Guatemalan Coffee FTW!
Another crop that I have found on my walks through the hills on the skirt of Volcán de Agua is coffee. These …
Another crop that I have found on my walks through the hills on the skirt of Volcán de Agua is coffee. These …
I have set another goal for AntiguaDailyPhoto: profile all the colonial temples of the villages of Antigua Guatemala to show case their …
This past Sunday it seemed as every village and town around Antigua Guatemala was celebrating its patron saint day. Well San Juan …
Here’s your Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: “Montaña rusa” or roller coaster, although it literally means Russian Mountain. Even though the …
Often you find people riding on fit, well-trained horses around Antigua Guatemala, either because they own a horse or through the horse …
Once again, we can blame NYChapin for today’s photo of panoramic vista of corn fields around Antigua Guatemala. This is about 2.5 …
Blame NYChapin for today’s photo of a forest area among the milpa fields. This is about 2 miles up the hills of …
Don Alejandro, 78, has four cuerdas [1/6 of block equals 1 cuerda] on communal or municipal land where he grows maize and …
I came across this tree house while scouting through the alleys of the village of San Pedro Las Huertas, Antigua Guatemala. What …
As I explained back in September 2011, I am seeing more Mormons in and around Antigua Guatemala than usual. Now the interesting …
I was able to capture a portrait of this old man taking the sun next to the San Pedro monument in San …
The burning of fireworks and firecrackers for Christmas Eve is less than for New Year’s Eve, but impressive nonetheless, especially when you …
Anyone who has spent Christmas and/or New Year in Guatemala can agree Guatemalans are bunch of pyromaniacs. Even Boing Boing editor Xeni …
With the Feast for the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, antigüeños begin putting up their Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes); a …
As I have shared with you before, during early December, in Guatemala people begin putting up their Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes); a tradition …
We wave our goodbyes to Guatemala’s independence month with this image of a student band practicing in the parque del Hermano Pedro …
Antigua Guatemala has to be a paradise for those who like to bike ride or trek through backroads. There are so many …
Unlike other catholic countries, Guatemala does not make a big deal of the arrival of the Tres Reyes Magos (Three Wise Kings) …
We’re at the end of the December, so we’ll be saying our goodbyes to 2012. I would like to take this opportunity …
Guatemalans begin putting up their Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes) around December 15; a tradition that was brought to Guatemala by Santo Hermano Pedro …
We revisit the beautiful complex of San Francisco El Grande church which shared a black and white photograph taken at night of …
Here’s one more doses of the black and white series of the churches in and around Antigua Guatemala. Today’s turn is for …
The arched entrances of Iglesia de San Francisco El Grande are so majestic and elegant. Needless to say, this is among the …
This photo was taken in the village of San Pedro Las Huertas, about 3 kilometers from Antigua Guatemala. I don’t remember if …
Here’s a simple vista of a typical street of rural Guatemala. This photo was taken in the Antigua Guatemala village of San …
Antigua Guatemala is full of back roads and shortcuts that can take you to new scenery such as a bougainvillea-lined roadway, paths …
As I mentioned before, If you are the kind of person that enjoys jogging or riding a bicycle, the roads around Antigua …
Here's another wallpaper for your iPad, tablet or laptop of volcanoes Fuego and Acatenango taken from a coffee plantation in San Pedro …
Here’s what the typical Ferris wheel look like at the fairground now in San Pedro Las Huertas. The theme is pirates and …
Green is the most often found color in Guatemala. Green is our Quetzal. Green is also our quetzal bill. Green our Ceibas, …
For this Sunday, we continue in a tranquil and relaxing mood with tone set by the theme day Tranquility. Once again, here’s …
One thing I have noticed reviewing the archives of AntiguaDailyPhoto is that I have yet to visit all the villages of Antigua …
The category of Doors and Windows has always been among the most popular. It seems that people find fascinating many of doorways …
Here’s sneak peak at what’s inside a house in the village of San Pedro Escobar. As you can see, there’s a horse …
