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).
The making of carpets from sawdust, pine-needles, flowers, vegetables is a community-forming tradition. People get together by block or near-by neighbors to create the carpets on which the processions will pass by. Sometimes the making of the carpets is done at night, all night so they are ready for next day’s procession.
The making of sawdust carpets (alfombras de aserrín) with its vivid colors and eye-catching patterns are among the most prominent elements of the Holy Week celebrations. You can come back all this week to see other samples of carpets made with flowers and fruits and vegetables.
Back on March 5th, 2007 I showed you the stain glass marker for the men’s bathroom at La Fuente strip mall. It was only matter of time for a follow-up with the women’s stain glass marker. Come back tomorrow to see the some of the flower arrangements used on Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos in … Read more
We don’t love our land because of its great size and power, because of its weakness or tiny size, because of its snow and white nights or its solar rain, We love it, simply because is ours. — Luis Cardoza y Aragón Luis Cardoza y Aragón is another great Guatemalan writer, born in La Antigua … Read more
No, they are not Ku Klux Klan as you might be inclined to believe at first glance. They are cucuruchos which is the name given to the brotherhood who use the cone head-dress; in this case is the brotherhood of the nazarenos (from Jesus of Nazareth). Each brotherhood from each church wear a different color … Read more
Sometimes there is no better lunch than a great book. Now I am having Saturday from Ian McEwan for lunch. The prologue of the book Saturday, “For instance?” appears to be appropriate for the visit of Mr. Bush to Guatemala. Here’s a little fragment: “… Which spent military billions against foreign enemies but would not … Read more
I have posted many photos of bicycles in and around Antigua Guatemala and I even said that bicycles are among the most-widely used vehicles in La Antigua Guatemala. It is only logical that many bicycle repair shops exist to fix them. Here is a glance at a tidy and messy bike repair shop. Come back … Read more
Even simple details like the marker for the men’s bathroom is done with style in many places around Antigua Guatemala. Here you can see the stain glass marker for the bathroom for señores. Nothing like an image to be universally understood. This photograph was taken at La Fuente as well.
In the first decade of 1600s, one ingenious Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra set out to write a humorous tale about a tall, thin, fancy-struck knight by the name of Quijote (Quixote in old Spanish) and the fat, squat, world-wearing Panza. He succeeded in writing a very comic story and a best-seller, but little did he … Read more
The Artisans Fair was the showcase for the handicrafts made in all the villages around Antigua Guatemala. So far we have seen textiles, seeds, jade jewelry, wood, fruit and vegetable jars and now a forged metal owl. Wouldn’t you like to have a piece like this in one your rooms?
Can you name all the seeds in the photograph? I will help you with the one my finger is pointing to: Chile Cobanero. You may need to click on the photo above to zoom into the details. Good luck! Numerical Sidenote: For many Western cultures the number 13 is bad luck; thus Tuesday 13th, Friday … Read more
This is a close-up view of a Huipil, sort of a blouse worn by the indigenous Maya women and sometimes even the tourists get in the mood for wearing one. To fully appreciate the colors, the patterns and the threads, please, do click on the photo above to zoom in. This photo is dedicated to … Read more
Two sources of night light that are available at dusk. I’ve been a bit busy, but tomorrow expect a very hot topic: Plagiarism. Best wishes for this Monday morning. Take it easy, you have all week to meet your deadlines.
I must confess, I have a weak spot for colors and patterns. Maybe it is the fact that I am, after all, a graphic designer that makes me set the view-finder on colors or patterns. As a matter of fact, three my favorites photos were basically that: 1. Shadow Casting Lamp, 2. Antigua’s colors, post … Read more