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Last night I received a text message with the following orders: Get the camera and take photos of Volcán de Fuego; lots of lava and lighting storms. So, as instructed by Nelo, I took my camera, mounted it on the tripod and shot a few photos. I must say these were the largest eruptions I have seen of Fuego volcano since I’ve been living in Antigua Guatemala.

According to Guatemala’s Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología, INSIVUMEH for short (Guatemala’s National Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology Institute), lava rivers reached up to 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) in length and ash was shot 16,400 feet (5,000 meters) into the air. CONRED, Guatemala’s national disaster agency ordered the closing of highway RN14 which connects Antigua Guatemala with Escuintla and serpents down between volcanoes; no evacuations have been ordered yet.

I will keep you posted about new events with Fuego volcano is the volcanic activity increases.

I just received these photos from my dear friend and AntiguaDailyPhoto consultant and eye witness Christian Van Der Henst who happened to be about five houses from where a helicopter crashed a little over one hour ago. This will be the third helicopter that happens to crash in Guatemala in recent weeks. As a matter of fact, Nelo was flying with another 11 helicopters when two unrelated helicopter crashes happened that day.

Today’s chopper fell a few houses from San Francisco El Grande Church, about two houses from Nelo Mijangos used to live. According to the quick reports that came through Twitter the helicopter was being used to film a documentary. Christian, @cvander, told me that about four people were injured, three from the helicopter and one from the house where the chopper crashed.

I’ve seen a lot of random things in Guatemala, but I don’t place expensive cars in that category. Guatemala imports more luxury vehicles than any other country in Central America (and also has the 2nd highest per capita ownership of helicopters and other personal aircraft in the world). The rich in Guatemala are filthy rich while the poor are dirt poor which is why Guatemala is also has one of the highest rankings in the Gini Index (income inequality) in the world.

Talking about this Christian, from Maestros del Web and Freddy Vega (@freddier), from Cristalab, were making quick unscientific statistics and came to the conclusion that Antigua Guatemala is one of places (if not the top position) where you’re more likely to have an helicopter fall on your head. The worst part about their findings is that they are probably correct if you take into account the number of helicopters in Guatemala and that Antigua Guatemala is where most helicopters flight to and around; Petén will come second for sure, Peten is much much bigger than Antigua Guatemala. By the way, as I finish typing this post, I can hear many helicopter flying about Antigua Guatemala.

I wonder how many heliports are around Antigua Guatemala, does anybody know?

All photos and background information by Christian Van Der Henst.

Los antigüeños ya estamos cansados de tantos hechos delictivos que están pasando en nuestra amada ciudad mientras tanto las autoridades no se les ve nada. Éste es un espacio dedicado a promover la seguridad en nuestra querida Antigua Guatemala.

Antigüeños contra la delincuencia, Antigua Against Crime¹, is a peaceful movement promoting a crime awareness campaign and demanding immediate actions from the authorities to bring back safety and security to Antigua Guatemala. Peaceful demonstrations are scheduled for March 6, 7 and 8 in front of Antigua Guatemala’s cathedral. You can follow their activities and demands through their public page on Facebook Antigüeños contra la delincuencia.

photos by Leonel [Nelo] Mijangos

(1) Delinquency is not correct the translation of the Spanish word delincuencia; Crime is probably a closer match.

When is boulder not a boulder? When a boulder is for a climbing competition. Such was the case today when there was a man-made boulder climbing challenge right in front of Palacio de los Capitanes. There were be 14 competitors from Guatemala, 10 men and 4 women, 8 from El Salvador, 5 from Costa Rica and 2 from Honduras according to Felipe Álvarez, one of the organizers. Among the competitors there were Guatemalan champions Paula Mendez and Diego García, both members of the Asociación de Alpinismo de Sacatepéquez based here in La Antigua Guatemala. For additional photos visit the Revue. I decided to focus in the details of a part of the artificial boulder.

How many people can you fit inside a bus?