Catholic churches were usually built around the main plaza of each town, normally taken the east quadrant of the plazas. There are …
This photograph was taken at one of the newest gated residential developments within the San Pedro Las Huertas, one of the villages …
This niche and statue of San Francisco (Saint Francis) can be found at the entrance of the façade looking north of Iglesia …
The callejones (alleys) found in many of the villages of La Antigua Guatemala are really narrow, passageways really created, I imagine, as …
Without a doubt Iglesia de San Francisco El Grande is one of my favorite churches to photograph. There’s always so much going …
Here’s a simple Nacimiento made from corn husks to celebrate Navidad. As I have described before, with the Feast for the Virgin …
Honestly, I don’t think anybody does more for the poor (yes, the poor and not the underprivileged, less fortunate nor any other …
One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye. —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry On ne voit bien …
I know that to keep abundant richly verdant mountains in Guatemala we have to have a 6-month rainy season. But, enough is …
Real estate development is moving so fast that it seems that every time I blink there’s a new colonia (neighborhood), house, building …
In the Guatemala one can find football matches on the weekends at almost every field in the country. La Antigua Guatemala is …
For some reason, Arcángel San Miguel is quite popular in Guatemala. Around Antigua Guatemala there at least two communities that carry San …
I was very impressed to find out many of you knew about the original street name signs and also knew where they …
What’s the relationship between Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt and Pope John Paul II you might be asking? Simple. Santo Hermano Pedro …
At the end of the mass service for the Feast of Out Lady of Guadalupe while I was trying to get out …
Even though you may seem Christmas decorations as early as September in Guatemala, the official Christmas season celebrations begins with the Burning …
Everybody loves the dry season in Guatemala. Even the patients of Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro Hospital can spend more time at …
Since the rainy season abruptly ended at the end of September, the cold winds from the north moved in within the first …
A few weeks ago I introduced you to the recycling truck of La Antigua Guatemala and hi-lighted the fact that it runs …
Here’s a lesson to be learned. Even though San Pedro Las Huertas was one of the villages that was hit the hardest …
Foot Bool with the African spelling is how the people of San Pedro Las Huertas want to let everyone know that the …
This is what I shared with you before about the Antigua’s Biodiesel Project: Antigua Guatemala is full of Quixotes who do not …
Recycling the recycling truck of La Antigua Guatemala. Keep reading and I promise the previous sentence will make sense. My dear green …
As the new figures and images keep pouring in it becomes obvious that the tropical storm Agatha has caused more damages in …
Santo Hermano Pedro de San José de Betancourt introduced the Nativity scenes and rituals to the American continent so it is only …
Okay guys, today’s game is very simple: find as many kinds of contrasts as you can in this image of the San …
I don’t know about the rest of Guatemala, but in and around La Antigua Guatemala it seems there is at least one …
This is what the peak hour look like on a given Friday afternoon; around 5:30pm, on Alameda El Calvario exit. In case …
The two most famous Guatemalan hot dogs are shucos and cheveres. I have covered Guatemalan shucos hotdogs often enough that I believe …
During early December, in Guatemala people begin putting up their Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes); a tradition that was brought to Guatemala by Santo …
I have talked about the recycling done in La Antigua Guatemala before with Haves and Have-Nots, Public Enemy Number 1, Guatemalan-style Salt …
The vista cotidiana (quotidian vista) of men working throughout La Antigua Guatemala is more and more refreshing and assuring each day. We …
After having lived for more than three months now in La Antigua Guatemala, I’ve only been a little around its surroundings. So …
First, Blame the trabalenguas, tongue twister, title on emromesco, who said that water will be the oil of the 21st century. Second, …
All Guatemalans, of course, just like the air. Water belongs to the Guatemalan people and it’s managed by the government; national and …
Well, almost a year ago, I presented you with the new paint job of the Iglesia de San Pedro Apostol San Juan …
