time, the luscious green vegetation and flowers are a delight on the eyes.
The title says it all. So what are you waiting for to book your flight and come to land of the eternal spring and gorgeous and wonderful temperate weather. As I have mentioned before, the Dry season brings clear and deep blue skies that serve as backdrop to the giant volcanoes. Furthermore, during the Dry season you get to experience the richness of the culture and traditions of Guatemala in feats like Día de Todos los Santos (Feast of All Souls), Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead), Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving), Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil), Noche Buena y Navidad (Christmas Eve and Christmas), Año Nuevo (New Year), Día de Reyes (Epiphany), Carnaval (Carnival), Cuaresma (Lent) and Semana Santa (Holy Week) just to mention the mayor celebrations.
By the way, a little over sharing, these two flowers were the gift of the hanging plant at our balcony. Life is good!
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 be hiedras (Ivies/Hederas helix & H. canariensis) or falsas uvas (Parthenocisus inserta).
Do you know why climber plants are so popular in Antigua Guatemala? The answer is Guateflora category.
These colorful and strange-looking flowers are the gift of a climber plant known locally as Tumbergias (tunbergia misurense is the scientific name). Tumbergias are quite popular in the gardens of La Antigua Guatemala. Tumbergias are also very popular with bees and bumblebees and the why is very obvious once you seen the amount of nectar these plant produces. If you visit the restaurant inside Vivero La Escalonia you can appreciate a ceiling made with tumbergias in one section of the restaurant.
Éstas coloridas y extrañas flores son el regalo de una planta trepadora conocida localmente como Tumbergias (“tunbergia misurense” es el nombre científico). Tumbergias son muy populares en los jardines de La Antigua Guatemala. Las tumbergias también son populares con las abejas y los colibríes y es obvio después las cantidades de néctar que la planta produce. El restaurante dentro del Vivero La Escalonia tiene como techo natural tumbergias por si les gustaría apreciar tan coloridas flores.
Jardín Antigüeño is also another series that needs to be awaken. Jardín Antigüeño is a photographic tour through the most often found flowers in the gardens of La Antigua Guatemala.
La Antigua Guatemala is known as the Ciudad de las perpetuas rosas, the city of the perpetual roses. Well, surely you can find roses everywhere in and around Antigua Guatemala; there are even rose farms near La Antigua that grow roses for exportation to the U.S. and Canada.
However, I believe the name should actually be Ciudad de las perpetuas bugambileas or the City of the perpetual bougainvilleas as these flowers can be found everywhere in Antigua Guatemala at any given time. Bougainvilleas are really perpetual flowers and an integral part of the jardín antigüeño, Antigua garden. Bugambileas, as they are known in Spanish, go by scientific name of Bougainvillea glabra and belong to the Nyctaginaceae family. Bougainvilleas can be found in red, violet, purple, fuchsia, red, orange, gold, yellow, pink, white, burgandy, terra cotta, kite red, and in light and dark shades of many of the aforementioned colors.
Today’s photo is dedicated to the innocent victims of the killings in Petén. The massacre in Guatemala that left 27 people dead in a cattle ranch — believed to be the work of Mexico’s notorious drug cartel, the Zetas — has forced a 30-day state of emergency as reported by Fox News. Once again, the monsters created by the U.S., in this case, US trained Zetas become nightmares. Mexico and Guatemala are the bleeding victims of a war against drug trafficking caused by a boundless drug addiction. Perhaps it is time to look at other solutions and alternatives. In the mean time, accountability and responsibility are things we should be demanding now if we ever expect to have peace again in the region.
This is not the first time I shared with you a photograph of fountain adorned with flowers. As a matter of fact, this is quite a regular vista around La Antigua Guatemala.
Right now is especially necessary to be near a refreshing fountain since we’re experiencing unusually hot weather conditions. Yesterday, the thermometer reached the 30C/86F degrees mark in the shade and today looks like it is going to be the same. Come on, this sort of thing should not happen at over 1,500 meters/5,000 feet over the sea level. 
Follow the white rabbit to look at other photographs of fountains with flowers.
Antigua Guatemala as a City Brand Aside: Today La Antigua will be presented as a City Brand at 5 p.m. with an event full of activities in front of Palacio de los Capitanes at Central Park. Also, there will be a 15-minute photographic presentation with nearly 250 photos from AntiguaDailyPhoto.com projected over a giant screen hanging from Palacio de los Capitanes as part of the event. Everyone is invited!
