Children’s Procession in La Antigua Guatemala
Back on Ash Wednesday, February 21st, 2007, I said that in the Catholic Realm the Holy Week celebration had begun with Ash …
Escuela de Cristo Church in Antigua
The photo above shows the façade of the Escuela de Cristo church in La Antigua Guatemala, which is located to the southeast …
Violet or Purple bands mark the Lent Season
During the Lent period (Cuaresma in Spanish) many houses and businesses are decorated with purple or violet strips of textiles and bands …
Lent Celebrations Began Today
In the Catholic realm the Holy Week Celebrations begin today with the Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Cuaresma, the Spanish …
WI-FI Around Antigua Guatemala
La Antigua Guatemala, despite its name (Old Guatemala City) and its architecture, is a modern city with cutting-edge technologies like Wireless Internet …
Burning of the Devil in Antigua Guatemala
All year long he hides under the bed or in the junk piled up in the corner, casting misfortune or worse on …
Antigua is a romantic town
Somehow, not by conscious intention, I have managed to avoid the common references and photos of Antigua. For better or for worse, …
Antigua’s Church of Santa Lucía
Church and stars, originally uploaded by rudygiron. There are about 12 churches, colonial nonetheless, in Antigua and today it occurred to me …
Holy Week Elements: The Roman Soldiers
Since everyone is taking colour photographs of the Semana Santa in Antigua Guatemala, I decided to do a black and white coverage …
Even the Windows Wear Violet
Back in March 6th I showed to you the entry doorway of Hotel Santo Domingo (Holy Sunday, by the way) with violet …
Holy Week Details: Cucurucho Candles Vendor
Purple or violet and black are the colors of Lent and the Holy Week. Cucuruchos, float bearers, wear their cone-head purple robes …
These Gorgeous Jacaranda Blossoms Herald Spring!
These jacaranda flowers also mark the Lent season with their vibrant purple flowers. Today I share these colorful vista of the purple …
Welcoming to Cold and Windy Days of the Dry Season
Finally the cold and windy days of the dry season have arrived. Now we can see more clearly the constant eruptions of Volcán de Fuego and the skyline with the volcanoes towering over the towns of Antigua Guatemala and Ciudad Vieja is more… TAP to see the full size photo.
Fisheye View of the Corridors of Compañía de Jesús
I can’t believe in all these years I have not shared with you a fisheye view of all the Former College of the Jesuit Society, Antiguo Colegio de La Compañía de Jesús as we call it in Spanish… TAP to see the full size photo and post!
Guatemala is the Absolute Stew Country!
As I have mentioned a few times before, Guatemalan food is so rich with stews. If the stews are watery we call …
Coffeehouses Are The Original Co-Working Spaces
As I have said before, coffee shops had been and still are the premier co-working spaces in Antigua Guatemala, especially when there’s …
Former Cathedral Framed Through Arches
Today I share with you a vista from the former Cathedral of Santiago de Guatemala, nowadays Antigua Guatemala, framed through the arches …
Façade of Parroquia de San Pedro Las Huertas
Have you ever visited the village of San Pedro Las Huertas? If not, you don’t know what you’ve been missing. From the …
Almost a Ghost Town
I could have never imagined desolate streets during the most important week of the year: the Holy Week of Antigua Guatemala, how …
2020 Special Sunday Cuaresma Photo Walks
Lent and Easter are coming, get your camera ready! Book one of my Lenten photo walks to have unprecedented access to the …
Foodie Fridays — Tacos from Cactus
One of the better ways to celebrate Día del Cariño is with a taquiza, a meet up to eat tacos. Cactus Taco …
Escudo del Estado de Guatemala en La Federación del Centro
This was an updated version for the coat of arms for the equivalent of The United States of Central America or Federación …
The Last Semana Santa Vistas — Waiting for the Procession
This intimate photograph of a mother and her cucuruchito son was captured as they waited for the La Merced procession on Good …
Woman Timonel of the Santísima Virgen de Dolores
Most photographers point their cameras towards the “anda” of Jesús Nazareno during the processions. I believe the float of Virgin Mary can …
Jesús Nazareno float from Iglesia de La Merced on Palm Sunday
Here’s a vista of the Jesús Nazareno float from Iglesia de La Merced on Palm Sunday as it made its way through …
The Creation of Alfombras
Today’s photographs were made while I was teaching a street photography workshop during Easter & Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala. Take home …
Little girls waiting for their turn to carry the processional float
Today I shared with you an image of three little girls, sisters, waiting for their turn to carry the processional float. This …
Santa Ana’s Men Processional Float at Calle del Arco
The fourth Sunday of Lent is the turn for the Santa Ana Procession to serpent through the streets of Antigua Guatemala and …
Santa Ana’s Women Processional Float at Parque Central
Cuaresma [Lent] and Semana Santa [Holy Week] are equal-opportunity religious events where everyone gets a chance to participate. Here we caught the …
Foodie Fridays — Salads from La Escalonia
Antigua Guatemala has plenty options for eating deliciously healthy and peacefully. Café La Escalonia is among the top options with tables surrounded by a vibrant and luscious garden area; part of a nursery with a menu full of delectable and wholesome dishes from sandwiches to soups and salads that accommodate meat-lovers and vegetarians alike.
