These are not repollitos

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Repollitos are little cabbages and that’s what Jenn Klee used to call hortensias when she was a little kid. I can see the similarities with little cabbages sprouts. Hortensias are called Hydranga by most people in the U.S., I learned, thanks to Stephanie, who also shared with us that they can be found in different … Read more

iPhone Twitter Updates from Guatemala

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Yes, believe it or not Guatemala is quite modern and Internet capable. Yes, Guatemala has 3.5G wireless Internet Access network in mayor cities and Edge-capable networks in most of the country. Yes, there are iPhone-capable networks from the three main carriers: Telefónica, Claro and Tigo. As a matter of fact, most of my web-savvy friends … Read more

Typical Architectonic Details from Antigua

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A quick search for architectonic details throws beams, arches, baroque elements, Spanish-tile roofs, windows, doorways, et-cetera. Each an individual entry showing a distinct aspect or element of the colonial architecture of La Antigua Guatemala. In today’s photo I was able to capture several elements: the cupola, the window with its ironworks crate, the ojo de … Read more

Just a sunset

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There is something about how the sun rises and sets that gets people marveled, or in some kind of magical admiration to what nature shows us. On this past Tuesday I was about to meet some friends, and I began seeing what promised to be a beautiful sunset. Someone on the street said, it is … Read more

We’re Men of Maize

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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 one of the best … Read more

A brief sunrise amongst volcanoes

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After having lived for more than three months now in La Antigua Guatemala, I’ve only been a little around its surroundings. So at some point I was in San Juan del Obispo, San Pedro Las Huertas, and so on, but this past weekend I had the opportunity to go to the Earth Lodge, located in … Read more

Let The Signs Speak No. 1

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When he had fished the last fish, poison the last river, and cut down the last tree, man will realize that he can not eat his money. With today’s sign I inaugurate a new non-consecutive series called Let the signs speak, which will aggregate signs that speak for themselves. If they need translation, I will … Read more

Luck with the Lizard

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This is just one of those rare shots you get when the opportunity strikes. I was scrolling through my email when my roommate suddenly burst out laughing. I looked up to find the house cat, “Gringo,” cruelly toying with its newfound prey… a lagartija, or lizard. The cat had wounded the pour creature and was … Read more

Licuado Culture

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Sweet. Refreshing. Natural. Licuados are one of those treats that truly define a Guatemalan experience. The blended fruit drinks can be found most anywhere in La Antigua from fancy restaurants to local, hole-in-the-wall comedors… and I absolutely LOVE them. They are nothing more than fruit blended with your choice of water, milk, yogurt and, sometimes, … Read more

Law and Kindness

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There are so many things that could be said about this photograph of two men, both in soldiers uniforms, even if one of them belongs to another age, another era, another place. But in a sense both of them are playing roles—today’s soldier playing one that may seem incongruous, suprising or even paradoxical, especially to … Read more

Weekend en (La Antigua) Guatemala

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Here are the elements of a weekend photo of LAG on a weekend afternoon: The Bride and Groom The SUV The locals (whatever that means) The tourists The hippies The old cars The motorcycle The ice cream cart … Loteria! Every picture you take from anywhere around el parque central (is it called that way … Read more

Independence Day: Practicing Student Bands

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School bands and parades were the norm to celebrate Independence Day before the December 29 signing of The Guatemalan Peace Accords of 1996, which put an end to Guatemala’s 36-year civil war since the CIA-orchestrated overthrow of the democratic reformist government of Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 (read more…). School parades with their martial music bands … Read more

Independence Day: Patriotic Fire Marathon

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So, what kind activities are done in Guatemala to celebrate Independence Day? Most people in Guatemala often say that Guatemalans are not very “patriotic” and immediately mention how patriotic the Mexicans really are: “that’s really patriotism!” Having said that, you can begin to see the first glances of Independence Day activities back in July, or … Read more