Sometimes you live so fast that before you know it, life is over. Life is not a race that you want to win. Life is rather marathon where you want to finish last, just like Tono Ballena and his last position in the yearly Medio Maraton de las Rosas. But if you’re tricked into running … Read more
In La Antigua Guatemala we are so lucky to have plenty of free culture. The Festival Internacional de Jazz en Antigua and the Festival Internacional de Cultura Paiz come to mind right away, but almost every week or even every day there’s a free event happening in Antigua Guatemala. For those of us who love … Read more
I pass by Tanque de la Unión at least twice a day. Lucky me. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’ve fallen in love with this utilitarian water tank and public washbasins. If you don’t believe me, follow the links to see some of the previous pictures of Tanque de la Unión. Anyhow, … Read more
What kind of treasures would you keep in a antique chest like the above? I would keep my treasured memories. 😉
It seems like this corner is good for the sale of exotic flowers, such as heliconias. Last time I reported on the sale of orchids at this very corner, however I have seen all kinds of exotic tropical flowers and plants being offered the the passing vehicles. I am still amazed on the fact that is … Read more
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 … Read more
The world-famous Guatemalan apron is going places, you know. Just like you can find mothers and daughters selling gabachas, aprons, on any given street corner, you can also find a zillion online stores selling Guatemalan aprons; some of them claiming to pay “fair” prices or wages to the artisans. I often wonder what is “fair” … Read more
Market day in La Antigua Guatemala is much more than just getting your weekly produce or enjoying a photo moment of local Guatemalan life. To me it’s a sneak peak into the hard lives of the market workers and their families. The markets of Guatemala are full of little kids that have to spend their … Read more
When we talk about antique items to be used as decoration for Spanish colonial architecture we don’t necessarily mean mint contidion things. They just have to look old, rustic, worn out, like the angel in the niche of the Casa Antigüeña series; remember that? or the colonial pila found at McCafe as part of the … Read more
Rust is yet another desirable aspect of antique decoration elements for colonial houses. Sometimes the artisans and blacksmith artists speed up the rust process in new pieces by painting the pieces with muriatic acid. Of course, nothing beats the original rust of antique decoration pieces. The rusted metal sun above was found hanging on one … Read more
In the next three days, I will show you some antique decoration elements that I found at ElCurandero.Com offices. Also, I will share with you some trailers for films being produced in Guatemala right now. How do you decorate your colonial home? Simple with antique decoration elements, many of them rustic and hand-made items like … Read more
Back in January Rudy marked his 1000th post with a pic of pacaya cooked in egg batter and duly polled readers for their interest in a series on comidas envueltas en huevo. There did seem to be some enthusiasm for this at the time, so I thought I’d relate here how my girlfriend and I … Read more
Certainly some of you can help us determine the differences between chuchos and chuchitos, which were both mentioned yesterday in Guy Howard’s ‘first‘ guest contribution. Perhaps then, someone brave enough can tackle the differences between tamalitos and tamales. Finally, once both answers have been already explained, pues, might as well elaborate on the differences between … Read more
Not a farol left over from last year’s posadas. Nor indeed a house of ill repute, except perhaps with regards to the quality of Guatemalan grub to be purchased there. For whatever a doorway in a narrow, dark alley illuminated by little red lantern might mean back where you come from, here it means ‘come … Read more
I can remember everything about this Antigua moment except exactly where it is. All the recent discussion about water reminded me of this place. We had been following Holy Week Processions, walking for hours or pressed into dense crowds standing under the mid-day sun inhaling dust from parched roads and the time worn pavements. Our … Read more