Mayan Ceramic Pottery Vendor
During a recent street photography walk we came across Teresita, a lovely grandmother selling Mayan ceramic pottery at a corner. We asked …
Jade Jeweler at work in San Gaspar Vivar
One of the surprises I found in the village of San Gaspar Vivar, Antigua Guatemala was a jade and other precious metal …
Tin Handicraft Artisan at Work in San Gaspar
Here’s your illustrated Spanish word of the day: Hojalata for tin. Today I share with you a vista of a tin handicraft …
Woodcarver at Work in San Gaspar Vivar
Today I share with you a close up view of a woodcarver at work in the village of San Gaspar Vivar, Antigua …
Guatemalan Handicrafts — Ronrrones
Guatemalan ronrrones are handicrafts that produce a low continuous humming sound similar to drones, as one rotates the stick attached to string …
Happy New Year 2019
Here’s your illustrated Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Chinchines for maracas as they are widely known. Let’s begin the new year …
Walking Among Giants in Antigua Guatemala
Since we are talking about the Gigantes, which are used in Dances of the Giants or Baile de los Gigantes, through this link you will find the agenda of activities for The End of the Year Festival at Calle del Arco. Enjoy!
Pop-Up Art Galleries on the Streets Antigua Guatemala
Calle del Arco is where most art galleries pop up in Antigua Guatemala, especially on the weekends when the entire strip becomes pedestrian.
Have you ever bought a painting from these ambulant art vendors?
Guatemalan Christmas Syncretism
Gabriela Orozco García, 19 years old, puts the final touches on a figure of a Mayan-inspired Nativity scene. The Orozco García family from Antigua Guatemala are renown artisans who produce ceramic Nativity scenes with Mayan attires from all regions of Guatemala.
A Window Into a Giant Kite Shop in Guatemala
All the kite shops are ready for the vientos fuertes, strong winds from the north. Here I share with you a window …
Water-color Paintings of Antigua Guatemala
As I have shared with you before, there are a few painters who set up an ambulant studio on Calle del Arco …
Feliz Navidad Wishes from Antigua Guatemala
Today I share with you a picture of a colorful ceramic Mayan-styled Nativity scene and a Merry Christmas for you and your loved ones wherever you are!
Terra cotta ceramic shop in Santa María de Jesús
The traditional ceramic pottery of Guatemala is based on terra cotta clay. You can still find this kind of ceramic inside the …
Antigua Guatemala Surprises — Door Knocker Pieces
What do you think this door knocker represents. What’s the most extraordinary door knocker piece you have come across as you walk …
Metal crafts artisan at work
Have I mentioned that there are hundreds of artisans living and working out the villages of Antigua Guatemala. I know in the …
The Butterfly Makers
We continue with our entrepreneurial series with the metal artisans in San Gaspar Vivar. At this shop the blacksmiths and artisans make …
Guatemalan Colors and Smiles
Today I share with you a candid portrait of Ruth, one of the vendors that offers colourful hand-woven Mayan textiles from the …
I want to take home all the colors from Guatemala
Winter is coming! Better be prepared. That’s why I am taking all the colours of Guatemala with me to help cope with …
Consecutive Day 3638 — All the names
Strictly speaking, we do not make decisions, decisions make us. The proof can be found in the fact that, though life leads …
The Handmade Economy — Textiles
In a world where automation and factory automated assembly lines are the goals, Guatemala still prides and encourages the handmade economy. Even …
Artisans of San Pedro Las Huertas, Antigua Guatemala
Ever since colonial times, the artisans have produced high craftsmanship pieces and that’s why they are saw after. Present day artisans in …
Natural Organic Balls From Guatemala
Can anyone guess how are these organic colourful balls made?
Antique Coffee Pulper As Decoration
Often I have shared in the past how La Antigua Guatemala has its own aesthetic values. I really appreciate the old, worn, …
Colourful Handicrafts from Antigua Guatemala
In Guatemala even the most humble and simple handicrafts are full of color. Be prepared to be overwhelmed with the rich saturated …
24 Frames of Film: Guatemalan Handicrafts
Guatemalan handicrafts are another popular store front in many of the shops around La Antigua Guatemala. That’s why it could be absent …
-7 Days to 9th Anniversary: The Bootmaker
Pastores is a municipality near Antigua Guatemala, about 5km, where you can find many shops especiallizing in the manufacturing of boots and …
Organic Guatemalan Colorful Balls
These colourful balls are found at fairs and on the streets of Antigua Guatemala on the weekends and holidays. Can anyone guess …
Open For Business
Here’s your Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Morral or satchel or tote bag. All I need is a window, some satchels …
Wall Art: Colorful Guatemalan Capirucho Toys
Here’s yet another colourful picture that might work well as wall art. Enjoy a little color from Antigua Guatemala.
