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I found this colorful sign at the entrance of El Jaulón building, just one block east of Parque Central. I am sure those who have visited Lake Atitlán would be familiar with the Circus Bar. I am happy to report that now we have Circus Bar in Guatemala City and in Antigua Guatemala.

My best wishes for the upcoming weekend…

Encontré ese colorido rótulo en la entrada de El Jaulón, el edificio que queda a una cuadra al oriente de la Plaza Mayor. Estoy seguro que aquellos que han visitado el Lago de Atitlán estarán familiarizados con el Circus Bar, un lugar emblemático de Panajachel. Ahora ya tenemos Circus Bar en la Ciudad de Guatemala y en La Antigua Guatemala.

Mis mejores deseos para el fin de semana…

Since my handle in the English language is not so good, I would like to request for you guys to help me understand what’s the difference between a photograph and an image? I’ll welcome all the answers and suggestions.

Thanks!

¡No pongas todos los huevos en una canasta!

Oh the wisdom of idioms do not escape the Guatemalan typical small business owner. That’s why it’s commonplace to find a zaguán shop selling disparate items. For a long time I’ve been wanting to show this with just one image; I believe today’s photo works, don’t you think so?

La sabiduría de los modismos y dichos no se le escapa al típico empresario guatemalteco. Es por esta razón que a menudo uno encuentra un zaguán vendiendo artículos desiguales. Desde hace tiempo he querido mostrar esto con una sola imagen; creo la foto de hoy funciona, ¿qué opinás vos?

This sign is posted inside El Calvario Church, in the garden to right where the Esquisúchil tree was planted in 1657 by the Holy Saint Hermano Pedro de San José de Betancourt, Central America’s only Saint. The Esquisúchil tree has aromatic flowers and it is believed to have curative powers. This specific tree at El Calvario Church was declared Cultural Patrimony of the Nation in 2004 (Source: Prensa Libre). Last but not least is its exquisite architecture and mustard-yellow color. Here are the technical specifications of the Esquishuchil tree.

Stop, left turn only. I believe this is a sign that tells me I must take a new direction. I will. What do you think it means?

Alto, viraje obligado me dictan las señales. Leo: debes tomar una nueva dirección. Lo haré. ¿Qué pensás vos que significa?

I was very impressed to find out many of you knew about the original street name signs and also knew where they were located, or rather which original street names correspond to present day nomenclature.

Can you tell me what’s the present day street or avenue that before was called Calle del Obispo Marroquín?

Here’s the Wikipedia entry on Francisco Marroquín:

Francisco Marroquín (1499 – April 18, 1563) was an early bishop of Guatemala and translator of Central American languages.

Marroquín was born in Santander, Spain. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Huesca.[1] After entering the priesthood, Marroquín became a professor at the University of Osma where he met Bishop García de Loaisa, an adviser to Emperor Charles V.[2]

After first arriving in Mexico, he traveled to Guatemala with the soldier Pedro de Alvarado in May 1528. On April 11, 1530, he was appointed parish priest of Guatemala. On December 18, 1534, he was made bishop of Santiago and later provisional governor of Guatemala.[1]

Marroquín founded the School of Saint Thomas in 1559 (now the University of San Carlos of Guatemala) as part of his efforts to educate the native people. He became a scholar of the K’iche’ language and published the first catechism in that language.[3]

As always, follow the white rabbit if you want to learn a little more about Francisco Marroquín.

Honest, I am very proud of our progressive little town, better known as La Antigua Guatemala. Take for instance the Día Internacional del Agua or World Water Day campaign that basically ask something direct and concise: Ducharse en vez de bañarse (Shower instead of bathing) to save water.

You can also follow the different campaigns elsewhere in the world by scanning the hash tag #worldwaterday in Twitter.

Here’s the water series I published before to clarify the water situation in Guatemala. As always, follow the white rabbit to the water series to see the photos and read the researched information.

1. Who owns the water in Guatemala?
2. Public Water Faucets Are Today’s Fountains
3. Water Tanks and Colonial Style Social Networks
4. Local Bottled Water Station Hunapu
5. Abundant Water for Fountains Around Antigua
6. The Venerable Colonial Pila is Now Used as Decoration
7. Guatemalan Water Wells Wet Wealth

What kind water awareness campaigns did you see in your town today?

