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Los Bomberos Voluntarios (Voluntary Fire Deparment) were giving demonstration of equipment outside of the Capuchinas Ruins this weekend. It looks like the kids were having a blast with the water hose, although the little boy seemed a bit reluctant to take charge of the water hose all by himself.

By the way, in Guatemala there are two fire departments entities: Bomberos Municipales and Bomberos Voluntarios. Bomberos Municipales receive some of their funding from the municipal government while Bomberos Voluntarios receive their funding through “crowd sourcing”; that’s web talk euphemism for “donations from the people.”

Photo by guest contributor Darrin Brown

Guatemala celebrates its Independence on September 15 and through the entire month student marching bands and parades are quite common. Students begin practicing for these parades as early as July.

By the way, I found this video with Guatemala’s National Anthem as sound track and over view of the country in moving images. If you would like to read the lyrics, follow the white rabbit to Libre al viento tu hermosa bandera found in the archives.

One week after I started AntiguaDailyPhoto on May 1, 2006 I pointed out how kids should be in school instead of working on the streets. The entry was entitled Tourists and shoe-shining boy.

Only two weeks later I presented you a little boy no more than 5 years old with a shoe shining box in his right hand walking the wet streets of the rainy season in Antigua Guatemala. This is what I wrote then in Antigua’s child labor:

The future of a society is with the children and their education and preparation. What kind of future awaits for Guatemala when its children are on the streets working to survive today. What kind of education and preparation will its labor force have in ten or twenty years? I posted another photo of a child at work on May 7th.

It is very disturbing to me to see children working to survive today instead of being in school and have the minimum provided to them. By the way, child labor is illegal in Guatemala and school is mandatory for children under 16. As you can see, neither is enforced by the government.

Almost a year later, on May 29, 2007 I touched the issue again with All Work And No Play Makes For A Very Dull Day:

What I learned from these kids is that rock climbing is possible in La Antigua Guatemala; child labor still present in Antigua and I don’t know if ever it will be eradicated; regardless of the labor conditions, kids will find a way to play. Good for them!

How can we expect a better future as a country if our future is on the streets working instead of in school preparing to make a better nation?

This past weekend the municipal government promoted the work of the artisans from the villages around Antigua Guatemala through handicraft fair at the Plaza Mayor and what better sound track than to have live marimba music.

That’s why the Kaqchikel Marimba played at the Main Plaza; normally they are found at Calle del Arco on the weekends. I was walking by while they were taking a break and ask if I could take there portrait; they said NO and then they laughed. I guess they are so used to having their picture taken that they were surprised that someone actually asked permission.

Here’s a sampling of their live performance at Calle del Arco. Enjoy!

On the first day of AntiguaDailyPhoto, May 1, 2006, I shared with you a School beauty contest parade with Volcán de Agua in the background. It was truly the original Little Miss Sunshine since it was a sunny day; too bad the film Little Miss Sunshine had not come out yet otherwise I would have chosen this catchy title.

What drives us to have little girls competing in a beauty pageant?

This photograph was taken at the entrance of El Hato village, located about 5 kilometers from La Antigua Guatemala. El Hato villages belongs to La Antigua Guatemala municipality, but if you decide to visit, you will find the typical Guatemalan village embedded in the highlands. The road between and Antigua Guatemala and El Hato is very picturesque with plenty of panoramic photo opportunities. If you decide to visit El Hato, take the road that takes you to Cerro de la Cruz and just continue driving past the entrance of El Cerro de la Cruz. You won’t regret it!

As I said last year, in Guatemala we could and should write the Manifesto against Convenience. Why you ask? Well, can you believe that we still observe holidays and celebrations on the date they were created. Mother’s Day on May 10, Father’s Day on June 17, Santiago de los Caballeros on July 25 (Saint James), et cetera. In Guatemala holidays and festivities are not celebrated on the weekend unless that’s date a holiday falls.

Today, for instance, in Guatemala we celebrate Día del padre, Father’s Day. The photo above was taken for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, on December 12, a day when many fathers celebrate with their sons and daughters by attending mass service.

When is Father’s Day celebrated where you live?

Also, I am also sharing with you a video of the song “Viejo, mi querido viejo” by Piero, which is played very often today in Guatemala. If you’re walking around in Guatemala, it’s quite likely that you will overhear it.

Happy Guatemalan Mother’s Day!

