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Here’s a typical vista of a municipal clinic and pharmacy found in La Antigua Guatemala villages.

Can you guess the name of the volcano in the background?

Have I told you how much I love the dry season in Guatemala (November through April)? Well, I do for so many reasons, like the dry season is also the cooler, even chilly, time of the year. The quality of light is superb and thus the sunsets are incredible almost every day. Because all the winds blowing from the big white north, the skies are clear and the volcanoes are bare naked (without the fluffy clouds). And Volcán de Fuego begins its relentless activity sending smoke signals several times through the day. I believe this picture encapsulates quiet well the reasons why I love the dry season.

So, what are you waiting for, pack your luggage and come to La Antigua Guatemala before the rains come again!

Split a life in two; then in decades; the decades in years; the years in days and so on. Life is just a string of fleeting moments; like a necklace of beads strung together. Life is good the moment one begins appreciating the brief instants that occur everyday; that bring happiness, peace or perhaps a tear. Short lapses of time like a sunset can bring good feelings if one is ready to accept them. Break often to smell the coffee, to hear the fountain, to appreciate the falling leaves; a passing cloud over a lit park.

If we were the least as Funes the Memorious, we could perceive everything in full detail and remember it all. If we were the least as Funes el memorioso, we could feel, shiver really, with the form of a constantly changing flame. Instead, most us have poor memory like René from the film Wintersleepers, so we need take advantage of every opportunity to capture those distant instants. Life pues!

That’s what I do; I take pictures of the quotidian life of La Antigua Guatemala to share with you. In the process, I focus on the fleeting moments and sometimes I am able to capture some of them. Like René, one picture at a time I build my life puzzle, my memory, my good life.

To close this incoherent entry, I would like to share with you this tender and thought-provoking melody by Rockdrigo González entitled Distante instante. I would love to hear your impressions, your pondering, your feelings pues.

Sometimes, every once in a while I need to report how wonderful weather is in La Antigua Guatemala: Today and tomorrow will be windy and sunny. Here’s the view from my studio. The wind chimes provide the sound track for the weekend.

I know, life is good!

This afternoon seems to have been one of the best of the year, and quoting Rudy: Linda tarde de enero en La Antigua Guatemala con un tiempo estupendo… He was absolutely correct and although I managed to get out of the house a bit late and almost missed the sunset, I was still able to capture these images to share with you.

Anyway, let’s hope that through some of the landscapes we have in the country, we can get people to enjoy more of the Guatemala and focus on reducing violence… What do you think, can violence be reduced through the appreciation of beauty? I hope so!

Enjoy the photos!

text and photos by Arturo Godoy

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

The 2009 rainy season that officially began on April 24 is now over. Nevertheless, before the end, we received 1″ (over 25 mm) of rain between Fridays and Saturday. These last rains were caused by the Hurricane Ida. Hurricane is one of the few Mayan words that have made it into the global scene.

In Maya mythology, Tepeu and Gucumatz (also known as Kukulkan, and as the Aztec’s Quetzalcoatl) are referred to as the Creators, the Makers, and the Forefathers. Huracán (Hurricane), or the Heart of Heaven, also existed and is given less personification. He acts more like a storm, of which he is the god. Tepeu and Gucumatz hold a conference and decide that, in order to preserve their legacy, they must create a race of beings who can worship them. Huracán does the actual creating while Tepeu and Gucumatz guide the process. (source: Maya Creation according to the Popol Vuh at Crystalinks)

By the way, Now we’re talking about the weather, I’d like to share with you the cutting-edge work being done my dear friend Norman of ClimaYa.com who’s setting up real-time weather stations all over Guatemala so we can have up-to-the-minute accurate meteorological data. If you visit the ClimaYa.com web site, you can scan the different weather station on the sidebar as well as read the most recent eye-witness tweets for Guatemala and Costa Rica. Check it out!

This morning the weather changed dramatically with an almost clear skyline, except for a few clouds over Volcán de Agua, and quite comfortable temperatures.

Play this song before continuing:

We know now that in the early years of the twentieth century this world was being watched closely by intelligences greater than man’s, and yet as mortal as his own. We know now that as human beings busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinized and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.

With infinite complacence people went to and fro over the earth about their little affairs, serene in the assurance of their dominion over this small, spinning fragment of solar driftwood which, by chance or design, man has inherited out of the dark mystery of Time and Space.

Yet across an immense ethereal gulf, minds that are to our minds as ours are to the beasts in the jungle, intellects vast, cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.

In the ninth year of the twenty-first century came the great disillusionment. It was near the end of the first week of October. Business was better. The war scare was over. More men were back at work. Sales were picking up. On this particular evening, October 10th, CIRMA, The Center of Mesoamerican Research, estimated that at least thirty-two million people were still reading blogs instead of following short tweets in Twitter or reading profile updates in Facebook.
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For the next twenty-four hours not much change in temperature. A slight atmospheric disturbance of undetermined origin is reported over Escuintla, causing a low pressure area to move down rather rapidly over the northeastern departments, bringing a forecast of rain, accompanied by winds of light gale force. Maximum temperature 66; minimum 48.

This weather report comes to you from the INSIVUMEH, Guatemala’s National Institute of Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology, and Hidrology.