I can’t believe how slow I am and how little attention I pay to the details that come my way everyday. Can you believe that there are already 1,793 pages in AntiguaDailyPhoto and not once I have shown the original street names signs. I mean I don’t know how I could I missed something as omnipresent at the original street name signs?

Okay, now can you tell me what’s the present day street or avenue that before was called Calle de la Sangre de Cristo?

I will send an actual real-paper post card from La Antigua Guatemala using the regular snail-mail postal service with stamps and all to the first person that comes up with the correct answer. Good luck to all you the participants!

This is one more sign style found in La Antigua Guatemala. There are 133 pages in the Signs category, which I believe makes AntiguaDailyPhoto the premier source for Guatemalan signs, unless, of course, you can provide a link to a larger source, can you?

Like the Sanitarios sign, you should also make sure you know how to read this sign. Salida de Emergencia means Emergency Exit.

I managed to get some arches reflected in the acrylic sign above, can you see them?

I am really enjoying taking photos of beautifully illuminated signs and buildings in La Antigua Guatemala. This illuminated owl sign is very close to El Mesón del Obispo sign shown a couple of days ago.

Certainly owls are abundant in La Antigua Guatemala. Can you guess how many tecolotes (owls) have appeared in AntiguaDailyPhoto thus far?

I really like the visual effect obtained by raising a metal sign a few inches off the wall and putting some lights behind it. In my opinion this kind of signage is more tasteful than say a neon sign.

I am sure you will agree with me that in general business signage is so much prettier and less repulsive in La Antigua Guatemala than in most other town and cities in Guatemala, don’t you agree?

Oficina de atención al ciudadano P.N.C. or Citizen desk of Civil National Police (P.N.C. in Spanish acronym) was written in the back of the three-tray inbox sitting in the desk of one of local police station, or rather administration office.

This police office main purpose is to receive citizens reports, formal complaints, denunciations, et cetera. There was nobody there, except for the lonely woman police officer with a computer and printer that looked like the hardware I worked on in the 80s. It was very quiet, except for the hammering sound of the dot matrix printer. There were broken down tall file cabinets and the omnipresent kitsch decor found through out Guatemala. In the patio there were bright painted circles and other such figures remaining from the time the house was pre-primary school. “We’ve been here for six months,” the police officer shared with me, “and I don’t know if we will be here next month,” she continued, “since the six month lease is up and the police administrators in Guatemala City have not paid or renewed the contract with the landlady.”

The office was three rooms, maybe four, with a bathroom and the entire place looked like was dreamed up by Franz Kafka for his novel The Trial (El Proceso in Spanish and Der Process in German). For better or for worse, living in Guatemala feels, quite often, like living in a Kafkaesque world, but in the Tropics.

It’s good to know that Dios te ama!

I encountered this Welcome to La Antigua Guatemala sign the other day on my way back from Ciudad Vieja. I had never seen this sign before or any other welcome signs for La Antigua Guatemala, so I stopped to photograph it and share it with you.

Some of the icons are obvious to me, but I do not know what the first icon is. Can you help me figure out what the icon represents?

Question: If La casa de Los Abuelitos has already a red lantern signaling that they sell tamales, then why on earth would they also put sign stating the obvious?

Short answer: Because they are also selling tamales negros (black tamales), which are a delicacy and only available for Christmas season or for special occasions.

Of course, the fact that a red light or farol as Guy Howard called it in his Red Lantern District, serves as a marker or signal for a place where tamales are sold may confuse the newly arrived or tourists. Guy went on to explain that, “Nor indeed a house of ill repute, except perhaps with regards to the quality of Guatemalan grub to be purchased there.” He further explained, “For whatever a doorway in a narrow, dark alley illuminated by little red lantern might mean back where you come from, here it means ‘come buy our tamales´.”

Another interesting detail about Guatemalan tamales is the fact that in most places tamales are only sold on Saturdays. That’s right, you heard it correctly, tamales are only sold on Saturdays in most shops. Guatemalan enchiladas and Guatemalan chiles rellenos are only sold on Sundays. Paches (a potato-based tamal) are only sold on Thursdays. And the list goes on and on. Of course, you can go to especialty shops and restaurants that have all these dishes any day of the week, but as a general rule in Guatemala, certain dishes are only sold in certain days of the week.

If you want to see a comparison between tamales colorado and negro, follow the white rabbit!