Come back tomorrow to see the slide show here and other photos taken at the activities. If I get a chance I will try to make a time-lapse video of the event. Stay tune!
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The Ceiba tree (Ceiba pentandra) is very important in Guatemala. For one, the Ceiba tree is Guatemala’s national tree. There are Ceiba trees all over Guatemala. The Maya believed that Ceiba trees were portals to Xibalbá (The Underworld). Xibalba is described in the Popol Vuh as a court below the surface of the Earth associated with death and with twelve gods or powerful rulers known as the Lords of Xibalba (source: Wikipedia).
According to a recent article in Revue Magazine, Ceibas have been sacred trees for over 2,000 years and the Ceiba tree spines show up often in Mayan art and pottery. The Ceiba tree also appears in the 5 centavos coins.
Do you know how many Ceiba tree are there in La Antigua Guatemala municipality?
Palo de Izote is the Guatemalan equivalent of the Joshua tree. In fact, Palo de Izote is the Mesoamerican cousin of the Joshua or Yucca tree. Like I mentioned before, I have a fascination with the Izote tree; I don’t know why, maybe its many branches that look like arms and hands.
Palo de Izote is used often in the hedgerows around Antigua Guatemala. Its white flowers are edible and they are considered a delicacy. The izote tree flower is also the national flower for the neighboring country of El Salvador.
Having a satisfying coffee with a very delicious torreja at La Cocina del Obispo, this flower was just there sort of flirting. It’s called Flor de La Pasión because it’s got a religious signfiicance and if I’m not mistaken it is Venezuela’s National Flower. If you know the flower, can you guess the colors and the significance of it?
Try to be fair and don’t look it up on Google or Wikipedia.
text and photo by Arturo Godoy.
There are several jacaranda trees in Parque Central which make a gorgeous display of purple or violet during February and March when they are in bloom. I will try to get a panoramic shot so you can see the jacaranda trees in bloon at Central Park.
Well, perhaps it is the fact that gorgeous pale violet colors of the jacarandas trees are more obvious in February, just in time for the beginning of the Lent season in which one starts to see doors and windows adorned with purple or violet bands. Purple is the official color of the Lent season; do you know why?
Jacaranda trees can be found all over town as well. I will be in the look out for other jacaranda trees around town. Stay tune!
The price of flowers goes up exponentially around certain dates like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, just to name a few.
A dozen roses is selling for Q60/$7.50 right now, while the normal price at the market goes from Q20/$2.50 to Q35/$4.50 for a dozen roses, depending on the quality and whether one is a regular costumer or not. For instance, a co-worker at the office buys two dozen roses every week for Q35/$4.50; he always gets this special price because he’s regular customer.
Of course, all flowers get a price hike, but certainly roses are the most affected since most people want to give roses for el Día del cariño.
In Guatemala Valentine’s Day has a much wider meaning since Día del cariño, Day of affection or caring, is about celebrating all the different manifestations of love and caring.
What better way to send my best wishes for Día del cariño and Valentine’s Day to all of you than to share a Corazón chino, Chinese heart, flower which are native of the wet tropical mountain forest of Central America and South America regardless of its popular name. The Anturios or Anthurium is the scientific name.
In Guatemala poinsettias are known as Flor de Pascua, Flor de Noche Buena or simply Pascuas. Poinsettias are native to Guatemala and Mesoamerica and in general can be found in the wild or in gardens as undocumented aliens. Poinsettias or Flor de Pascua are in full bloom in The Land of the Eternal Spring for the Christmas season. The most common color is red, but now you can find yellow, white, pink and mixed at your local nursery and shops. Pascuas are an integral part of the Guatemalan decoration for the Christmas season and beyond. They are also given as gifts quite often.
If you would like to have a yellow poinsettias wallpaper for you computer, download it from here.
In an article from Prensa Libre entitled: Pascuas que cambian de colores (Poinsettias of different colors) I read that, according to industry statistics, Guatemala is the top grower of poinsettias in the world. Guatemala produces 60 million poinsettias which represents 80% of the production in the world. How about that?
Other interesting reads about Poinsettias in Spanish/Google-translated.
I better start saving... You advertise the country so well, ad I hope the Tourism Ministry pays you well! I have never been to your continent, but I know many Norwegians who are going there again and again. —Gunn
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