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When you go to Héctor’s restaurant you are surely getting the freshest al dente fettucini pasta in La Antigua Guatemala. I chose fettucini alfredo; it was delicious!

With kind of sauce do you prefer for pasta dishes?

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These electricians are working hard against the clock since they have to install over 225,000 lights over the trees of La Antigua’s Central Park before Sunday’s evening when the inauguration of the Christmas lights will take place.

The Christmas lights will illuminate the Parque Central during the Navidad season. For extra bonus points, what date is Christmas season over in La Antigua Guatemala?

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Beautiful, simple and elegant sign made with six ceramic tiles. Now, I wish I knew what they do or sell at Alforja. Does anyone know what kind of shop is Alforja?

Geotagging photographs and maps aside: Some of you may have already noticed that there’s a map at the bottom of the most recent entries showing where the photo was taken. Also, there’s a new Antigua Maps page on the Main Menu where you will find a map with the 20 most recent geotagged photographs and their location. Below that map, there’s another map with the option to see at full screen with pins showing where the photographs were taken. Finaly, if you want to scan the location for well over 300 photographs at Flickr, just follow the white rabbit. That’s a lot map options for you. I hope you find this new feature valuable or at least interesting. I will try to include a map showing the location of the photos in all future entries, unless you tell me otherwise. Enjoy!

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Perhaps the fact that I am a graphic designer is what causes me to stop and take pictures of signs in La Antigua Guatemala all the time. I can’t help it, I am addicted to collecting photos of signs.

Am I the only who enjoys these photos of signs?

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Pollo Campero is Guatemala’s most successful transnational company. With its tender, juicy and crunchy fried chicken, Campero has done what other Central American companies can only dream of, take their brand the world over. There are now many business schools and consultants doing Pollo Campero case studies. Pollo Campero: Conquering the World of Fried Chicken is one such case study from the Foster School of Business of the University of Washington.

Because of the avalanche of news of Campero’s success in the U.S. and other countries in Asia, a while ago I decided to write a parody entitled Resistance is Futile, We are Pollo Campero Borg. I share it with you again for your enjoyment.

Soon everyone will be familiar with this logotype. Resistance is futile, all of you will be assimilated, we are the Campero Borg Collective. Juan José Gutiérrez and Dionisio Gutiérrez remind me of Pinky and The Brain because of their weekly plans to take over the world. The first plan began over 35 years ago, 1971 to be precise, in a tiny joint in Guatemala City. Their plan was very simple: let’s make a clone of Kentucky Fried Chicken and let’s sell it the world over. So far their plan has taken them as far as many U.S. cities, Madrid and Jakarta and in ten days to Shanghai. In China, Pinky and The Brain Gutiérrez plan to open up 500 new restaurants in the next five years; that is little over 8 restaurants per month. The Gutiérrez plan is to convince or convert the world over to their recipe of fried chicken which is tender, juicy and crunchy by way of plain logic: after all, how can 1.7 billion Chinese be wrong, right?

So if you didn’t know anything about this tiny banana republic in Central America by the name of Guatemala, soon you will! You will know our Campero fried chicken, you will know our babies, and you will know about our workers (undocumented immigrants), among other not-so-glamorous facts. Stay tune or not, either way you will be assimilated!

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The wonderful celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the National Council for the Protection of Antigua was held on Nov 20th at Capuchinas ruins. The evening began with warm words on behalf of different members of the Council. They covered the history of the Council and also included words for the future.

Unfortunately I arrived late to listen to all the words, but you could see the smiles on many people that were present. Everyone payed attention, and of course, how couldn’t you, Antigua is what it is because there is people that truly care to keep this City as it is.

And, as if words were not enough, the Procurador de Derechos Humanos and other public figures were present. The words of Dr. Sergio Fernando Morales provided an even more warming atmosphere, talking about our challenges, our opportunities and of course our future as Guatemalans.

The Orquesta Sin Fronteras amused the night even more. People were hypnotized, as I simply tried to focus on working my camara to capture the moments. It was amazing, great music, great choreography, all combined with great lights.

The evening was just perfect, it was a tribute to Antigua itself, by people that just love it.
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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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Believe it or not, in La Antigua Guatemala people still take their shoes for repairs, quite often extending the life of shoes by a factor of three. Even more unbelievable is the fact that you can have your shoes tailored-made to the specific shape and size of your feet.

Now for bonus points, can you translate the idiomatic expression Zapatero a tu zapato?

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A few days ago Susanita was asking herself about rambutan and loquats tropical fruits.

Rambutan, or licha as it is known in Guatemala, is a red, plum-sized tropical fruit with soft spines and a slightly acidic taste. Lichas are now a staple of the mercados in Guatemala. Lichas (rambutan) are new comers and that’s why some Guatemalans living abroad might not be familiar with them.

Loquats, on the other hand, has been a staple of the Guatemalan fruit repertoire for as long as I can remember. “What the hell are you talking about?” Guatemalans maybe asking just about now. That’s right, loquats are nisperos or misperos, depends who you ask. As always, follow the white rabbit to see nisperos and read the background information.

Okay, I have solved the mysteries of rambutan and loquats tropical fruits. Now, which one do you prefer?

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