Normally you could see a couple volcanoes in the background and deep blue skies above the tree canopy. Yes, we demand our gorgeous blue skies and weather back. Do you know where our temperate eternal Spring has gone? Ephemiredes Aside: On June 30 is observed the Día del Ejército (Army Day holiday) in Guatemala, and … Read more
Call it synchronicity or better yet, serendipity because that’s the story behind this simple rainy season vista. For a while now I have decided I wanted to take a photograph of a corner while leaving enough of the perpendicular street and the next block on the frame to make an interesting composition. Think of it … Read more
Pitahaya season is here! A Pitaya (pronounced /pɨˈtaɪ.ə/) or pitahaya (English pronunciation: /ˌpɪtəˈhaɪ.ə/) is the fruit of several cactus species, most importantly of the genus Hylocereus (sweet pitayas). These fruits are commonly known as dragon fruit. The vine-like epiphytic Hylocereus Pitaya producing cacti are native to Mexico, Central America, and South America. Hylocereus has adapted … Read more
Is it just me or there’s an influx of English vehicles in Guatemala. Just two weeks ago we saw the Land Rover Defender in the photographic stream of AntiguaDailyPhoto. Two Triumph cars appeared in GuatemalaDailyPhoto in the last of couple of days, a white and a red versions. And now I spotted this gorgeous Mini … Read more
For some reason, Arcángel San Miguel is quite popular in Guatemala. Around Antigua Guatemala there at least two communities that carry San Miguel as part of their name. Do you know why San Michael is so popular as a patron saint for so many towns? These are some of the names of villages, towns and … Read more
We continue the Catholic Decorations series with an image of San Cristóbal (Saint Christopher). Because Christopher offered protection to travelers and against sudden death, many churches placed images or statues of him, usually opposite the south door, so he could be easily seen. He is usually depicted as a giant of a man, with a … Read more
Angels are, of course, the most often found catholic imagery decoration found in La Antigua Guatemala. The wooden angel above can be found hanging at one of the walls in La Palma restaurant in Antigua Guatemala. So, we began the Catholic Decorations series with Archangel San Miguel (Saint Michael), we continue with a “regular” angel … Read more
La Antigua Guatemala has to be most catholic town in Guatemala, heck make that Central America. Nowhere is Catholicism more solidly embedded in the culture, traditions and identity that in La Antigua Guatemala. This is why the Semana Santa is such a grandiloquent event. Almost all the celebrations in Antigua Guatemala are around a catholic … Read more
In Guatemala we have certain language idiosyncrasies which throw off other Spanish speakers who visit us. One such language idiosyncrasy is Carwash. Even though there are several ways and words to describe a car wash shop, in Guatemala I have only seen the word Carwash, which is embedded in the language of Guatemala that many … Read more
The energy and laughs of the teenagers that hang around the Parque Central are contagious. Watching and listening the teens laughter at the Main Plaza is the best medicine and quite inexpensive, if you ask me.
That’s right, every open door I encounter is an opportunity to record the inside of what once was a typical house from La Antigua Guatemala. Even if it is a simple zaguán or narrow corridor, I take a few photos. One open door at a time I will photograph most of the former houses of … Read more
The rainy season in Guatemala often plays bad jokes on planned events like weddings and cultural activities. Imagine the cultural event planner taken care of every little detail to have a successful activity outside, maybe at Ermita de la Santa Cruz or at the atrium of the Antigua Compañía de Jesús like in this case … Read more
Even though it is difficult to see, these rain threads are an actual record of heavy rains. Boy oh boy, when it rains in Guatemala it really pours. Sometimes it feels like a lake was just pour over La Antigua Guatemala in less than hour. Anyway, here’s a simple image showing a downpour at the … Read more
As I said last year, in Guatemala we could and should write the Manifesto against Convenience. Why you ask? Well, can you believe that we still observe holidays and celebrations on the date they were created. Mother’s Day on May 10, Father’s Day on June 17, Santiago de los Caballeros on July 25 (Saint James), … Read more
I can almost think of the image above as window conceptual art. The combination of the pearls, the manikins, and the pan with a little spot light in the corner; everything behind bars on a public space stirs something in me which I am sure none of the elements do otherwise. A ‘je ne sais … Read more