As I have mentioned before, bookstores and stationary stores are jam-packed around this time of the year in Guatemala since the new school year is about to begin. Yes, that is right, you read correctly, the Guatemalan school year begins around the mid January and ends sometime in October. Boys and girls are been given … Read more
This is what the Christmas lighting decoration of Antigua Guatemala’s Parque Central looks like at night. Enjoy the wonderful ambience of the lit main plaza while meeting friend or family or talking to the visitors and the local vendors.
First of all, I should mention that this picture was very difficult to capture since cameras can only expose the sky or the corridor, but not both at the same time, so in this case we use a photographic technique known as high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or HDR) which is a set of methods … Read more
Just as with pizza, tacos are now part of the Guatemalan gastronomy. You can find tacos in every town fair, at parks and plazas, on the side of the roads, within malls, etc. However tacos in Guatemala are nothing like the Mexican tacos one finds in Mexico or the United States. Somehow, the Guatemalan taco … Read more
I don’t know when or how, but now pizza slices are an staple of the Guatemalan town fairs. Of course, like everything food that becomes part of the Guatemala gastronomy, the fair pizza is different and normally people put mayonnaise and ketchup on top it, well most people do. Have you tried the Guatemalan town … Read more
So, here’s a typical Guatemalan kite shop found in most villages. The kites are sold for Q1, Q2, Q5 and Q10 for the largest one. On the left corner you can see the straw shoots that are used as skeleton for the kites. Many kids still make their own kites.
The kite season is upon us already so it comes as no surprise to see Guatemalan kites being used as decorations. Through October and November you can find many businesses using Guatemalan kites as decoration. Kites are very important in Guatemala since they are much more than simple toys. Kites are messengers in the wind. … Read more
I am amazed how ambulant vendors are still so popular in Guatemala. Here’s yet another hard working ambulant vendor that goes from door to door offering his plastic wares. Of course, everything has to be so colorful. What would you buy from this vendedor ambulante?
My empire for some Tortrix! Believe it or not I have read that quite often on Twitter. On Instagram some one wrote to me, “As a Guatemalan living in Japan, let me tell you that this photo has brought some tears to my eyes.” My own family has asked to take some Tortrix when I … Read more
Among other news this week was the controversy and rage about Guatemala’s Gallo beer on the social media networks, especially on Facebook. Well, it looks like someone discovered that the Gallo beer was being sold in Mexico as a Mexican beer with Mexican motifs and a great price, so much more economically than in Guatemala. … Read more
The Liberty Torches Marathons Have Began. As in previous years, people from all over Guatemala begin a marathon to go to another part of the country to get the flame so they can bring back the Independence Torch back to their communities. There are many places the have a torch where other people from other … Read more
After marimba music, cumbia has been the most popular musical genre in Guatemala. The phenomenonal comeback of Cumbia music in Guatemala is due in part to “Miercoles de Cumbia” or Cumbia Wednesdays started in Guatemala City last year loosely organized through the hashtag #miercolesdecumbia on Twitter, but now you can find #MiércolesDeCumbia as far north … Read more
Following the typical Guatemalan approach to doing business which is don’t put all your eggs in one basket, here they sell freshly baked bread and they rent their telephone in case you forgot how many quetzals of champurradas you were supposed to buy. What’s your favorite Guatemalan bread?
If you travel between the U.S. and Guatemala often one thing you are bound to notice immediately is the size of portions. For instance, in the United States the small soda on most fast-food combos now is what used to be the large size soda. In Guatemala, the opposite is happening, per example the size … Read more
In Guatemala the door-to-door ambulant vendors are still very popular. They walk all day selling all kinds stuff, but dish ware sets, pots and pans, blenders are especially popular. To think of it, anything that goes in kitchen or bedroom is popular among the door-to-door ambulant vendors. I suspect the conversion ratio must be very … Read more