Guatemalans Make Me Happy
I really enjoy spotlighting the fact that Guatemalans are so eager to share smiles at every chance they get. So, take advantage of …
Full Moon Over The Candelaria Ruins
Last week I came across a shot of the full moon above the ruins of Candelaria taken with a cellphone camera where …
Street Photo Shoots — Capturing life in motion
Almost every street in Antigua Guatemala provides excellent background and photo opportunities for a photo shoot. Here we captured a couple strolling …
First Historic Exhibition of Religious Artifacts in San Pedro Las Huertas
The brotherhood of the parish of San Pedro Las Huertas put together the first historic exhibition of religious artifacts found in the …
Street Portraits of Strangers — I am Guatemala No. 10
As I mentioned yesterday, procession give us a window into the full spectrum of the Guatemalan identity. Here’s a Maya woman with …
Street Portraits of Strangers — I am Guatemala No. 9
Lent processions provide so many opportunities to capture the essence of the Guatemalan identity as well. Here’s a street portrait of a …
Let The Processional Season Begin
This past Sunday the first Lenten procession hit the streets of Antigua Guatemala. Here’s procession from Santa Catalina Bobadilla as it passes …
Today’s Día del Cariño y La Amistad in Guatemala
Here’s Guatemalan illustrated word of the day: Cariño for sweetie, honey, darling, tenderness, affection, etc. Cariño is such a versatile Spanish word; …
Street Portraits of Strangers — I am Guatemala No. 3
Young Guatemalan men work the streets selling nuts, floss candy, ice cream, whatever people would buy. We have to make a living. …
Guatemalan Smiles Are Free and Abundant
I never get tired of spotlighting the fact that Guatemalans are eager to give you smiles at every chance they get. You …
The Authentic Diet of a True Panza Verde
The myth of why people from Antigua Guatemala are called panzas verdes, or green bellies, states that the reason is all the …
The End of the 2017 Holy Week
Domingo de resurrección or Easter Sunday marks the end of the Holy Week. We wave goodbye to the processions, the carpets and …
Holy Week Vistas — Processional Marching Bands
The Processional Marching Bands provide the sonorous aspect of Lent and Holy Week processions with the sorrowful notes. The music touches every …
Holy Week Vistas — Cucurucho kids having an ice cream break
One of the most important lessons we can take from experiencing the Holy Week in Guatemala is the many different ways of …
Holy Week Vistas — Photobombing a Grandmother during the Holy Week
Here’s the short story, this grandmother poses on the other side of a procesional carpet, or alfombra in Spanish. A relative is …
Holy Week Vistas — Palm Sunday Virgin Mary Procession
The Palm Sunday procession kicks off the Holy Week 2017. The Jesús Nazareno “La Reseña” and Santísima Virgen de Dolores procession leaves …
Sunrise over Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes
Does anyone know why lenticular clouds always pose themselves on top of the volcanos. I believe that if you browse the Volcanoes …
Best Wishes for Día del Cariño y La Amistad
As I have shared with you before, cariño is a very versatile Spanish word; it can mean honey as ven cariño, come …
Guatemalan style fish and chips
Fresh mojarras fritas, or fresh fried tilapias can be found anywhere in Guatemala. Mojaras fritas are the Guatemalan equivalent of fish and …
New Year, New Faces
Let there be plenty of quality time and light in your life this 2017. I send you my very best wishes for …
Guatemalan Daily Lunch Special — Pollo Empanizado
Here’s your Guatemalan Spanish phrase of the day: Menú del día for daily lunch special. Even though there are plenty fast-food restaurants …
Who said newspapers are dead?
The world over newspapers are disappearing or reducing their operations to bare minimums. Guatemala is no exception, yet for a brief moment …
Coffee Shops Are The Original Co-Working Spaces
Coffee houses had been and still are the premier co-working spaces in Antigua Guatemala, especially when there’s a plentiful supply of delicious …
Consecutive Day 3650 — The City of the Perpetual Roses
Did you know that the slogan for the city of La Antigua Guatemala is “La Ciudad de las Perpetuas Rosas” or the …
Consecutive Day 3643 — We’re made of maize
We are men of maize!. As I have said before, it’s impossible to think the Guatemalan and Mesoamerican diets without maize. From …
Holy Week Vistas: Maya Selling Palm Sunday Bouquets
So, finally we have arrived at Domingo de Ramos, Palm Sunday. Even though I have shared a few photographs and posts during …
Conquering Your Fears of Photographing Strangers
One of the things I enjoy the most about leading the Antigua Photo Walks is to share my approach to photographing strangers …
Street Portraits of Strangers — Tiny Cucurucho Boy
As I mentioned yesterday, Lent and Holy Week are an equal-opportunity events where everyone can participate, including little boys and girls barely …
Jocón, The Green Mayan Curry
Jocón is Guatemala’s most famous green stew. We could also call it green mole if we use the wide definition of the …
Bella Vista Baristas
Well well, well if you think baristas are all men, then you got it wrong. As you can see here, the baristas …
Coffee Refugees Here’s Your Refuge
Those coffee refugees looking for shelter from bad coffee, look no more, Antigua Guatemala is the coffee lovers refuge with its many …
Planets and Constellations at Compañía de Jesús Building
This first week of December has been a week full galaxies, stars, planets, and such at the Compañía de Jesús building, La …
What Makes Guatemalans Hot? Part 2.
