Details of the Baroque Façade of Ciudad Vieja Cathedral
Even though the Ciudad Vieja Cathedral was founded in 1534, it is obvious the church has gone through many renovations. For instance, …
Façade of the Ciudad Vieja Cathedral
Okay, I am overwhelmed by such positive feedback regarding the one-year anniversary and the work done thus far. I don’t have the …
Ciudad Vieja Cathedral Dome
In the picture above you can see the dome of the Ciudad Vieja Cathedral; a town four kilometers away from La Antigua Guatemala. Now a little trivia information. Ciudad Vieja was the second settlement of Guatemala City right before they moved it to where La Antigua Guatemala is now. Thus, its name means Old City or Ciudad Vieja in Spanish (check the aerial shots of Ciudad Vieja).
Ciudad Vieja’s New Square
Over two years ago, I shared with you the new look of the square right across from the temple of Ciudad Vieja. …
Have you visited Ciudad Vieja Lately?
Ask yourself, when was the last time I visited Ciudad Vieja? If it’s been a while, perhaps it is time to put …
Main Plaza of Ciudad Vieja
In my recent incursions to Ciudad Vieja I’ve happily surprised of all the new improvements done around the town. The plazuela right …
Admiring the People of Ciudad Vieja
It had been a while since I visited Ciudad Vieja, the town about two miles from Antigua Guatemala. I was surprised to …
Guatemalan Corpus Christi Food
The Corpus Christi or body of Christ is celebrated the first Thursday of June, first on the cathedrals and then at the …
Little gray boxes on the hillside, Little gray boxes made of ticky-tacky
Anyhow, what’s got Little boxes to do with today’s entry. Well, once you listen to Little boxes or Las Casitas del Barrio Alto, you’d know it is impossible to get them out of your head. In a recent trip to México over the weekend we took the new road Carretera 14 to reach the highway that takes us to Southeast México. Carretera 14 is part of the road which will circumvent La Antigua Guatemala and some of the villages. In other words, Carretera 14 is the backbone for what will be the periférico around La Antigua Guatemala. Carretera 14 is also one the most beautiful stretches of road in Guatemala.
Jumping over the cables
Here is a vertical shot of a biker doing a jump in the atrium of the Jocotenango church. Jocotenago is one of the communities very near La Antigua Guatemala. Jocotenango is so close to La Antigua that you might walk and cross over the municipal borders without realizing it. Jocotenango and Ciudad Vieja are the two municipios (counties) where most of the antigüeños moved after they sold their houses in La Antigua Guatemala. Some antigüeños sold their house under pressure from buyers and because the incredible prices buyers were willing to pay. Ciudad Vieja and Jocotenango is where most of the workers of La Antigua Guatemala businesses live. Jocotenango and Ciudad Vieja are ‘REAL’ Guatemalan communities, unlike La Antigua Guatemala. Soon I will post an entry with the following title: La Antigua Guatemala is not Guatemala (which I’ve been saving for a long while now). Stay tune!
What’s in a name? That which we call La Antigua Guatemala
The English-language speaking community refuses to recognize the official name of La Antigua Guatemala because it is too long or lack of knowledge or poor Spanish-language skills; who knows really?. They just want to call it Antigua. But Antigua is a Caribbean Island. Yet, they refuse to call it La Antigua Guatemala, which, by the way, simply means the former Guatemala City.
To add to this confusion, many Guatemalans just call it Antigua too, although more often they say La Antigua. This error is even published by newspapers and magazine. Worst yet, the road signs just say Antigua Guatemala. Even Wikipedia just have it listed as Antigua Guatemala, which by the way means Old Guatemala.
Entrance Doorway to the Compañía de Jesús Building
I am sucker for shots with contrast. I like to show all the different contrasting vistas that come into my viewfinder in …
Huge Bougainvillea Tree at El Pensativo River
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.