San Pedro Las Huertas

Every day is laundry day at los lavaderos

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It doesn’t matter what day of the week you stop by the public washbasins, lavaderos, you will always find the ladies doing the laundry. In the past I have talked to several of the women doing the laundry and I asked what were some of the reasons for utilizing the public washbasins even though most … Read more

Working People

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As I captured this picture I was immediately transported to the Brazilian film “Domésticas” (Maids) by Fernando Meirelles, one of my favorite directors. Through the film Maids brings forth the normally invisible daily lives of group of domésticas. I recommend that you watch this film and all the other films by Fernando Meirelles. Here’s a … Read more

Catholic Churches

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Catholic churches were usually built around the main plaza of each town, normally taken the east quadrant of the plazas. There are not as many catholic churches as there are protestant churches, but they tend to be much bigger and older and built at the best possible locations. The church of San Pedro Las Huertas … Read more

Coffee Plantation Are Becoming Private Gated Communities

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This photograph was taken at one of the newest gated residential developments within the San Pedro Las Huertas, one of the villages of La Antigua Guatemala. Slowly but surely, fincas cafetaleras, coffee plantations, are becoming gated residential communities. Well, maybe not so slow. In ten years I have seen many new gated residential communities pop … Read more

Every day we die a little

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Every day we die a little

I never realized how much people die every day until I lived in a town where almost each death is announced by the PA system installed on the church on the main plaza. Through these announcements and the funeral processions and motorcades I have encountered I also learned that the grieving is also a communal event. When I stop to pay attention to the PA announcements often the name of the passing person is giving and the address where the mourning will be held and everyone is invited to assist.

These expressions of the strong community relationships forged through constant interactivity are often foreign to me since I have lived most of my life in big cities where often these community relationships rarely happen. I don’t know if I’m making any sense because I don’t think I have been able to seized these feelings and emotions into words. Am I?

How are deaths, funerals and mourning treated where you live?

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We’re Women of Maize

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As I said before, it is impossible to think of the Guatemalan, Mexican and Mesoamerican diet without maize. From the Popul Vuh (Popol Wuj in modern spelling), the Mayan equivalent of the Bible, which states that humans were literally created from maize, to Miguel Ángel Asturias‘ novel Hombres de maíz (Men of Maize) which is … Read more

Callejón Los Garcías

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The callejones (alleys) found in many of the villages of La Antigua Guatemala are really narrow, passageways really created, I imagine, as a result of splitting of land through the process of inherence. These alleys are really no wider than six feet at the most. I’ve been photographing many of them found in San Pedro … Read more

Be creative, caption this photo and win

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Suedehead by Morrissey on Grooveshark Let’s do it! The most creative caption will win this photo as a post card mailed through post office in Antigua Guatemala. This time will close the contest after 7 captions, so get yours early on if you want to have a chance a winning. We have done this creative … Read more

But People do Carpool in Antigua Guatemala, really!

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Sorry, I don’t want to give the wrong impression about carpooling in Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala in general. Yesterday, when I said there wasn’t carpooling here… I actually meant in this particular instance. Carpooling or motorcycle-pooling is as common here as anywhere else in the world. Carpooling here is done mostly for economic reasons and … Read more

No carpooling here…

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… at least not for these campesinos who every day take their horses up to the rolling hills of Volcán de Agua to tend their crops. One of things I love about living in Antigua Guatemala is the fact that one gets to experience different eras and lifestyles juxtaposed at the same time. As I … Read more

Selling Comales

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What better way to start the new year than with a brand new clay comal to cook the best tasting tortillas. A comal like the ones shown above will set you back Q30/$2.75 if I recall correctly. Sadly, clay comales are disappearing as most tortillerías now are using metal comales with gas instead of leña … Read more

Scenes From The Upcoming Film “Polvo”

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There’s never a dull moment in La Antigua Guatemala. Let me explain. The other day as I am driving back home, I stop because I heard a commotion, similar to a riot, except I knew it was not real because I saw the telescopic mic way up high. Also, there were police and firemen on … Read more

Guatemala’s Kite Season Is Officially Open

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Since the rainy season abruptly ended at the end of September, the cold winds from the north moved in within the first week of October thus allowing Guatemala’s kite season to begin almost an entire month earlier than normal. Below, you can watch a short video clip which shows a kite day outside a local … Read more