I love signs; as the Sign category can testify with 98 entries so far. I am sorry about that since you have …
Jornada has to be one of the most difficult Spanish words to translate into English. Jornada is basically journey or a march …
Almost one year ago, I found a quiet and tranquil place to ponder the tough questions: What is art and what is …
The Holy Week in Guatemala is a full five senses overwhelming experience. As you follow the processions all five senses are bombarded …
Antigua Guatemala is full of Quixotes who do not know about impossibles. Alejandro del Valle is such a Quixote who after careful …
Of course, big part of the beauty of the Casa Antigüeña is found in its details, like the niches that can host …
The official date for the commencement of the Christmas season in Guatemala is December 8th, although many malls and commercial centers, imitating …
I figure that when one decides to name something is the set it apart from the rest, right? So, why would name …
On September 15th, at 6 p.m. all over main squares and central parks of Guatemala there is a civic act known as …
Support My Efforts, Use Art Photos For Your Wall Decor! You can now purchase high-quality prints (digitally signed) of any photo available …
This is the technical data sign in front of the Esquisuchil Tree or Tree of Santo Hermano Pedro. Come back tomorrow for …
I caught these would-be High School teachers learning Guatemalan history on Sunday in front of the Church of San Pedro Las Huertas. …
One of the benefits of living in a third world country is that you don’t need to read Cien años de soledad …
The poster above is about a concert promoting the Human Rights in Guatemala. The concert was held in La Antigua Guatemala’s Central …
Gringos are now an integral part of La Antigua Guatemala and therefore many of them participate of the preparations of the world …
Yesterday’s photo was a close-up of the coffee bush in the lower left corner of today’s photo. If you click on the image above you can the coffee bushes (the small trees) being harvested under the shadows of the Gravilea trees in San Pedro Las Huertas, La Antigua Guatemala. Around La Antigua Guatemala you can find coffee bushes everywhere, including as part of the hedges of La Compañía de Jesús ruins.
Sometimes you just have to ask yourself what kind of strange brew are the Canadians brewing way up north, heh. See, first they steal our bright minds; then they take our gold and buy out our postal service; they insert strange things into our antigüeño breakfast (bacon they call it); even our money is now Canadian (it reads Canadian Bank Note on the brand-new Quetzal bills); just to name a few things. In return they send salsa-dancing-craze Spanish students and the horrible and hostile weather. Come on, this is Guatemala, a tropical country in Central America, you know, the tiny land that impedes the Caribbean Island from moving over the Pacific Ocean. So what business does it have freezing-cold-ice-capping winds in La Antigua Guatemala. See, we don’t need no sticking ice-capped mountains and volcanoes in our gorgeous temperate-always-sun-shining-eternal-spring weather. Those volcanoes you see in the background are ice-capped (see larger image).
One important aspect of this particular Nacimiento is the fact that Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt managed to get himself in the picture of the Nativity shrine. For those who are not well verse in Catholic imagery, myself included, normally the Nativity scene shows Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus along with a few animals. No, Santo Hermano Pedro could not be present there since he was born about 1600 years later, give or take a few moons. Rather, the inclusion of his image, on the right, is to celebrate and to remember that is was Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt who introduced the Nacimiento and Posadas to the American Continent, to La Antigua Guatemala if you want to be precise, and from this old town, this celebration was taken to the rest of the continent.
Manolo and Carmen were reminiscing just the other day about the smells associated with the Christmas season in Guatemala. Pine needles have a very peculiar smell and indeed its smell its burnt in the Guatemalan collective memory of Christmas and birthdays parties. Flor de Pascua or poinsettias are a visual cue of the upcoming Christmas as well. Shops know this and they use pine needle and poinsettias among other Christmas decorations to reel in the customers; it seems to be working just fine in this shop.