Colorful Guatemalan Spinning Tops
Perhaps you need a little Guatemala to alleviate to effects of winter? If so, here are some colours to paint over your …
Designer hand-made boots from Guatemala
A few years ago, our guest writer Arturo Godoy published a post about custom-made boots and shoes made in Pastores, a town …
Weekend Handicrafts Market at Ruinas del Carmen, Antigua Guatemala
As I have mentioned before, a handicraft market mushrooms on the outside of Ruinas Del Carmen on the weekends and holidays. The …
Wood Carving Artisan’s Bench
Today we see the work another wood artist, a wood carving artisan from Antigua Guatemala. Still surprises me how open and friendly …
Cohetes de Guatemala Poster
Who would have thought that the labels for Guatemalan firecrackers would make a good poster. Have you ever bought any of these …
New Mairmaids and Harpies Found in Antigua
Once again my photographic collection of mermaids and harpies from Antigua Guatemala was shown as part of the conference, “Las sirenas de …
Angels and Saints for Sale
Back in May 2008 I shared the first of photo of this old man from the high lands of Guatemala who comes …
Rustic Candleholders found in Antigua Guatemala
I don’t know about you, but I really like the tastefulness of these antique and rustic candleholders. In fact, I believe, that …
New Guatemalan Mayan-style Nacimiento Handicrafts
Nacimientos are Nativity (Navidad in Spanish) scenes shrines made to celebrate during the December until Christmas or Navidad in Spanish. On December …
Guatemalan Maya Nacimientos
As I have shared with you before, during early December, in Guatemala people begin putting up their Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes); a tradition …
Handicrafts from Antigua Guatemala Villages on Sale this Weekend
Several times through the year the artisans from Antigua Guatemala set up booths to show case and sell their creations. Normally, they …
Window Iron Grate
I am always amazed with the high quality of craftsmanship found the ironworks in Antigua Guatemala. Another art discipline where Guatemalan excel …
Necklace Handicrafts from Antigua Guatemala
Necklaces are other popular handicrafts and jewelry produced in Guatemala. There are plenty of shops and ambulant vendors where one can buy …
Colorful Guatemalan Capiruchos Handicrafts
Capiruchos is what Guatemalans called this wooden toys, very similar to cup-and-ball. According to Wikipedia, capirucho is a traditional child’s toy it …
Leather Handicrafts from San Pedro Las Huertas
This past weekend we had the opportunity to visit the artisan handicraft market that setup shop at Antigua Guatemala’s parque central, main …
Bird’s Eye View of Nim Pot
Nim Pot is another business that has turned into a landmark of Antigua Guatemala. I believe I have shown some handicrafts from …
Colourful Guatemalan Painted Boxes
Here’s your Guatemalan Spanish word for today: Cofre, that’s what we call this type of box, chest or trunk. We continue our …
Wooden Kitchen Utensils from Guatemala
Here are some samples of the typical kitchen utensils made in Guatemala. I don’t know about you, but I prefer wood and …
Guatemalan Ceramic Garden Heaters
This type ceramic heaters are used often in garden and patios to warm up the get togethers during chilly nights. It’s sort …
Antigua Guatemalan Water Jar
Here’s your Guatemalan Spanish word for the day: Tinaja or water jar. They don’t make things like they used. Take this over …
Colorful Hand-made Guatemalan Handicrafts
In a time and world where everything is manufactured in assembly lines in China, Guatemalan artisans still make colorful pieces by hand. …
Meet Suerte y Fortuna
Luck is nothing more than opportunity meeting preparation. So, I have to be ready when opportunity comes along. Can anyone tell why …
Clay Pottery for Sale
This wonderful clay pottery was brought all the way from Totonicapán; that’s near Xela in case you didn’t know, to be sold …
Guatemalan Fortune Owls
Did you know that the number 13 is sacred and a good luck number for the Maya? The same principal applies to …
Typical Guatemalan Nativity Scene
This is also the season of posadas (shelter quest) and nacimientos (nativity scenes) in Latin America, Guatemala and more specifically Antigua Guatemala. …
The Most Typical Guatemalan Morral (Satchel)
The satchel shown above has to be most typical and the most often found Guatemalan morral. You can find this kind of …
The Dreamcatchers in Antigua Guatemala
If I were you I would be very careful about walking around Calle del Arco. See, there’s guy selling dreamcatchers, atrapasueños in …
Cucurucho Handicrafts
The fear of photography is real in Antigua Guatemala. More often I am finding signs which prohibit photography. That’s kind of ironic …
Making the Sale
If you spent any time on Parque Central, this will be one of the most common vistas. If you spend too much …
Traditional Guatemalan Baskets
These are the more traditional baskets found in Guatemala. I believe these baskets are made from Maguey fiber. Kathryn Rousso knows for …
Pine-needle Baskets
At the recent Fair Trade Fair in Antigua Guatemala I found these gorgeous baskets made from dried pine needles. The vendor had …
Guatemalan Ceramic Owls
The traditional ceramic owls in La Antigua Guatemala are yellow, orange and brown as I have show you before, but more recently …
New Style Guatemalan Purses and Backpacks
Here’s one of the new directions that Guatemalan textiles are taking. You can still identify the pieces as made with Mayan textiles …
Colorful Guatemalan Purse
