On the last day of September we experience one of the heaviest storms of the season. There was rain flying in every direction because of the strong winds. There goes September and with it the rains; well, sort of, we might still have another 31 days of rain. I was able to capture this picture … Read more
This picture was captured during one of my recent private photo walks. I like the texture of the portón [doorway], wall and cobblestones and the hurried pace of a school girl on her way to classes. How about you?
It’s almost time to harvest one of the best coffees in the world. Make sure you make room in your kitchen.
Raw milk anyone, anyone? You know in Canada and the United States, raw milk is a political issue. In Guatemala, raw milk is just fresh milk. I am flabbergasted every time I see the new uses people come up for motorcycles in Guatemala such as this case where they are home delivering fresh milk by the … Read more
This week I had the opportunity to lead another private photo walk through the villages of San Pedro Las Huertas, San Gaspar Vivar and San Juan del Obispo. As I mentioned to Denise and Osvaldo, this is what Antigua Guatemala look like about 40 years ago. We got the chance to experience and to photograph … Read more
Within two weeks the harvest time will commence around Antigua Guatemala for corn. Normally, maize is harvested from the end of October through December depending on the milpa fields. Beans are harvested from November through December in most places in Guatemala. Who knows how much will be harvested this year since we experienced a severe … Read more
Men of Maize Revisited! “There was consensus and it was decided to bring the purple maize, the yellow maize, the red maize and the white maize and from these our bones were made, our blood, our meat.” —Popol Vuh «Hubo consenso y se decidió que viniera el maíz morado, el maíz amarillo, el maíz rojo … Read more
Guatemala 1 Monsanto 0 Guatemala repealed the ‘Monsanto Law’ pushed by the United States as part of the “free” trade agreement. The ‘Law for the Protection of New Plant Varieties,’ dubbed the ‘Monsanto Law’ by critics for its formidable seed-privatization provisions, is an obligation for all nations that signed the 2005 CAFTA-DR free trade agreement … Read more
Here are the two main ingredients for chuchitos, the Guatemalan corn tamales wrapped in maize husks. Here I caught Jennifer, grand daughter, and Anita, grand mother, on their way back from the mill where they had their cooked corn turned into maize dough and the tomato-based blend of pumpkin seeds and other herbs into a … Read more
Today we see the work another wood artist, a wood carving artisan from Antigua Guatemala. Still surprises me how open and friendly the people of Antigua Guatemala are. Here I was walking through a village and I saw the morning light hitting a bench and stopped and pulled out my camera to capture, of course … Read more
Here’s your Spanish word of the day: Polilla or moth in English. The polilla was the artist in this apolillada beam of wood found at Sabor del Tiempo in Antigua Guatemala. As I have mentioned before, in La Antigua Guatemala we have a totally different set of aesthetic values.
This picture was made during the most recent photo walk that I lead on Saturday. Some of the techniques of street photography and visual language composition tips that I share were used to in the making of this photograph. There are some of the visual language principles that we learn and put in practice during … Read more
How about you? Can you share with us what are the things that you like about Guatemala.
I present to you the the güisquil root, a Guatemalan seasonal delicacy. The güisquil, Sechium educe, is usually the dark green pear squash, the lighter yellowish pear squash is known perulero in Guatemala. Ichintal is the name of the root of the plant that produces Sechium educe also known as chayote, perulero, güisquil, huisquil, wiskil, … Read more
Did you guys know that the slogan for La Antigua Guatemala is “La ciudad de las perpetuas rosas”? That’s “The city of the perpetual roses” in English. I have joked about changing this slogan from roses to bougainvillaea as that’s what you are bound to encounter more often through the city and surrounding villages. Nevertheless, … Read more