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Typical Guatemalan Fireworks Stand

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What characteristics or traits can be extrapolated from a culture by looking at a simple kiosk? I’ll start and then you share with the rest us your thoughts. First, I see that Guatemala is country of pyromaniacs who love color and loud sounds. Guatemalans do not like gray, easy, mellow, avoid-the-extremes-sort of lifestyles. Everything is … Read more

Guatemalan Nacimientos or Nativity Scenes

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During early December, in Guatemala people begin putting up their Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes); a tradition that was brought to Guatemala by Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt and then spread to the rest of American continent. One important aspect of nacimientos is that baby Jesus is missing from the scene since his actual birthday is on … Read more

Recycling Sewing Machines

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I have talked about the recycling done in La Antigua Guatemala before with Haves and Have-Nots, Public Enemy Number 1, Guatemalan-style Salt and Pepper Shakers, Chicken Buses are The Second Life of School Buses, and Antigua’s Biodiesel Project (just to name a few). It never ceases to amaze me the creativity and ingenuity of Guatemalans … Read more

Colorful Guatemalan Kite Decorations

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Colorful Guatemala, I tell you! It is quite common for businesses to decorate with colorful Guatemalan kites during October and November. Above, you can see the Guatemalan kite decorations at the entrance of Doña Luisa Xicotencatl. Below, the stairway to the second floor. Also, don’t forget that the first exposition of the Antigua Photo Club … Read more

Strong Winds Are Coming

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The “strong winds” begin making their way to Guatemala; Vientos fuertes would say Miguel Ángel Asturias. With the vientos fuertes also appear the barriletes, kites, and giant kites which help to reunite the dead with the living during the celebrations of Día de los difuntos, Day of the dead. What do you know about the … Read more

Antique Decoration Elements: Rusted Metal Sun

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Rust is yet another desirable aspect of antique decoration elements for colonial houses. Sometimes the artisans and blacksmith artists speed up the rust process in new pieces by painting the pieces with muriatic acid. Of course, nothing beats the original rust of antique decoration pieces. The rusted metal sun above was found hanging on one … Read more

Antique Decoration Elements: Metal Cross

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In the next three days, I will show you some antique decoration elements that I found at ElCurandero.Com offices. Also, I will share with you some trailers for films being produced in Guatemala right now. How do you decorate your colonial home? Simple with antique decoration elements, many of them rustic and hand-made items like … Read more

Red Lantern District

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Not a farol left over from last year’s posadas. Nor indeed a house of ill repute, except perhaps with regards to the quality of Guatemalan grub to be purchased there. For whatever a doorway in a narrow, dark alley illuminated by little red lantern might mean back where you come from, here it means ‘come … Read more

Guatemalan Water Wells Wet Wealth

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First, Blame the trabalenguas, tongue twister, title on emromesco, who said that water will be the oil of the 21st century. Second, forgive the undramatic photograph; not much I can do with a working water well and its pumping warehouse. I compensate with all the wonderful researched information below. Third, a few Spanish-English word equivalents … Read more

The Venerable Colonial Pila is Now Used as Decoration

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The venerable colonial pila from La Antigua Guatemala finds a new use as decoration in a fast food restaurant. What’s a pila (pee-lah), I hear you ask? simple, the omnipresent pila guatemalteca is basically a water tank and one or two sinks or washbasins for doing dishes and washing the clothes. You have seen a … Read more