Antigua Guatemala's number one multimedia resource in English for everything about La Antigua and the Guatemalan people, culture and traditions with a brand new web page every day!
Welcome to La Antigua Guatemala's number one multimedia resource in English for everything about La Antigua and the Guatemalan culture and traditions with a brand new web page every day!
Antigua Guatemala is the preferred destination for Christmas Even and New Year’s Eve celebrations because Antigüeños know how put on a good show. Normally there are several fireworks and firecrackers shows at different venues such as Parque Central and Calle del Arco. Here Nelo shares some of his photos for the night and further down you can watch a couple of videos that captured the fireworks shows.
If I were you I would be very careful about walking around Calle del Arco. See, there’s guy selling dreamcatchers, atrapasueños in Spanish, so imagine somebody catching your dreams as you stroll by. What if you’re a dreamer, would yourself get trapped inside this web? Seriously, I hadn’t realized that dreamcatchers were being produced this far south and adopted by the Maya as part of their handicrafts. I’ll make sure I buy an atrapasueños next time I see this fellow. The going price was between Q25 for the little one and Q120 for the large ones.
While dreamcatchers originated in the Ojibwa Nation, during the Pan-Indian Movement of the 1960s and 1970s they were adopted by Native Americans of a number of nations. Some consider the dream catcher a symbol of unity among the various Indian Nations, and a general symbol of identification with Native American or First Nations cultures. However, other Native Americans have come to see dream catchers as over-commercialized. Non-Indians have also used the dreamcatcher for their own purposes. (source: Wikipedia)
Here’s a video clip showcasing the magic found in and around Antigua Guatemala. The video was sent to me by Lico Rosales to share with you. Enjoy!
Calle del Arco is the place to be on the weekends in Antigua Guatemala if you want to listen to live music. For sure you can find live marimba music, either Maya or traditional Guatemalan songs, but sometimes you find blues, jazz or urban rock ensembles. This was the case for the past weekend.
Below you can watch a short video clip, if you can provide the name of the song, you win a post card. Good luck! (more…)
Every Saturday and Sunday the city closes 5a avenida norte, better known as Calle del Arco, to all traffic. Only allowing people to walk through the street. This group of a father and his sons made the experience very festive and lively. Throughout the whole street you can hear the soul of this city flowing through this music.
Do you have a local spot where you like to hear music?
This Sunday afternoon at Calle del Arco was just as guest contributor Arturo Godoy said in The mime just wants to get married post, “Often it’s a bit complicated to go out on Sundays because La Antigua Guatemala gets crowded… Remember that anything and everything can happen as you walk around Antigua Guatemala on any given Sunday.”
That’s exactly what I felt when I walked onto Calle de Arco this past Sunday as the enchanting Mayan music coming off from the marimba from Grupo Maya Kaqchikel. The crowds were making a natural amphitheater around the marimba players. Watch the short video clip below to get an idea.
Everywhere you look there were people, locals and foreigners alike, having a good time. Every a few steps, people were snapping shots or having their photograph taken. There were several algodones (cotton candy), globos (balloons) and chupetes (triangle-shape hard candy) vendors all along Calle del Arco. To top it all, of course, there was a large procession on Calle del Arco as well. For a few hours this past Sunday everything seemed to be in harmony; one of those Life is good! moments I have talked about.
Do you remember when was the last time you had a chupete candy? (more…)
Sunday was such a great day in La Antigua Guatemala; nice weather conditions and a wonderful atmosphere all around town with people enjoying the processions. The Holy Week aromas could be smelled everywhere. Music, balloons, chupetes, clowns, cucuruchos, town fair food; what a cornucopia for the senses.
If you don’t already have your plane ticket, I suggest you buy now, life is too short to miss Semana Santa in La Antigua Guatemala.
Portfolio Aside: Some of the photos that you see here everyday were turned into high-quality large-format prints to add colorful imagery to the walls of Máximo Nivel Spanish School in La Antigua Guatemala. If you’re interested in getting large format prints from my photographs to add color to your walls or as gifts, please, get in touch with me. Of course, you can also purchase 8″x10″ and 11″x14″ high quality prints from the Buy photos page. If you want to keep up with all the places where the AntiguaDailyPhoto images show up, check the Portfolio page regularly. (more…)
Who said New York is the only city that never sleeps?
The New Year celebrations is one of the occasions in which Antigua Guatemala does not sleep! I didn’t get much opportunity to take many photographs of the crowds, as it was indeed crowded. It was fun, activities all over, lights all over, people all over, every one having a great time, even the sky (check out the moon while the sun was rising).
Rudy, just want to say amazing job with this blog, your photographs are artful and your commentary is engaging. After clicking through a few months worth of entries, I think my mind has been made up that I will choose Antigua as my next destination. Thanks for your great work! —Darren
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