Facts and Myths about the Giant Guatemalan Sompopo Ant
Once again the May sompopos ants actually arrived in May and on time! Are you ready to drop your jaw and say, …
Guatemalan Sompopo Ant versus Ordinary Ants
It seems like ordinary ants do not like the idea of a giant sompopo queen ant moving into the neighborhood. :-(
Myths and Facts about the Guatemalan Sompopo Ant
Even though the Guatemalan winged sompopo ant appears every year in May, on average most Guatemalans know very little about them (myself …
Sompopo: The Giant Guatemalan Ant
Enough about pondering the big questions! Sompopos are now here and thus we are now “officially” in the rainy season. Sompopos arrived …
May sompopos/huge ants
The rainy season in Guatemala begins in May and after the first few rains, Huge ants start to come out of nowhere. …
Guatemalan Peaches Are in Season No
The rainy season is upon us and so other fruits are now becoming available, such as peaches, nectarines, etc. Also, May is …
The Rainy Season 2015 Is Now Here
As clockwork the rains arrive with May. Soon we will see sompopos, leaf-cutter queen ants, will arrive as well. I have plans …
Colorful eggshells and confetti to celebrate carnival
Here’s your Spanish word of the day: Carnaval, or meat festival, or carnival. As I have said before in previous years, the …
Meet the giant Guatemalan winged-leaf-cutter ant: Zompopo
Once again the May zompopo ants have arrived on time this year! Here are some facts and myths about the giant leaf …
Colourful Guatemalan Carnival Eggshells
Ordinarily, I begin by asking readers to recall their earliest memories to provide a context for corpocratic historians of the future… Could …
Zompopos FAQ
This year the May Zompopos actually did arrive in May. Even though the Guatemalan winged sompopo ant appears every year in May, …
Colorful Eggshells for the Guatemalan Carnival
As published last year, these colorful Guatemalan cascarones [eggshells] filled with confetti are known as cascarones de carnaval [carnival] and they mark …
Guatemalan Slang: Chilero
Today we open a new category that was long overdue: Guatemalan Slang. I mean we have seen some of the slang used …
Umbrella Time Is Here
That’s right, it’s already May, which marks the commencement of the rainy season, thus the umbrella time. We haven’t seen the Sompopos …
Cascarones de Carnaval
These colorful Guatemalan cascarones [eggshells] filled with confetti are known as cascarones de carnaval [carnival] and they mark the arrival of carnaval …
Typical Patio from Antigua Guatemala
These are the very last days of the dry season. Soon, in May, the rainy season will begin and the sompopo flying …
On the news
Below you can browse the portfolio of the photos or stories in other places beyond AntiguaDailyPhoto. AntiguaDailyPhoto referenced or talked about elsewhere …
The Aesthetics of Mayan Beauty
Almost one year ago, I found a quiet and tranquil place to ponder the tough questions: What is art and what is …
On the Way Back from the Maize Mill
Before what we know today as Guatemala vanishes into the fragile realm of memory, I am glad I can take some mementos …
Chapin Hippie Strolling in Antigua’s Central Park
As you can see, hippies come in all flavors nowadays. You could say that La Antigua Guatemala and Lake Atitlán are hippie …
Benches at the Museo del Libro Antiguo
I think I should find a quiet and tranquil place to seat down and ponder these tough questions: What is art and …
Guatemalan Cuisine: Atol de arroz con chocolate
With the first rains comes the sompopo de mayo (May’s giant flying ant), and the sweet atoles become available at your nearest …
Marimba Orquesta Chicken Bus Ave Lira
Like Manolo said, with Marimba music as the background for many parties and celebrations around La Antigua Guatemala and the rest of the country, I can almost smell the pine needles under my feet and the tamales and ponche (fruit punch) in the air. Oh what memories… sometimes I even wish I could like this type of music. :-(
Ceviche from La Naranja Pelada
Anyhow, much has been said about ceviches and there are almost as many spellings [seviche, cebiche, sebiche] are there recipes from all the different countries of Latin America. But three ceviches styles are the most widely known: The Mexican, The Peruvian and The Guatemalan Ceviche. All seviches have their own twist and I have to admit that the Guatemalan cebiche with conchas (shellfish with dark, almost black, ink) is the least appealing of all. Yet, for those brave enough to have tried it, the Guatemalan conchas ceviche is a total delicacy. Guy from Inner Diablog has spent enough ink talking about ceviches and since he’s a total connoisseur, I rather you go to his blog and read about ceviches there.
Chicalote’s Flower and Seed Cocoon
Further in the background, you see the leaves of one of Guatemala’s most edible weeds: Quilete (also known as yerba mora and macuy). Yerba Mora is the weed in the background with the tiny yellow flowers. Guatemalans’ diet include many weeds and herbs. I will list them here as a sort of to do list and to see if other Guatemalans can help with translating some of the names. Guatemala’s most edible weed goes by the name of Chipilín and it used in so many dishes like chuchitos, mixed with rice, with chicken in a creamy white sauce. Other weeds, that I remember right now, are Bledo (young green amaranth), Berro, Acelgas (chard), Espinacas (spinach), Loroco, Flor de Izote, Flor de ayote. I am sure this is only a fraction of the list… can you point out other weeds and herbs a I left out.
Exiting the San Lázaro Cemetery
It is so peaceful to walk on the tree-lined cobblestone street with benches on the side in your way in or out of the San Lázaro Cemetery. I guess a visit to this cemetery could be a much needed break from the ‘hectic’ strolls around La Antigua Guatemala.
You’re Not Dead Until You’re Forgotten
Guatemala’s real culture is syncretism and thus death plays an important role in traditions and culture. Guatemala is the real ‘melting pot’ and the final product is called mestizo. A mestizo is an individual that comes in many shades of brown and she is made up from a combination of AmerIndian, European, African, Asian and Arab. Syncretism and mestizism go together well and that is why there is no conflict with including some or many Mayan rituals, including death rituals, in a everyday Catholic or Christian service. Obviously, a single entry is not enough to describe such a complex human being, but we have to start somewhere and since Patsy Poor mentioned that recent studies showed that the U.S. will be brown (mestizo) in 50 years. ;-)
Tree-lined Cemetery pathway in La Antigua Guatemala
The San Lázaro Cemetery is characterized by its many white mausoleums and tree-lined pathways. I have visited and photographed several cemeteries in Guatemala and México and this is the first time I see such clean and organized cemetery. It almost doesn’t feel like a Latin American cemetery until you begin to see the Antigüeño last names on the family mausoleums. Perhaps, this is the cemetery for the wealthy families of La Antigua Guatemala.
San Lázaro General Cemetery
This photograph marks the beginning of the San Lázaro Cemetery series. I know Friday is a weird day to start a series, but since most people visit the cemetery on the weekends, I guess it’s okay. I have to warn you about the series though. This cemetery is not exceptional and quite frankly a little boring since it is mostly white. So, don’t expect any extraordinary or exotic shots.
Santo Hermano Pedro Park in La Antigua Guatemala
To be honest, I am not sure this is Santo Domingo Park. It is the Santo Domingo statue and it is sort of a park, so I put two and two together. If I am mistaken I sure I will be told right away by the people that know better.
Can you name the volcano in the background and give us its height?