AntiguaDailyPhoto.Com

I am still getting over a cold, so I was a bit hesitant to leave home for All Saints Day. However, since a friend reminded me to pick up some fiambre she saved for me, which tasted just like the one my Mom makes. So, anyway, I ended up doing a lot of driving just to pick up the fiambre, which I did as a token for my mom since November 1 is her birthday, also known All Saints Day. When I headed back home I realized some friends were waiting for me to go to Santa María Cauqué, following the recommendation of another friend, a great photographer, Marco Ortíz, who suggested it over other places like Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez where all the crowds go to look at the giant kites.

I had never seen the huge kites so it was no brainer to go to Santa María Cauqué, which has nothing to envy to Santiago Sacatepequez, nor Sumpango kite shows. The experience was amazing; we could walk through the crowd, people were so nice and cordial. I think Santa María Cauqué is under promoted in regards to their giant kites show. Since I was still suffering from a cold, I thought, well, I’m going to get imperfect photos (not that my photos are ever perfect, but I focused in getting them as perfect as possible).

All the joy in keeping this tradition was even reflected when the organizing committee addressed the crowds over the microphone to award the different prices. There were different levels, at least two if I’m not mistaken, the giant kites and the kite runners; those who got their giant kites (at least of a meter in diameter) on the air.

So, what do you think of my imperfect kite photos?

text and photos by Arturo Godoy. Check out Arturo’s portfolio to purchase photos from his massive photographic bank.

The two most important towns that have giant kite flying on Todos los santos, All Saints’ Day and Día de los difuntos, Day of the Dead, are Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez. However, both days are celebrated throughout Guatemala by going to the cemetery to remember the dead, to take flowers, to clean and paint the burial sites and crypts and to feast at the graves. That’s where the colorful fiambre chapin plays an important role since it is food that you can take already prepared to the cemetery and does not go bad for a long time. In the fiambre dish most of the vegetables are pickled and the meats are cold-cuts.

In the picture above, you can have a panoramic view of the cemetery of Sumpango. Below, there’s another video that shows what happens when a giant kite is not able to take off and fly. Enjoy!

Colorful Guatemala, I tell you!

It is quite common for businesses to decorate with colorful Guatemalan kites during October and November. Above, you can see the Guatemalan kite decorations at the entrance of Doña Luisa Xicotencatl. Below, the stairway to the second floor.

Also, don’t forget that the first exposition of the Antigua Photo Club is coming up. If you’re in town, don’t miss this rare opportunity to purchase high quality prints of the captivating images from the photo club members, including of course, photographs from yours truly, at discounted prices. All funds raised will be donated to a charity.

Invitation for the first expo of the Club Fotográfico de Antigua

Shoot! I forgot to mention I also recorded some videos. I am sorry, it looks like we have enough Día de los difuntos Día de Todos los Santos, Day of the Dead All Saints’ Day material for the entire week.

Today you can appreciate the size of a kite and see how the kites are carried from place to place. Also, by watching the video you can hear the sounds and see the excitement as a kite takes off and lands.

Have you ever seen anything like it?

What can I say, today was a day with lots of ups and downs. I am too tired tonight to give all the details; suffice it to say that our car broke down on the way to pick the fiambre (nothing major) and had to carry the fiambre and the car on a tow truck; Kara and Brad from HablaGuate provided the ride to Sumpango and excellent companionship to keep one humble and bashful; I came back with close to 200 photos of giant kites; I will probably had to do a slide show tomorrow to give you a better idea of what’s a day among the giant kites of Sumpango.

For now, please accept this modest delivery of images from the giant kites of Sumpango. Stay tune for more flying imagery. There will be new fiambre photographs as well.

If you are planning to leave Guatemala before November 1, you will certainly miss the Giant Kites of Santiago and Sumpango. You won’t be able to see the kite runner in the cemeteries of Guatemala. However, if you are in La Antigua Guatemala, you can head over to Nim Pot to see some samples of the Guatemalan giant kites hanging from their ceiling. Don’t miss Día de los difuntos if you can though.

Profiled by El Chiltepe Aside: You know how much I hate to brag but every once in a while I have to share with you some of the accomplishments received thanks to the consistent work that appears in AntiguaDailyPhoto. The most recent accolade came from El Chiltepe, a magazine published out of NYC about design, tendencies, innovations and art. Below the introductory paragraph of the profile:

Hay muchas cosas que tomamos en cuenta para decir que alguien es sobresaliente. Además de ser geniales en lo que hacen, también juegan un papel importante en la sociedad que es el de compartir sus conocimientos con todos los demás y colaborar con su comunidad de alguno u otra manera y esto mismo fue lo que nos llamo la atención del guatemalteco Rudy Girón.

There are several things we take into account to name somebody outstanding. A part from being brilliant in what they do, they also play an important role in society, sharing their knowledge with everyone and collaborating with their community in one or another. This is precisely what caught our attention about the Guatemalan Rudy Girón.

… continue reading at El Chiltepe web site

To browse other achievements received by AntiguaDailyPhoto, check out the Portfolio page.

Here’s another quote taken from the article written by Ignacio Ochoa and published in Revue Magazine about the history of kite making in Santiago Sacatepéquez under the name of Messenges in the Wind.

At 4 a.m. on November 2, everyone moves toward the cemetery with candles so the spirits can return to their celestial home. The townspeople raise the giant kites one final time to guide the spirits back to heaven. Later that evening, the kites that were torn by the winds are burned inside the cemetery, the smoke showing the way back to heaven for any vagabond spirits. The surviving kites are exhibited in the local Catholic Church during a novena for the deceased, after that they are burned, and the ashes are buried in the cemetery, completing the annual ritual for the Day of the Dead in Santiago Sacatepéquez. (continue reading… )

Hello, hello is there anybody out there? Are there any comments or feedback regarding the giants kites?