I especially wish a Happy Mother’s Day to my own madre. As Luna McCarthy mentioned in XelaDailyPhoto this morning: Mother’s Day always falls on May 10 in Guatemala, as opposed to many countries where it falls on the 2nd Sunday of May.

Today is also a holiday for mothers in Guatemala, so moms get the day off from work. There are numerous traffic reports in Twitter about how light the traffic is today in Guatemala City. Some even wonder if all the traffic is actually generated by the working mommies. Follow the hash tag #traficoGT to read all the reports.

Mother’s Day observed in AntiguaDailyPhoto in previous years:

In 2010, I cherished memories of my mom and I eating POPS ice cream when I was a kid. Although, in general, I don’t like sweets, I have never passed up the opportunity to eat ice cream; now I know why. I would like send a very special Gracias to my own mother for teaching me how to be a fairly decent human being (most of the time; I think!). I am glad I was able to spend some time with you recently.

In 2009 we had a contest to win a signed 4×6 post card with Guatemalan stamps to the first person that could correctly tell what Mayan language the Mayan mothers speak.

In 2008, I showed you an indigenous mother helping her son to overcome his fears in the entry Mother’s Safety Zone.

In 2007 I posted a very long entry showing you three kinds of Guatemalan mothers: the cowgirl mother, the urban rocker mom, and the indigenous mamá in the entry May 10th: Mother’s Day in Guatemala. I also touched the subject of inter-country adoptions which was it was hot topic back then. That’s no longer an issue, but if you want to go back in time to read about those three kinds of moms and the adoption issues, follow the white rabbit.

Just yesterday I was mentioning how La Antigua Guatemala is often used as a backdrop for films, concerts, paintings, photos, festivals, religious rituals, and weddings. I forgot to mentioned that is often used a commercial studio set as well.

These pictures and video clip were taken during the shooting a national brand of popsicles at one of the corners of la Plaza Mayor (Main Plaza) during a chilly and windy morning. I felt sorry for the kids who were only wearing light t-shirts while I was wearing a warm jacket; the kids, however, were only interested in the popsicles and doing as many takes as possible since only then they got a chance to lick the popsicles.

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We interrupt our regularly scheduled December comfort foods series to bring you the following special bulletin.

Since yesterday night, December 15, there have been sightings of Joseph and Mary’s quest for shelter around the streets of La Antigua Guatemala. María and José are walking around Antigua Guatemala, knocking on people’s doors to ask for posada. Our eye witness reporter has been able to gather the following information regarding the quest for lodging:

Every home has a nativity scene and the hosts of the Posada act as the innkeepers. The neighborhood children and adults are the pilgrims (peregrinos), who have to request lodging by going house to house singing a traditional song about the pilgrims. All the pilgrims carry small lit candles in their hands, and four people carry small statues of Joseph leading a donkey, on which Mary is riding. The head of the procession will have a candle inside a paper lamp shade. At each house, the resident responds by refusing lodging (also in song), until the weary travelers reach the designated site for the party, where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Once the “innkeepers” let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray (typically, the Rosary)… This according to Mrs. Wikipedia Enciclopedia de Quiensabe.

We will update you with new information as soon as our on-site reporters finish their ponche and tamales…

#$%&/()”!¡?¿… We just received this video feed from our diligent multimedia reporter Kara Andrade. (more…)

This year’s Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been the best one I have covered in La Antigua Guatemala thus far. I took over 400 photographs and I believe I will have to split the religious event in three main days, which will coincide with the three themes for the celebrations of Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Other photos taken on December 12 will surely appear through out the month.

Today’s theme will be little girls dressed with with indigenous clothes to visit the altar of La Virgen de Guadalupe in La Merced Church. As I have mentioned in previous years, in La Antigua Guatemala, religious celebrations draw together all kinds of heterogeneous people and the feast day of Virgen de Guadalupe is no exception. On December 12 celebrations of La Virgen de Guadalupe, Our Lady of Guadalupe, you can find gringa moms, indigenous mamás, ladino madres and white mamás all taking their children dressed with indigenous clothes to visit the altar of La Virgen Morena.

This time I’ve tried to captured different Guatemalan girls to show you heterogeneousness of the people coming together for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I know that for some of you, the differences might too subtle to detect, but believe me, these are four completely different people. Please, let me know your thoughts regarding the photographs and your feelings regarding Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Stay tune for the next two days since there will be more photos coming… In the mean time, please stop by XelaDailyPhoto where Pinar and Josh are sharing their photos and stories of the Virgen de Guadalupe celebrations in Xela (Quetzaltenango).