The chicken bus Guinness World Record of how many people you can fit in a bus was broken today at Jocotenango, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala with 221 people inside the chicken bus, two chickens and lots of Gallos (beer). The previous record of 209 people was held by Poland.

The activity was organized by the Municipality of Jocotenango, a community just outside Antigua Guatemala. The very young mayor of Jocotenango declared to be very happy because Guatemala had obtained its first Guinness World Record and because it was his humble town of Jocotenango who broke the previous record of the most people inside a bus. The first activity was to fill the chicken bus with as many children as possible; 100 showed up and each kid was given a participation diploma. Later, the adults entered the bus until there was no room to walk in, then, some people decided to enter the bus through the windows since there was still space inside the bus because some people had climbed to luggage racks inside the bus. At this point the previous Guatemalan record of 180 people were passed as the counting showed 190 people were inside the bus. This was not good enough for the world record of 209 people. A second try was organized, but this time in a orderly manner 10 by 10 people entered the chicken bus making sure to leave no free space available. After 210 people were inside everybody became excited because the previous record had been broken, but there was still space for another 11 people.

El joven alcalde de Jocotenango, Sacatepéquez declaró estar muy contento de que Guatemala tuviera su primera marca Guinness y que fuera el pueblo de Jocotenango el que haya roto el récord de más gente en un autobús. Primero subieron los niños quienes llegaron hasta la cifra de 100 dentro de la camioneta; cada niño recibió un diploma de participación a la salida de la camioneta. Luego subieron las personas adultas, poco a poco, hasta que ya no se podía ingresar al bus. Fue entonces que algunos empezaron a subir por las ventas y otros a acomodarse en las parrillas interiores del equipaje para hacer más espacio. Aún así sólo cupieron 190 personas, que era suficiente para romper la marca de 180 personas que existe en Guatemala, pero no la marca mundial de 209 que posía Polonia. En el segundo conteo, ingresaron de 10 en 10 hasta llegar a 210 personas dentro del autobús con lo que se rompió el récord Guinness, pero aún había espacio por lo que ingresaron otras 11 personas y así se llego a la cifra de 221 personas dentro de la camioneta «chicken bus». El alcalde manifestó sentirse satisfecho del logro alcanzado por el pueblo de Jocotenango y por todos aquellos que participaron en el evento. También ofreció que las puertas de Jocotenango estaban abiertas para todos los extranjeros.

Here’s a slide show which gives you a general idea of the breaking of the previous Guinness Record.

Of course this page would not be complete without a contribution from my dear friend Nelo Mijangos who has prepared a time lapse video of the loading and unloading of the chicken bus. Enjoy!

This morning Guatemala is taking baby steps towards justice by having a historic public hearing of retired General Efraín Ríos Montt on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. The retired General Efraín Ríos Montt will be responding to charges of genocide and crimes against humanity done during his year in power between 1982-1983. This is just one more baby step to bring reconciliation and justice for the Guatemalan armed conflict which happened between 1960 and 1996 and was sparked by a coup orchestrated by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the 1954 Guatemalan coup d’état which produced over 250,000 victims, 45,0000 disappeared persons and over one million of displaced people. (more…)

On January 21, Under the name of Subida por la vida, there were over 8,000 people climbing Volcán de Agua (Water Volcano) to form the largest heart in the world at 12,335 feet as part of campaign to bring awareness and to reduce domestic violence. The event will also be a party with music and foot ball matches (the real McCoy) in different venues in Antigua Guatemala. Subida por la vida also stands as manifestation for Peace where Guatemalans want to demonstrate and let the world know that we want peace and we will not tolerate violence any longer. (more…)

I often report on the Club Fotográfico de Antigua Guatemala because I am of the funding members and because many people visiting Antigua Guatemala have interest in photography and many want to connect with other passionate photographers. Also, I report often because I am still amazed how an idea that formed back in 2009 with my dear friend Nelo and I have become such and impressive and important association. We talked about forming a club of photo enthusiasts here in Antigua Guatemala so we didn’t have to go to Guatemala City to meet with other people interested in photography. We decided that we wanted a club where novice and experienced photographers could share the knowledge, experience, anecdote and passion for this art. We felt the same way and simply declared:

Let’s do it pues!

