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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.

It doesn’t matter how many times I see Volcán de Fuego erupting, I can never get tired of it or get accustomed. Often, I just stop and enjoy its pyromaniac display.

Such was the case last Friday as I am entering La Antigua Guatemala and Volcán de Fuego was putting such a show and the sky was fluffy and full of cotton clouds. Immediately I was bewitched, stopped the car, pulled the camera and took one single shot that I share with you today.

For more reasons than one, I really like this image. What do you think?

Radio Qman Txun Documentary
We have this documentary at home in DVD format so I was excited to learn from Max López, co-director of Radio Qman Txun along with Miguel A. Arnaiz, for sending the link where one can watch this documentary in its entirety. Radio Qman Txun is a chronicle about the world-renown Mayan town of Todos Santos Chuchumatán in Guatemala. Radio Qman Txun is in Spanish and Mam with English subtitles.

I really like these words by Fortunato: “un pluebo sin cultura es un pueblo vacio” which I roughly translate as “a town (or people) without culture is a hollow town (people)”

Can you have too many shots of La Antigua Guatemala’s volcanoes? I think not. This one was taken from the rooftop view of Hotel Centro Colonial Antigua. I think the railings along the terrace offer an interesting perspective and great “leading lines” for the photograph. Just yesterday I was headed to Antigua Gardens with a friend. For much of the drive Volcán de Fuego looms before you. I couldn’t help but comment on how it felt like I could just reach out in front of me, right from where I was, and touch the volcano’s massive slopes. There is something so surreal and deceiving about the formation of a volcano’s slopes. Just a short while later, as I was gazing out from an Antigua Gardens terrace, I was mesmerized by the misty clouds circling the same volcanoes you can see from LAG. Sometimes I feel as if I could sit all day simply watching such awing interaction between land and sky. In this photo, it appears Volcán de Agua reaches above and beyond the clouds.

One of the most interesting photos I’ve seen of LAG’s volcanoes lately is from the photo library of LAG’s rock climbing club (AANSAC ). While hiking up one volcano, they were able to capture the full shadow of Volcán de Agua that spread like a huge, dark cloak over the hilly terrain below. I’d very much like to copy that idea! Anyone up for a volcano trek?

text and photo by Laura McNamara

Without the least intention of bragging (sure, Rudy, whatever you say), I would like to share with you our window view from our home studio from where AntiguaDailyPhoto gets published!

This photo first appeared in the Antigua News Tweets stream located on the sidebar, below the Support our efforts menu; yes right there to the right of what you’re reading right now. The Antigua News Tweets is the mechanism by which I post more frequent photos and news updates through the day. The Antigua News Tweets are essentially news updates pulled from AntiguaDP Twitter account often with images posted at the AntiguaDP Twitpic account. You don’t have to belong to Twitter or Twitpic to view them or to take advantaged of the Antigua News Tweets stream; you simply need to come the AntiguaDailyPhoto.Com site and look at the most recent news updates on the sidebar. However, if you have a Twitter account, you get to see the Antigua News Tweets updates as they’re published.

So, make sure you keep an eye for the most recent Antigua News Tweets on the sidebar.

Also, if you haven’t noticed yet, there are two new features present on the sidebar: AntiguaDailyPhoto Forums and Facebook Connect commenting.

First, the AntiguaDailyPhoto Forums is the place to post your questions and answers and interact with other AntiguaDailyPhoto readers. The latest discussions are posted on the sidebar below the most Recent Comments. You can enter the bulletin boards through the Antigua Forums option on the Main Menu. Right now we are asking everyone to share their Spanish Schools and Tutors experiences.

Second, the Facebook Connect commenting is a feature that allows people with Facebook accounts to comment without having to enter their name, email and web address. This feature is available right there in the comments form and on the sidebar under the Forum Last 10 Discussions. Hopefully, this new feature will make it easier for everyone with a Facebook account to leave their feedback and comments. Please, if you already have a Facebook account, give it a try and let us know what you think.

