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I am truly convinced that Guatemalans can not do anything in a mild, neutral, gray manner. Guatemala is a country of extremes and there’s no middle ground here. So it comes as no surprise that everything has to have rich, saturated colors with wild patterns that under normal circumstances could not go well together, but somehow they do. One point in case are the textiles with some many colors, shapes, and textures that somehow manage to look awesomely well, especially while worn by Guatemalan women. Another good example are the colorful and kitsch paint jobs and decor of chicken buses, don’t you agree?

These colorful public transit buses are just another way Guatemalans recycle the junk from the U.S. and Canada. Of course, we live in a colorful culture where women wear the Spring on the blouses and rich saturated colors are the norm, so it comes as no surprise that take the boring yellow school buses and make then uniquely Guatemalan. Of course that’s not the only modification that these buses undergo, the engine, transmission, suspension, breaks, seats and interior are replaced and improved.

Well, old and retired school buses from the U.S. get to live a real second life as camionetas (the street name for public transit buses in Guatemala). Revue Magazine published an in-depth article about The Birth of a Camioneta which detailed step-by-step how an old retired school bus became a powerful camioneta ready for the curvy roads of the mountain ranges of Guatemala.

I don’t know about you, but I like the design of most things done before 70s. I mean just take something as mundane as a refrigerator and back in the 1950s the design was better. Obviously cars are the best example of that. Take the 1953 Ford coupe above, come on, cars back then had style, personality. Nowadays, most modern cars look the same and you have to look for the brand to realize what they are; there are some exceptions, but most modern cars look generic to me. Of course I’m being simplistic and make some broad generalizations, but you get the general idea, right?

What do you think, am I crazy to think designer really use the Gestalt theory and principles before the 70s?

Video trivia: Guess where “El Gordo” who is actually “flaco” is playing at?

In Guatemala, nothing can be plain and simple, not the public transit system buses nor the school buses. Here’s a very good example of how a plan vanilla yellow school bus is transformed when it’s given its second life as a school bus in Guatemala.

What do you think about these colorful Guatemalan school buses?

Bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles are the most popular vehicles in Guatemala since they are the most economical in terms of use and to acquire them. They are also the most ecological vehicles, so that’s something positive.

What is the most popular vehicles where you live?

You know me, every chance I get to share with you a shot of classic cars parked in the enchanting Antigua Guatemala, I go for it. This time it’s two classic Volkswagen Beetles and love is in the air everywhere I look around in the most romantic city of Central America, just as John Paul Young sang in his hit song Love is in the air. By the way, this photo has been liked a lot on Instagram and Facebook, I hope you like it as well.

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.