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The Maya represent a culture that demonstrates how tradition and technology can thrive together. This Maya woman, dressed in the traditional Mayan falda – or skirt – fills the tank of her scooter at a local gas station: Guatemala truly is the “Land of Contrasts.” I love what it symbolizes… progression without losing the rich attributes of the past.

text and photo by Laura McNamara

I am completely ruined. After having spent so much time around rich, intense colors, textures, idiosyncrasies, how could I ever live again in places with muted colors, muted lifestyles, where everything is the same old, same old.

How could I? How could you?

Oh, I don’t think I will ever get tired for the abundant fresh produce available in el mercado of La Antigua Guatemala from the regular permanent stands or the ambulant produce sellers. Either way, you’re guaranteed fresh and colorful vegetables and fruits everyday. Life is good!

Women. They are the subject of these pictures. Why? The gruesome brutality hasn’t stopped. In fact, it has barely dipped. The Latin American Herald Tribune reports that 708 women were violently murdered in Guatemala in 2009. That figure is down compared to the 773 reported violent deaths in 2008, but not by much. There is simply no justice:

According to activist Norma Cruz, who heads the Survivors Foundation that provides help for abused women in Guatemala, no plans exist to guarantee women’s safety. In a statement to reporters, Cruz said that more security agents are needed in areas considered extremely dangerous for women. The activist regretted that even though police and prosecutors nab the aggressors, the courts tend to free them with such substitute measures as letting them out on bail. Guatemala is second in the world in murders of women after Russia, which posts more than 10,000 crimes against women, according to the Human Rights Prosecutor’s Office. Source: Latin American Herald Tribune

Second in the world in murders of women. Jarring. Disheartening. I briefly touched upon this issue in an article I wrote for Revue Magazine. Las Gravileas is a school for low-income women that not only teaches women a wealth of technical skills and business skills, but one that also stresses the importance and value a women plays in her family and community. So, unlike traditional media where only the disappointing statistics are reported, I would like to point readers to a positive response. I would like to offer an opportunity for becoming a part of the solution. Read about Las Gravileas, and, if you dare, become a part of the solution by donating or, better yet, getting involved. (Contact me for more information… if you dare.)

The Guardians of Las Gravileas

A project where women serve their sisters…

The center’s name is symbolic. In a country where coffee represents approximately 10 percent of the gross domestic income, the gravilea tree provides a critical, protective canopy for the shade-loving plant. Just as the gravilea tree provides this fundamental necessity for the cultivation of coffee, so, too, is Las Gravileas meant to offer a protective, nurturing environment for women of every background and ethnicity.

“It’s a name that represents receiving, taking care of, and supporting the growth of a woman,” Project Manager Dalila de Montoya says. The keys to achieving this ideal environment, she adds, are education and training.

Las Gravileas is defined as a center for the promotion and technical training of artisan women. The project offers a large assortment of instruction, ranging from textiles, piñata making and ceramic molding and painting to cooking and baking, basic literacy, business studies and more… continue reading the entire article at Revue Magazine.

Also remember to visit the Survivors Foundation“>Survivors Foundation website. Norma Cruz has just been named Person of the Year 2009 by the Guatemalan national newspaper the Prensa Libre. Contacting her or her organization would also be a great start to becoming a part of the solution.

The women in these pictures are from Santa Caterina Polopó and San Antonio Polopó at Lake Atitán – just a few hours drive from La Antigua Guatemala. Instead of thinking of statistics, think of them and the thousands like them. Beautiful Maya women. Maya mothers, sisters, daughters… whose lives are being violently taken at alarming rates. And for what? A lack of education in their communities. A lack of interest by anyone else.

I leave you with a poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller – hoping it will help instill you to go beyond reading the facts and statics, hoping it will urge you to act.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

text and photos by Laura McNamara

How do you get people infected with good stuff? I mean, it is difficult for foreigners to visit Guatemala, and, sometimes, that’s even true for Guatemalans living overseas. Taking on a lesson from our friend Iván Castro, we can only do it by getting everyone infected with good stuff.