Like Manolo said, with Marimba music as the background for many parties and celebrations around La Antigua Guatemala and the rest of the country, I can almost smell the pine needles under my feet and the tamales and ponche (fruit punch) in the air. Oh what memories… sometimes I even wish I could like this type of music. 🙁
Central America and Guatemala especially have an abundance of water resources, many are groundwater. La Antigua Guatemala is located in a valley irrigated with over six months of a rainy season per year. La Antigua Guatemala is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes that collect even more water. Much of this collected rain ends up as groundwater.
Back to the Compañía de Jesús building to see the photo exhibit Punto de fuga by some of my favorite photo journalists: Sandra Sebastián, Moisés Castillo and Andrea Aragón. Since I had promised to come back to this magnificent example of antigüeño architecture and show it to you, I took a few more shots. This window frame is the first of this mini-series or the continuation of the Compañía de Jesús building series. Either way, let me know what you think of it. Boy, La Antigua Guatemala is so full of these wonderful vistas.
Last year, on the entry The Land of the Eternal Spring, I talked about the “undocumented alien” in our garden, the Flor de Pascua (poinsettias) which were not planted or maintained, yet it gave us those wonderful red flowers from October through March. Since then, we moved to another house in San Pedro Las Huertas, one of the neighborhoods of La Antigua Guatemala, which is next to a coffee plantation with lots of trees and birds (partners in crime). Well, I am happy to report yet another “undocumented alien” in our new garden by the name of Chicalote (Prickly Poppy or Argemone Mexicana), a sort desert weed (that’s right I said desert, remember La Antigua is located in a tropical country). Two days ago I presented you the chicalote’s flower in the entry Flora and Fauna working together. One thing many visitors to La Antigua Guatemala notice right away is the incredible number of exotic flowers and plants, many of which grow in the wild.
This photograph marks the beginning of the San Lázaro Cemetery series. I know Friday is a weird day to start a series, but since most people visit the cemetery on the weekends, I guess it’s okay. I have to warn you about the series though. This cemetery is not exceptional and quite frankly a little boring since it is mostly white. So, don’t expect any extraordinary or exotic shots.
Santiago was a very popular name for the conquistadors to use as they rechristen the new lands of the American continent. If you check the entry for Santiago in Wikipedia, you will there are over 60 cities and towns throught the world that carry that name and that is a very short list since you could probably find about 60 towns with the Santiago name, just in Guatemala. But why was Santiago such a popular name for the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors?
The People of La Antigua Guatemala and surrounding villages simply love to make processional carpets and the town fair provides the perfect excuse to make sawdust and flower carpets throughout the year; really why wait for Semana Santa (Holy Week).
After all the pounds we have gained this week at the San Pedro Las Huertas Fair, it is nice to come across some healthy food. For Q5 ($0.65) we can take any fresh fruit bags and we will need the savings since we already lost quite a few Quetzales at the others fair stands. Now, even though I have shown all these Guatemalan fair food and even describe it as tasteful and delicious, I don’t want to pass it as healthy. Fair food is junk food. I am so glad these fair food vendors have not come across the Super Size Me concept!
Papas fritas is the Guatemalan Spanish name for French fries. Here is the abbreviated history that gave us the Guatemalan french fries stall: first the Quechuas or Incas domesticated the potato (Solanum tuberosum) into a crop in southern Peru and northern Bolivia; the Spanish conquistadors took it to Europe where it was an instant hit and along with maize turned a famine-prone population into a healthy society; somewhere in one of the northern European states, quite possibly Germany, the potato lost its skin and got deep-fried; This Eurpean recipe crossed the Atlantic with the new immigrants that came to U.S. and since it was a foreign-looking recipe, they called it French fries (remember Coneheads); so the French fries came to Guatemala along one of the many incursions from the United Stateians (Americans they seem to call themselves 😉 ) as a side dish for the hamburger or the hot dog. Guatemalans thought that French fries were too good to be side dish and turned it into a meal by itself. That is how the papas fritas cart came to be.