Rich colors, patterns and textures are what one gets when buying a piece of Guatemalan textiles. A good example of this statement …
Fair Trade Fair in Antigua Guatemala
On November 11, 2011 (11.11.11 for short) the Feria Nacional de Comercio Justo y Solidario Guatemala 2011 opened its kiosk on the …
Guatemalan Kites For Sale
I remember that when I was a kid my friends and I made these kind of kites from scratch; barriletes we call …
Wall Decoration: Chairs
I believe this is the second time I noticed these wooden rustic chairs hanging from a wall. In the post Hanging Chairs …
Theme Day: Mysterious Objects
The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world …
Wooden Fruit Handicrafts
With today’s entry we finish the handicrafts from around Antigua Guatemala series. Yes, I bet many of you don’t know we were …
Guatemalan-illustrated Coffee and Chocolate Mugs
What better than than Guatemalan-illustrated mugs for your Guatemalan coffee or chocolate? I am sure many of you will be very happy …
Mayan Ceramic Replicas
These Mayan ceramic replicas can be had for about Q150/$20, but DO NOT try to take them out of the country because …
Colorful and Tiny Nativity Scenes
Don’t you wish you can have one these adorable Guatemalan nacimientos (nativity scenes) in your own home for the next Christmas? In …
Metal Figurines
Metal handicrafts are also very popular so there are plenty of artisans around Antigua Guatemala that work with metal. Often you will …
Guatemalan Entrepreneurship: Avocado seed masks
Often enough I am sharing with you examples how ingenious and creative Guatemalans are when confronted with adversity or simply day-to-day life …
Corn Husk Dolls
Since We’re Men of Maize it’s no wonder that we also do many things with the by-products of maize. We use corn …
Brilliant and Colorful Guatemala
Here’a another entry for the Color Palette category. Make sure you wear sunglasses if you decide to follow the white …
Catholic Decorations: San Cristóbal
We continue the Catholic Decorations series with an image of San Cristóbal (Saint Christopher). Because Christopher offered protection to travelers and against …
Catholic Decorations: Angel
Angels are, of course, the most often found catholic imagery decoration found in La Antigua Guatemala. The wooden angel above can be …
Catholic Decorations: San Miguel
La Antigua Guatemala has to be most catholic town in Guatemala, heck make that Central America. Nowhere is Catholicism more solidly embedded …
Masks
Masks are beautiful, of course. It is said that people wear masks, depending on how they live on a daily basis. Simple …
Cucurucho Candles
You’d be amazed on everything that might be for sale on the streets of La Antigua Guatemala during Lent. This time while …
Guatemalan Coffee-sacks-style Satchels
These Guatemalan coffee-style satchels are perfect for coffee lovers… and they are ecological too since they’re made from recycled coffee sacks. Besides …
Colorful Guatemalan Wooden Handicrafts
I am a firm believer that if Alfred Hitchcock had lived in Guatemala his nightmares would have been in Technicolor. Certainly, Hitchcock …
Tuk Tuk Toy
Believe it or not, the tuk tuk motorcycles which are used as short-run taxis, tourist police patrols units and grocery delivery vehicles …
Show Me What You Paint
Sure, no problem. This is what I paint…
El Carmen Handicrafts Market
Visiting the El Carmen ruins folkart market is among the top things people do on the weekends and holidays in La Antigua …
Colorful Guatemalan Wooden Animal Heads
As a graphic designer I can only have admiration for the excellent handling of color, texture, patterns and shapes found in Guatemala’s …
Owls Are Abundant In La Antigua Guatemala
There seems to be an abundance of tecoltes, owls, around Antigua Guatemala. The reasons you might see lots of tecolotes in Guatemala …
The Giant Kites Are Coming
If you are planning to leave Guatemala before November 1, you will certainly miss the Giant Kites of Santiago and Sumpango. You …
Antique Decoration Elements: Treasure Chest
What kind of treasures would you keep in a antique chest like the above? I would keep my treasured memories. 😉
Antique Decoration Elements: Violoncello
When we talk about antique items to be used as decoration for Spanish colonial architecture we don’t necessarily mean mint contidion things. …
Antique Decoration Elements: Rusted Metal Sun
Rust is yet another desirable aspect of antique decoration elements for colonial houses. Sometimes the artisans and blacksmith artists speed up the …
Antique Decoration Elements: Metal Cross
In the next three days, I will show you some antique decoration elements that I found at ElCurandero.Com offices. Also, I will …
Colorful Guatemala
Colorful Guatemala, I tell you, colorful Guatemala! Si ni los mismos guatemaltecos logramos entender la complejidad cultural en la que vivimos… —Ale …
Guatemalan Style Backpack
Guatemala has some of the best textiles you can find in the world. If you come to La Antigua Guatemala, you can …
Guatemalan Style Coffee Satchel
This satchel is perfect for coffee lovers. This satchel is made by recycling of the coffee sacks used for carrying whole coffee …
Antigua’s Metallic Owl
Details, details, details. I believe beauty manifests itself in the details. Correct me if I am wrong!
Guatemalan Chicken Bus Junk Yard
Would you like to be the proud owner of this chicken bus junk yard? I take only serious offers… Tomorrow, December 7th, …
Colorful Chicken Bus Terminal
A quick trip to the handicrafts market provides a handful of colorful images like the one above. Stay tune for upcoming photos …