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Of course the parking problems get aggravated when there are events in Antigua Guatemala and thousands of people are expected to arrive. Then, any available spaces becomes a temporary parking lots. With this entry we finish the mini series about the parking problems of Antigua Guatemala. Let me know your thoughts about it.

One of the reason for why most of streets in Antigua Guatemala are one-way is because once the parking areas are occupied the streets are too narrow. This is even true of the roads around La Antigua as you can see in the picture above where you can barely fit two buses each going on the opposite direction. Also, because there are not enough parking spaces many people have opted for also owning a motorcycle as well and using it for moving around town. The extremes of each block (about 20 meters on each side) are allocated for motorcycle parking only as reported on Motorcycles Are Us.

People also use bicycles, although there are NOT bicycle parking spaces or even accommodations for the most ecological means of transportation on the streets of Antigua Guatemala. I believe that bicycles could be a great solution for many of the parking and obesity problems of antigüeños, but there needs to be marked bike paths on all the roads and bike parking accommodations throughout town to make bicycle riding the preferred means of transportation.

What do you think, what successful bicycle riding programs have you heard about?

Sorry, I don’t want to give the wrong impression about carpooling in Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala in general. Yesterday, when I said there wasn’t carpooling here… I actually meant in this particular instance. Carpooling or motorcycle-pooling is as common here as anywhere else in the world. Carpooling here is done mostly for economic reasons and many people ride in group to save fuel costs. Motorcycles are often ridden by two people on their way to work or school.

What are the most common reasons for carpooling where you live?

The other day I found this typical Guatemalan stamp: the trash collectors having breakfast inside the trash collecting truck and the chuchos (street dogs) waiting for a piece of food. I believe this is a very real image of Guatemala and I should concentrate my efforts on bringing you more of these kind of imagery. What do you think?

Oh I want one of these classic Volkswagen Beetles with white tires and chromed bumpers. Who wouldn’t really. Anyway, to finish the work week I am sharing the happy song Carcachita by Roberto Carlos. There’s also a short video clip of a 360 degree vista around Parque Central this morning. Enjoy! (more…)

As I have mentioned before, motorcycles are on their way to become the most popular vehicle in Guatemala. So mucho so that now one can even find motorcycles being used as ambulances, police patrol units, taxis, for deliveries, and as transportation by electricians and handymen among other professions.

What’s the most strange use for a motorcycle that you have seen?

One of the most important goals of the Daily Photo community is to show how different or similar daily life can be through out the cities around the world. Trash collecting for instance is something that happens in most urban communities, but how they collect the trash is not. In Guatemala for instance, trash collectors use these close mid-size trucks as shown above and on the right. Nothing like the trash collecting trucks I’ve seen in the U.S. and Mexico.

What to trash collecting truck look like where you live?

As I mentioned a few days ago, motorcycles are becoming the most popular vehicle in Guatemala. Large number of motorcyles are a typical vista in La Antigua Guatemala, row after row of motorcycles as shown in Motorcycles are Us. Motorcycles have also turned into the family vehicle as shown above and in Fine for a Family of Four.

INGUAT, Guatemala’s Tourism Board, has recently began promoting Guatemala to Guatemalans. Yes, believe or not, it looks like INGUAT’s campaign of Turismo Interno (internal tourism) is aimed at Guatemalans by offering economic tour packages. I just hope this is not what INGUAT is using as transportation.

This is a typical vista at a construction site. Motorcycles are becoming the most popular vehicle in Guatemala. In La Antigua Guatemala, row after row of motorcycles as shown in Motorcycles are Us. Motorcycles have also turned into the family vehicle as shown in Fine for a Family of Four.

Is it just me or there’s an influx of English vehicles in Guatemala. Just two weeks ago we saw the Land Rover Defender in the photographic stream of AntiguaDailyPhoto. Two Triumph cars appeared in GuatemalaDailyPhoto in the last of couple of days, a white and a red versions. And now I spotted this gorgeous Mini Cooper on the streets of Antigua Guatemala. I fell in love with the Mini Coopers after having watched the 1969 film “The Italian Job” about years ago. I decided back then that when I grew up I would have a Mini Cooper as my day-to-day car.

As always, follow the white rabbit to check out other interesting vehicles that have appear in the photographic stream of AntiguaDailyPhoto. Enjoy!

Without realizing it I posted a mini series about vehicles. What do you know, my unconsciousness has been behind the wheel of AntiguaDailyPhoto in the last few days. C’est la vie!

La Antigua Guatemala is a rough town with its cobblestone streets on pedestrians and vehicles. To be honest, I don’t think these colonial style cobbled streets were design with automobiles in mind. So it is no wonder that suspension repair are quite common. Of course, it is better if you have a rough vehicle for this rough town; actually, make rough country.

By the way, does anybody know what brand this SUV is?

Sin darme cuenta he publicado una mini-serie sobre vehículos. Al parecer, mi inconsciente ha estado detrás del timón en los últimos días. Así es la vida, pues.

¿Sabe alguien qué marca es esta camionetilla?

The chicken bus barely stopped while crossing over 4a calle oriente; the main artery that becomes the exit to Guatemala City. A traffic cop was there. Furthermore, the bus pilot blasted the horns. Lastly, the bus parked in front of the Cathedral, next to the Main Plaza. Three traffic violations in less than 20 seconds. Before 60 seconds had elapsed three traffic cops were on the scene and a National police woman. Sixty seconds later six traffic cops were there, the chicken bus pilot argued that he was not from here and so he didn’t know he could not blast the horn as he does everywhere else. He claimed the same for entering the main square and not stopping at 4a calle oriente. A little over half dozen passengers came down to argue in favor of the pilot. Of course, the ambulant typical textile vendors got on the act to see if they could sell anything. In less than 3 minutes we had 8 traffic cops, 3 National police officers, a pilot and his helper, almost a dozen passengers, a few ambulant vendors and several passers-by pedestrians and a bicycle rider doing much about nothing; except, of course, for one traffic police agent writing up one traffic violation.

You gotta love Guatemala where much is done about nothing!

It is amazing how many classic cars one can find in La Antigua Guatemala. Just follow the white rabbit to see some of the classic cars that have be shown in AntiguaDailyPhoto.

By the way, I grew up with the Holywood notion that Volvos are safe and ugly square boxes owned by mothers or teachers who are over zealot about safety, so please explained to me the smooth lines of the Volvo above or the sporty design and good looks of the white Volvo in Even Volvos Look Great in Antigua Guatemala? What ever happened to Volvo? I want answers, I can handle the truth!

These are my friends Nelo and Miguel. This candid portrait was taken with the iPhone and uploaded while we jested about who would play Poncherello and Jon Baker in CHiPs Antigua chapter?

Who do think will make a very convincing Officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn “Ponch” Poncherello?