This year Antigua’s Photo Club begins with so much energy, good vibes and passion at a new meeting location, at one of my favorite buildings in Antigua Guatemala, the former Compañía de Jesús building, where the Cooperación Española has open its door to host our monthly meetings; the first Thursday of the month for those who don’t know. If you’re interested in meeting a bunch of cool people who want to share a good laugh and their knowledge about photography and all things Antigua Guatemala, make sure you pay a visit. Below I share with you a slide show of some of the photos from the most recent meeting on Thursday 5 and if you want to see even more pictures of from this meeting you can visit the album made in Facebook.

Here’s a little background information I posted back in 2009 about the photo club:

Back in June, a few photography enthusiasts from La Antigua Guatemala, myself included, funded the Club Fotográfico de Antigua (Antigua’s Photo Club). With each passing month the Club Fotográfico de Antigua (CFA) receives new members and visitors interested in sharing a good time while admiring the photographs taken by the members, participating in the monthly competition, exchanging photography tips and workshops.

Today was a day full of news. First of all, I learned from my friend and ADP collaborator Guy Howard that Hector’s Restaurant made to the number one position at TripAdvisor for their restaurant listings of Antigua Guatemala. Of course, that’s no news to you guys since you have already since many of the dishes that Hector prepares. The first time I had sweet potato fries was at Hector’s and although I have had them a several places now, some in the U.S., I still believe Hector’s version to be the best.

Next, was the released of the behind the scenes at the making of the video clip of “Fuiste Tú” of Ricardo Arjona and Gaby Moreno in Guatemala a couple of weeks ago. You can watch the video below.

Last but not least was the 15th year anniversary of signage of the Peace Accords. As in every year since the signing, people argue that basically not peace was signed, but the accords have not been met. Or well, that’s how it is in Guatemala and it’s better not think too much of it. We just have to continue pushing for the accords to be upheld.

Enjoy!

Guatemala’s Channel 7 News, Noti7, was filming the year in news summary tonight at Parque Central and I was able to get a few shots. I also recorded a short video clip since some of you have asked to get sounds and moving pictures as well. For sure the video will give you a sense of the sounds and atmosphere that we’re experiencing in Antigua Guatemala.

Honestly, I don’t think anybody does more for the poor (yes, the poor and not the underprivileged, less fortunate nor any other euphemism one can come up with) of Antigua Guatemala and surrounding areas as Asociación Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro. From the permanent free or heavily discounted (symbolic price) medical consultations offered by the Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro to simple things as symbolic renting of wheel chairs and crutches. The image above your can see people making a line to pick up free gifts given by the Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro.

Now, if you feel like given a little this Christmas, then pay a visit to the web site of Asociación Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro and give them a small donation; surely they will make it go a long way!

On November 11, 2011 (11.11.11 for short) the Feria Nacional de Comercio Justo y Solidario Guatemala 2011 opened its kiosk on the arched hallway of Palacio de los Capitanes Generales to promote exchanges for a better world the brochure declares. The national fair trade fair will remain open until Sunday at 3pm, so if you’re in Antigua Guatemala stop by to get chance to talk to and buy directly from the artisans and small producers of honey, coffee, handicrafts, textiles, recycled crafts, shampoos, teas, cereals, etc.

I took other photos of some of the fair stands, so, stay tune for additional coverage.

The Guatemalan presidential elections are finally over and we can go back to building a better country and let the new President elect and his team do whatever it is that they do. Below, there’s a screen shot of the almost final results with 53.78% of the votes going to the Partido Patriota and 46.22% to the Partido Líder. You can visit the web page for Tribunal Supremo Electoral (Supreme Electoral Tribunal) for the final results.