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Since the rainy season abruptly ended at the end of September, the cold winds from the north moved in within the first week of October thus allowing Guatemala’s kite season to begin almost an entire month earlier than normal.

Below, you can watch a short video clip which shows a kite day outside a local public school in San Pedro Las Huertas, La Antigua Guatemala.

Ya running and ya running
And ya running away.
Ya running and ya running
And ya running away.
Ya running and ya running
And ya running away.
Ya running and ya running,
But ya can’t run away from yourself
Can’t run away from yourself -
Can’t run away from yourself -
Can’t run away from yourself -
Can’t run away from yourself -
Can’t run away from yourself.

Ya must have done (must have done),
Somet’in’ wrong (something wrong).
Said: ya must have done (must have done),
Wo! Somet’in’ wrong (something wrong).
Why you can’t find the
Place where you belong?
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do (running away);
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do (running away);
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do (running away);
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do (running away);
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do (running away).

Every man thinketh his
Burden is the heaviest (heaviest).
Every man thinketh his
Burden is the heaviest (heaviest).
Ya still mean it: Who feels it knows it, Lord;
Who feels it knows it, Lord;
Who feels it knows it, Lord;
Who feels it knows it, Lord.

Ya running and ya running
And ya running away.
Ya running and ya running
And ya running away.
Ya running and ya running
And ya running away.
Ya running and ya running
But ya can’t run away from yourself.
Could ya run away from yourself?
Can you run away from yourself?
Can’t run away from yourself!
Can’t run away from yourself!
Yeah-eah-eah-eah – from yourself.

Brr – you must have done somet’in’ -
Somet’in’ – somet’in’ – somet’in’ -
Somet’in’ ya don’t want nobody to know about:
Ya must have, Lord – somet’in’ wrong,
What ya must have done – ya must have done somet’in’ wrong.
Why you can’t find where you belong?

Well, well, well, well, ya running away, heh, no -
Ya running away, ooh, no, no, no,
I’m not (running away), no, don’t say that – don’t say that,
‘Cause (running away) I’m not running away, ooh! (running away)
I’ve got to protect my life, (running away)
And I don’t want to live with no strife. (running away)
It is better to live on the housetop (running away)
Than to live in a house full of confusion. (running away)
So, I made my decision and I left ya; (running away)
Now you comin’ to tell me (running away)
That I’m runnin’ away. (running away)
But it’s not true, (running away)
I am not runnin’ away. (running away) /fadeout/

Running Away by Bob Marley & The Wailers (source lyrics: sing365)

On October 1 Guatemala celebrates Día del niño translated Child’s Day or Children’s Day. I grabbed my camera and went to the Plaza Mayor (the Main Plaza) to see if I could captured some pictures to show you some happy faces. I am happy to report a mission accomplished and then some. I probably have about 20 good images with lots of smiling faces.

After I had finished taking pictures I sat a bench to enjoy a rainless moment in Parque Central with lots of really good vibes. I could almost say I had a happy instant and I am sure I must’ve smiled. I had my shoes shines and then a conversation with a couple and their daughter who came from Chimaltenango to compartir with la familia (to have a good time with the family). The father was a fellow park photographer from Chimaltenango and we obviously talked about the quick labs and the cost of park photographs costs in La Antigua Guatemala and Chimaltenango. I recommend a few places they must see and enjoy before they left Antigua Guatemala and said our good-byes. The couple look very similar to the parents in the main photo above.

Children came and went smiling, eating candy and ice cream. Some came with their parents, others came as part of a school activity yet others just wondered around with their friends. All in all, Parque Central was a good place to recharge the hope and optimism batteries.

Nevertheless, we should not forget, as my friend and colleague Luis Toribio said in his personal blog, the high levels of misery in which the children of Guatemala live. Guatemala is among the top countries in the world with malnutrition. There are many children who lack health services and education. Many children spend their days on the streets working instead of being in school as I mentioned in Antigua’s Child Labor back in May 2006. Let’s not forget… but for now let me savor the happy smiles around Parque Central!

When is Child’s Day celebrated in your neck of the woods?

Once again Leonel “Nelo” Mijangos is sharing his photographs with us. Yesterday Nelo showed us some his photos for the student parades serpentining around La Antigua Guatemala on September 14. Today he continues with another slide show of the vistas for the 189th Independence Day. Let’s thank Nelo for getting early and chasing down the parades for our benefit.

Here’s Guatemala’s National Anthem in English and Español (more…)