We take you now to the Tea Room in the Hotel Palacio de Doña Leonor in downtown Antigua Guatemala, where you’ll be entertained by the music of Astor Piazzolla and his orchestra.
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Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of tango music to bring you a special bulletin from the Antigua News Tweets.

At twenty minutes before eight, central time, Professor Pascu Robredo of the Mount Finca Filadelfia Observatory, San Felipe de Jesús, La Antigua Guatemala, reports observing several explosions of incandescent gas, occurring at regular intervals over Volcán de Fuego. The spectroscope indicates the gas to be hydrogen and moving towards the city with enormous velocity.

Professor Arturo Godoy of the Observatory at Earth Lodge confirms Robredo’s observation, and describes the phenomenon as, quote, “like a jet of blue flame shot from a gun,” unquote.

We now return you to the music of Astor Piazzolla, playing for you in the Tea Room of the Hotel Palacio de Doña Leonor, situated in downtown La Antigua Guatemala.
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Ladies and gentlemen, following on the news given in our bulletin a moment ago, the INSIVUMEH has requested the large observatories of the country to keep an astronomical watch on any further disturbances occurring over Volcán de Fuego.

Due to the unusual nature of this occurrence, we have arranged an interview with a noted astronomer, Professor Manolo Romero, who will give us his views on this event. In a few moments we will take you to the Cerrito del Carmen Observatory in Guatemala City.

We return you until then to the music of Astor Piazzolla and his orchestra.
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On a date like today’s, in 1492, Two Worlds Collided and the rest is, as we say, living history! At the Revue Magazine website, you can learn Why October 12 is Not “Colón Day”.

Click the player below to listen to the original “The War of the Worlds” (October 30, 1938) radio show The Mercury Theatre on the Air as it was broadcasted. If you follow the white rabbit, you can hear and download, “The finest radio dramas of the 1930’s, The Mercury Theatre on the Air”; a show featuring the acclaimed New York drama company founded by Orson Welles and John Houseman.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

You can read the entire “The War of the Worlds” script as performed by Orson Welles here.

Original text of “The War of the Worlds” by H. G. Wells, adapted and performed by Orson Welles; fragment parody by yours truly and photo by dear friend Pascu Robredo.

There is something about how the sun rises and sets that gets people marveled, or in some kind of magical admiration to what nature shows us. On this past Tuesday I was about to meet some friends, and I began seeing what promised to be a beautiful sunset. Someone on the street said, it is just a sunset. Perhaps the person was depressed, or just angry at something, but it was the first time I’ve ever heard something like this. A few minutes later, I saw people with all sorts of cameras, cell phones, and everyone, me included, just taking photos.

So, the combination of Antigua, good friends, and great colors produced this sunset… In the end, it is just a sunset, Enjoy…

text and photos by Arturo Godoy

After having lived for more than three months now in La Antigua Guatemala, I’ve only been a little around its surroundings. So at some point I was in San Juan del Obispo, San Pedro Las Huertas, and so on, but this past weekend I had the opportunity to go to the Earth Lodge, located in the small village of El Hato, a twenty minute drive into the mountains from La Antigua Guatemala. I had only thought of visiting it once before, but this second time it happened.

So, this past weekend a friend and I went because we also wanted to disconnect a bit from Antigua Guatemala, as there is always plenty of parties. I’m not complaining, but some rest was needed, some other kind of experience. So, having my car down on the day we were to leave was no complication, transportation was arranged for us with ease. No complications, all cool, so then I knew this was going to be amazing.

We left, and the ride was just beautiful. We arrived and we were immediately welcomed. Lunch was delicious, hanging out and relaxing with the stunning landscape was amazing, so time passed and dinner was just as delectable as lunch. The night called in, and everyone went to rest. I was most relaxed and happy and awaiting the sunrise.

First, I opened my eyes and I saw how the golden light of the sunrise was bidding good morning to the volcanoes, there were no clouds. I was already dreaming that I was between volcanoes, so imagine waking up and observing this. Struggling to get out of bed and forcing myself to run out with my camera to take some shots, still, the peace and calm of the place put me back to sleep. The second time I opened my eyes, I forced myself out of the comfortable bed, grabbed the camera and and ran out to take some photographs. Unfortunately, the golden light of the sunrise was gone, but the clouds hadn’t yet come to cover the volcanoes, so here is my shot,

Breakfast was as good as dinner and lunch from the previous day, and of course the coffee was a wonderful. If you ever want to pick an affordable place to disconnect, with absolute beauty and peaceful atmosphere, don’t hesitate, just visit to the Earth Lodge. I am happy we did!

text and photo by Arturo Godoy

About Guest Contributor: Arturo Godoy is kind of a blogger, mainly married to photography after being divorced from biology, and is now living in Antigua for at least six months. He is starting up his photography business after making the transition of amateur photographer to a paid one, hence now a pro. In the few years he’s been in photography he’s had four expositions, and is working on two photographic books, one about expressions of women (a shared book with his dearest friends) and one about conservation of nature. His love to photography rises from expressing something through whatever kind of natural beauty that crosses him and his camera. You can browse his portfolio in Flickr.