Compared to the first voting round, today there was almost nobody there. Compare the photos from the September 11 election process and with today’s photos. Nevertheless, I wanted to experiment with a time-lapse video, so I shot 1,800 photos to create the time-lapse video of the voting center at the cultural center César Brañas. As you can see in some parts of the video, there’s almost nobody; that’s how efficient the voting process was this time. I hope you enjoy the time-lapse video, please, let me know either way.
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Guatemalans are complex people. We don’t like simple things; thus whenever we can make the simplest things complex, we do. I am sure that if one could combine Dante’s Inferno and Kafka’s The Trial as a possible scenario, Guatemalans would still think is too simple. Let me explain.

Tomorrow Guatemalans have a simple presidential election between the worse and worst or between the pest and cholera as stated in a recent article at the Guatemala Times:

Four years ago, a week before the second election round, I wrote a column titled Between pest and cholera to describe what happened to us Guatemalan voters having to choose between Alvaro Colom and Otto Perez Molina. This time it’s something similar, or no, worse. Pest versus cholera, reloaded…

…Let’s start by OPM [Otto Perez Molina]. He is a military with 33 years in the Army, an authoritarian institution par excellence. An army with a military victory based on disappearing 50 000 people and killing 200 thousand, mostly unarmed civilians. He is a military turned politician. One of his mayor accomplishments is to have sought decent terms for the Guatemalan peace accords. He opposed extrajudicial killings during the government of Oscar Berger. He prevented the coup d’état of ex-president Jorge Serrano Elías, although the reasons for his participation are less clear. Serrano’s coup was “anti-constitutional and anti-elite…”

…On with MB [Manuel Baldizón]. He is a populist who has been in politics for 8 years. He easily spend Q100 million, approximately $ 12.9 million, on his campaign also without transparency. Who financed him? Other businessmen? Other narcos? His biggest accomplishment in 8 years of public life was the approval of the Law for the Elderly, to re-pay a social debt; the elderly without social security receive a small pension… continue reading at The Guatemala Times.

So, basically it doesn’t matter who wins as Manuela Rosales put it on her Facebook wall, the real and enduring change can only come with the work of EVERYBODY, not just single government official even if this is El Señor Presidente.

Nevertheless, here’s the complex Guatemalan presidential election scenario for tomorrow:

• Some people will vote for Manuel Baldizón
• Some people will vote against Manuel Baldizón
• Some people will vote for Otto Perez Molina
• Some people will vote against Otto Perez Molina
• Some people will vote against Manuel Baldizón and Otto Perez Molina (null vote)
• Some people will not vote for neither Manuel Baldizón nor Otto Perez Molina (no vote)

Now, don’t you agree with me about the complexity of Guatemalans?

This morning two photo clubs, Antigua’s and Guatemala’s, got together at Casa Santo Domingo to pay homage to photographer Ricardo Mata who about 54 years ago called on 10 of his colleagues to form the first photo club of Guatemala.

It was a rare opportunity to see members of both photo clubs at one place to share our passion for photography and to pay a tribute to Guatemala’s most prolific photographer and world traveler. He shared with us this morning that he had travel and photographed 94 countries. I regret not procuring a copy of a thorough biographical sketch by writer and long-time friend Carmen Matute of Ricardo Mata. Heck, even Ricardo Mata declared he would love to have a copy of the biographical sketch since he said there were more information there than what he has available in his own archives. Talking about archive, Ricardo Mata’s photo archive is in the millions of images, most of them slides. See the video below to take a peek at his archives.

The Club Fotográfico de Guatemala also held its monthly photo contest and I had the honor to be one of the judges. All in all, it was awesome feel-good event; the kind that you never read about in the news, but happen very often in Guatemala.

Here’s a video of Ricardo Mata narrating how the funded Guatemala’s first photo club thanks Nelo Mijangos. (more…)