So, here is one of my attempts at infecting you

How many countries have so many volcanoes, so many mountains, so many cultures, so much diversity, and in all, so much greatness? (don’t ask about negative stuff, eh) Very few countries, and Guatemala is one of them…

Antigua is surrounded by volcanoes that give sunsets a subtle, beautiful touch. And, just walking around on Sunday; you can find even more good stuff. On Friday’s afternoons (4 p.m.), there are also free concerts by the Central Park. Music is also in and around Antigua. Art in general.

Paraphrasing a bit Colombia’s tourism slogan “The Only Risk Is Wanting to Stay”, the chances are that if you come to La Antigua Guatemala, you’ll want to stay and live here; I know I did! ;O)

text and photos by Arturo Godoy

I have shown you before the Tanque de la Unión public washbasins, but I don’t think I ever showed you what they look like in a typical laundry day in Antigua Guatemala.

Below you can find two different takes on the same Tanque de la Unión from Upside Down Arches and Arches Reflected.

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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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If there were an unofficial anthem for Guatemala, that would be El Grito. Most Guatemalan grow hearing El Grito and even dancing the “son” in school events.

Here’s a question for the Guatemalans living abroad, when was the last time you heard El Grito and what kind thoughts crossed your mind?

Here’s yet another dose of Sobrevivencia… A Guatemalan Mayan rock band. This time Sobrevivencia performs a rock version of El Grito. Enjoy!

As every first of the month, AntiguaDailyPhoto is joining City Daily Photo community in the orchestrated global effort to show you “contrast” as a theme day.

My dear friend Manolo Romero said this recently in his guest post Weekend en (La Antigua) Guatemala, “Guatemala is a land of contrasts, and in that sense, La Antigua is where these contrasts are more visible.” He augmented with, “The capital of the kingdom, full of criollismo and paternalism. With reminders of the power of a class that felt trapped between their European ancestors (that treated them like second class citizens) and the local natives, who were trying to protect their identity from the violent conquest and subsequent colonization.”

I believe his writing was superb and perfect match for my contribution about contrast where Mayan women are framed within the arches of Spanish colonial-style church entryway. The Mayan women show us resistance through culture; culture through textiles; textiles as heritage; heritage as identity; identity as resistance. Two worlds, two cosmovisions, one contrast. The living Maya people set against the Spanish architecture backdrop. The rainbow of their clothes against the yellow and white stucco.

I could go on, and on about all the different kinds of contrasts I perceive in the photograph above, but I rather hear from you, my esteemed visitor, what contrasting aspects can you draw out from this quotidian image from La Antigua Guatemala.

Thanks for visiting and please take some time to visit to the other participating cities around the planet. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Chanin chanin mija, we don’t want to become victims of the Guatemalan Diaspora!

Resistance through culture; culture through textiles; textiles as heritage; heritage as identity; identity as resistance.

What do you think?

Colorful Guatemala, I tell you, colorful Guatemala!

Si ni los mismos guatemaltecos logramos entender la complejidad cultural en la que vivimos… —Ale de Desde Kinshasa

Not even us Guatemalans can really comprehend the cultural complexity in which we live… —Ale from Desde Kinshasa

Oh Guatemala can be a challenge for people who come from places with muted colors, and muted lifestyles where everything is the same old, same old. Too many colors, too many textures, too many idiosyncrasies, too many situations subtle and complex enough to throw off most conservative minds from their comfort zone. But sure enough, with their limited understanding and ignorance of the complexities of Guatemala, they publish misinformation on the web as absolute truths. That was one of the main reason I began this web site over three years ago; I was sick and tired of reading misinformation and ignorance regarding all things Guatemalan.