Believe it or not, I like framing. It is one of things I like to do most while taking photographs around La Antigua Guatemala. I began very humbly; framing little things like shadows. Then I framed a monk and a complete tower of a church. Soon I continued framing whole groups of people. Eventually I said to myself, oh what the heck, let’s try to frame a entire street. Once that’s been done, framing the moon seems quite possible. After the moon, framing a moving bicycle or a kid running doesn’t seem like a challenge anymore.

So, framing fuming volcanoes appears to be quite simple nowadays.

Can you tell me where the above photograph was taken and what was used as a frame?

The view above of Volcán de Agua is from our studio’s window and balcony.

I said before, in many listings for rent or sell of houses around Antigua, you often find the “panoramic view of volcanoes” among the top selling arguments.

In our home we can brag about having more than a room with a view.

Some people have to wait until special occasions like Independence Day to see a fireworks show. Here in La Antigua Guatemala, thanks to Volcán de Fuego or Fire Volcano, quite often we get the opportunity to see a real fireworks. To me, it does not matter how often I see Fuego volcano erupting, every time it takes my breath away.

You may have to click on the image above to get a larger view of the beginning of an eruption. The electric power lines are there for the benefit of MO.

Day one of year four.

On the first anniversary of La Antigua Guatemala I shared my goal with you:

My idea was to show the good, the bad and the ugly of this colonial town. I did not want to make a touristic site for the most popular touristic destination in Central America. La Antigua Guatemala is photogenic, so my goal has been a bit difficult. But I have tried to show other aspects of life which I did not see cover in other sites. Also, I wanted to ‘own’ a venue for practicing my inadequate written English and amateur photographic skills. Three hundred and seventy-six posts later I have improved neither; it’s so pathetic. On the other hand, I have gained a great deal of knowledge about this town and many good friends (even if they don’t see eye-to-eye on the issues we talked about here). What can I say, they’re are all wrong!

On the second anniversary of La Antigua Guatemala I reflected upon the concept of milestones:

Every time humans arrive at a milestone, we tend to review what we have traveled thus far. Two years of consecutive blogging is not much or even important in the big scale of things. Nonetheless, it is a big achievement for me since I have never done anything like this before. I am very happy to have reached this time mark and to have helped others in the process. I thank all my regular visitors for your support, comments, feedback and donations.

For the third anniversary of La Antigua Guatemala, I have come to the conclusion that I am too wordy and nobody cares for long entries anymore… so from this point forward I will make short entries.

One more thing, I have some questions for you, what does AntiguaDailyPhoto mean to you? What kind of themes you care for? Do you prefer entries with lots of information or just the picture and its caption? Do you care for the music or videos that show up every once in a while? Are you tired of food shots? Should I leave out all the controversial and politics out? Should I focus more or less on the people, landscape, animals, idiosyncrasies of Guatemalans? What else should I be asking?

Too bad MO does not come by here anymore. He would definitely appreciate a photo like today’s; full of power lines. If you don’t believe, just check his comments below any time a power-line entered the picture. MO, if you still out there in the interwebs, please come back to add your comment about the power lines.

MO says:
Great shot Rudy!! You have redeemed yourself with this shot. You have exorcised the electrical wire demons out of your camera with this superb shot. Well done.
In: Wonderful Sunset and Power Lines

MO says:
Very nice picture Rudy. I like how the left and right roof lines of the EORM building matches the natural volcano lines. I agree with John S about the darn electrical wires ruining the picture a bit.
In: Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta and the Volcanoes

MO says:
Those darn electrical wires! They they are again…getting in the way. Son tan metiches! Nisperos? Wow, all along I thought they were Misperos.
In: Nispero Tree in the Garden

MO says:
I am curious to know what’s on the left interior wall? Paintings? Wood carvings? they look like Mayan hieroglyphics. I’m 100% sure they are not electrical wires. (~:
In: Hotel Posada San Vicente Sign

Now, for sure, I would really like to know how many photos with electrical wires I have posted so far… I quite positive I could create a category for power lines. You do something often enough and eventually something good comes out of it, like in Electric Wire Grid and Volcanoes Wallpaper; don’t you agree?