Believe it or not, the dry green river bed is El Pensativo River. The other day while driving on Calle Chipilapa, which takes you to La Ermita de la Santa Cruz Ruins, I saw this huge bougainvillea tree on the other side of El Pensativo River, dry now but soon it will have running water. I never seen a bougainvillea tree so big; my girlfriend and I saw a midget bougainvillea tree—about 1 meter in height— in Tapachula, Mexico.
This photo is needed to clarify a confusion about the coffee trees and their height. Nathalie from Sydney DP asked if coffee trees grow very tall in La Antigua Guatemala, while referring to this photograph which showed coffee trees and their shadow makers the gravilea trees around Antigua, San Pedro Las Huertas to be precise. I posted a Close-up photo of coffee plantation before to show the coffee bushes (tree could be considered an exaggeration) and the shadow trees known here a gravileas. So, to answer Nathalie’s questions, coffee trees (ed. bushes) do not grow very high; they can be harvest by Guatemalan farm workers on foot.
Here’s your illustrated Spanish word of the day: Bugambilea for Bougainvillea. Even though La Antigua Guatemala is known as “the city of the perpetual roses”. In my humble opinion, this slogan should be changed to “The City of the Perpetual Bougainvilleas.” Bougainvillea is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, or trees. The inflorescence consists … Read more
The slogan of Antigua Guatemala is “La ciudad de las perpetual rosas” which translate as “the city of the perpetual roses” more or less. However, I believe that bougainvillea flowers are found more often in gardens, above walls, on river banks, in coffee plantations, in the cemetery, et cetera. Literally, bougainvillea flowers are everywhere all … Read more
Exactly two years ago I shared with you the biannual procedure of pruning the gravileas trees to keep a balance between shade and sun for the coffee bushes. This is what I told you then: There is nothing like rain water to make all the flora grow and in Guatemala we have a very copious … Read more
As mentioned before the Gravilea trees are planted next to coffee bushes to provide the necessary shade for the coffee plants. Once every two years normally, the coffee plantation workers trim the gravilea trees to keep the proper balance between sun and shade. I hope you enjoy this muted wallpaper of the gravilea trees against … Read more
There is nothing like rain water to make all the flora grow and in Guatemala we have a very copious rainy season that begins in May and ends in October. During the rainy season all the plants acquire a lush green dress and grow very rapidly. Thus, right before the rainy season begins, many gardens, … Read more
Often the perimeter walls for residential homes have carefully guided bougainvillea trees flowering all year long along to the top. In a way, bougainvillea and other such trees served as a safety fence to keep the amigos de lo ajeno at bay. Of course, at the same time, the luscious green vegetation and flowers are … Read more
Today, I continue learning about the Guatemalan coffees. In the past I have mention how I thought coffee plantations were beneficial for the environment because they provided almost undisturbed forested land for birds like Bushy-crested Jay which is native to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Also, I shared with you the biannual procedure of … Read more
The Panchoy Valley, where La Antigua Guatemala is located, used to be a lake at the time the Conquistadores arrived and when they founded the second Santiago de Guatemala in the Almolonga Valley, now Ciudad Vieja which is about two miles from Antigua. Then the Panchoy Lake basin was fed by the Pensativo River. The … Read more
Back in May 11th, 2007 I showed a picture of the Río Pensativo which was nothing more than a dry river bed. Back then I said that soon enough there was going to be running water in this river and now a year later I can show the water. The Río Pensativo (pensive river) is … Read more
Today’s is Earth Day and to celebrate it, I am posting a desktop wallpaper photo for your computer which shows the harmony between the human habitat and nature. Wow, what a pompous description for an old-looking wall and the bougainvilleas and jacaranda trees that crown it. Today’s entry is the desktop wallpaper number 9 which … Read more
The hoja de falsa uva (false grape) or Parthenocisus inserta as it is known scientifically is a trepadora (climbing) plant. In the trepadoras category the most often used are the hiedra (ivy), uña de gato (cat’s claw), falsa uva (false grape), collar de la reina (queen’s collar), and of course the ever-present bugambilea (bougainvillea). The trepadoras (climbing) category in the Guateflora book has 34 different plants, so I have homework to do. 😉
We continue our Guateflora series with the omnipresent coffee bush or tree, which has manage to leave the coffee plantation to become a hedge. The coffee bush is one the most often seen plants around La Antigua Guatemala, but not often I’ve seen it used as hedge. The above photograph was taken at the Compañía de Jesús building, with the ruins in the background.
A simple old and weathered arched doorway in Calle de Chipilapa. Believe it or not, there’s a matching window photo belonging to the same house… can you tell us under what name or date was published?