Still, often I come across aberrations such as: Volcán de Agua is active and can be climbed to see lava and eruptions, while thinking of Volcán de Pacaya; of course, misspellings of name of places (Spanish only has 5 sounds for the 5 vowels, yet many foreigners always use the wrong vowels); or that izote is the flower of the yucca tree; misinterpretations of Guatemalan idioms, words, customs, traditions, celebration, diet, et-cetera.

Some people have stated that Guatemalans only eat rice, beans and tortillas, without checking the facts; for instance, I have over 125 entries on Guatemalan cuisine and I am sure I have not even covered 25% of the extensive and rich Guatemalan food heritage. One single trip a town’s market would prove them wrong; after all, for whom are all those hundreds of fresh vegetables, fruits and spices? Other people, without doing research first, will cast as truth that a diet based on the milpa crops is deficient. Let’s see what the scientific findings are:

Maize is grown in what is called a milpa. The term means “maize field,” but refers to something considerably more complex. A milpa a field, usually but not always recently cleared, in which farmers plant a dozen crops at once, including maize, avocados, multiples varieties of squash and bean, melon, tomatoes, chilies, sweet potato, jicama (a tuber), amaranth (a grain-like plant) and mucuma (a tropical legume)… Milpa crops are nutritionally and environmentally complementary… Milpa is one of the most successful human inventions ever created. [ed. Just a fragment on the chapter about maize). Source: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus.

Oh, I could go on and on about the misinformation I come across through my Google alerts about Guatemala and its people. One can understand that some of this crap is published by naive tourists, pseudo-travel writers or even ill-informed expats. Boy, don’t even get me stated with the expats! Of course, I am making broad generalizations which are ALWAYS dangerous according to my good epistolary Guatemalan friend Ale from Congo Days, but there is enough foul information out there on the web published as “truths”. Keep that in mind whenever you discover new blogs and websites through Google.

Otros vendrán para descubrir que es más complejo, tal vez más bello y más trágico, que lo que se habían imaginado y habían escuchado. —comentario de Ale de Congo Days in AntiguaDailyPhoto

Others will come to discover that is more complex, perhaps even more beautiful and more tragic than what they had imagined or heard. —comment by Ale from Congo Days in AntiguaDailyPhoto

Can you share with us your thoughts about misinformation and ill-informed posts you have come across?

Colorful Guatemala, I tell you, colorful Guatemala!

The best thing about street photography: serendipity
—Philip Greenspun (source: Photo.Net)

“Stare. It is the way to educate your eye, and more. Stare, pry, listen eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long.” —Walker Evans (source: Photo.Net)

See, I have tricked you into thinking I am a genius. I merely happen to be there when things happen, I am simply a witness; that’s all.

Here’s the follow-up photo to yesterday’s rear view mirror vista. In this picture, you can appreciate the different cortes worn by the indigenous women of Guatemala. These cortes are not the usual indigenous dresses you find around La Antigua Guatemala. I am not sure where they are from exactly, but for sure, the different styles are from the high lands of Guatemala.

I am amazed and speechless whenever I realized the importance that the traje indígena, the native Guatemalan clothes, represents for the identity and culture of Guatemala and its people. These brave and resilient women are the last anchor of culture and identity for a country that everyday looks like more of the same. These courageous women show us other ways of being human.

Some people like photos without people; aseptic and sterile images pues. I am the opposite. To me what makes the image interesting is the life in it.

Here’s my approach to the photo taking process:

This morning as I was driving past the San Francisco El Grande Church, I spotted a classic post card of Antigua Guatemala, so I parked, I prepared for the shot and waited for tourists or Antigüeños to appear. I had done three takes when the monk came into the viewfinder and so the shot was resolved. (follow the white rabbit to see the image)

For a while now, I wanted to take some photos using the rear view mirror as a frame. Well, the other day I was lucky to see a group of Guatemalan women from the highlands dressed with their gorgeous cortes so I drove up to the next corner and set the mirror and then prepared the camera and waited. The image above is one of the images in the series. I hope you like it even though it has people in it.

Please, tell me do you like photos with or without people?