Once again, there you go again thinking I am going to share with you the recipe for Guatemalannes… wrong. However, I can …
Guatemalan Food: Kak’ik from 7 Caldos
Here’s your illustrated Maya word of the day: Ik or hot, spicy, or picante in Spanish. You find the word Ik at …
Juices and Smoothies Lovers Paradise
La Antigua Guatemala is the heaven on Earth for those who love juices, smoothies or licuados with an ever present supply of …
Guatemalan Fruits: Banana passionfruit
I wonder how many variations of the passion fruit we have in Guatemala. Let’s count the obvious ones: Granadilla, Chirimoya, Maracuyá, and …
Guatemalan Food: Sancocho from 7 Caldos
If you have follow the daily updates from AntiguaDailyPhto you may know that I enjoy taking the most innocent and harmless photograph …
Social Service: Adopt Juanita!
Juanita, a mestiza dog, was rescued and now she is being put for adoption. If you live in Guatemala and have space …
Guatemalan Food: Patín
Patín is quite possibly the most popular food found around the villages in Lake Atitlán. Hardly ever we can find patín in …
Arches R Us
Here’s a simple photograph of arches captured inside Ruinas de Santa Clara, Antigua Guatemala. Nearly 9 years ago I started sharing with …
Holy Week Vistas: Palm Sunday Arrangements
Once again it is Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, in Antigua Guatemala. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Semana Santa …
The Shoe-shine Transaction
Here’s one of my tips from the street photography walks: Anticipate your photos. In other words, visualize your picture before it becomes …
The Buñuelo Transaction
As I mentioned yesterday, Cuaresma [Lent] has street food that is sold at the booths outside the church where the velación, vigil, …
Ixchel Goddess of the Moon and Weaving
Here we have a tocoyales exhibit at Museo del Tejido Antiguo. I know, you are wondering what in the world is a …
Guatemalan Smiles at The Park
This is what happens when you point your camera to Guatemalans, yes automatic smiles. I dare you to try it next time …
Colorful eggshells and confetti to celebrate carnival
Here’s your Spanish word of the day: Carnaval, or meat festival, or carnival. As I have said before in previous years, the …
Meet The Giant Tamal from Guatemala
Did you know that in Guatemala alone, there must be over 100 different kinds of tamales if not more? Tamales are an …
Maya woman cooking corn on the cub
Who wants freshly made corn on the cob? As I have mentioned before, we are hombres de maíz, men of maize, therefore …
Let’s Celebrate Maximón Day
In Guatemala, Maximón is celebrated on October 28 by those who worship the Maya saint, also known as San Simón. Today, I …
Guatemala is the Ultimate Stew Country!
Here’s your Mayan word of the day: Ik or hot, spicy, or picante in Spanish. You find the word Ik at the …
Things Not to Eat in Guatemala, A Warning For The Foodies
Some of the things you should avoid when you come to Guatemala are ice cream and small tropical fruits, especially so if …
Maximón and Mishito
Here’s your Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Mishito or kitty or gatito in plain Spanish. Now, the effigy next to the …
We’re Hombres de Maíz
As I have mentioned before, it is impossible to think of the Guatemalan, Mexican and Mesoamerican diet without maize. From the Popul …
Meet the giant Guatemalan winged-leaf-cutter ant: Zompopo
Once again the May zompopo ants have arrived on time this year! Here are some facts and myths about the giant leaf …
Holy Week Elements: Dolorosas
With this picture of the dolorosas or hermanas cargadoras, the women who carry the smaller floats of the Virgin Mary or other …
Holy Week Elements: Cucuruchos
Purple or violet is the color of Lent and the Holy Week. Cucuruchos, bearers, wear their cone-head purple robes as a sign …
Guatemalan Portrait: La Abuelita
We finish this first leg of the Guatemalan Portrait with a picture of the typical Guatemalan grandmother. In Guatemala is one of …
Guatemalan Portrait: Gypsy Woman
One important aspect of the Guatemalan Portrait series is to show the rainbow of people that Guatemalans can be, although many only …
Guns on the Streets of Guatemala
I do’t believe that more guns on the streets make a place safer. For instance, more guns on the streets of the …
Buying banana leaves for tamales
Almost eight years ago I set out to bring you images of the daily life in and around Antigua Guatemala and for …
Roof repairs before the rains
During the dry season Antigua Guatemala goes through a lot repairs and paint jobs. In my opinion, the paint jobs are to …
Velación [Vigil] de San Felipe de Jesús
As explained last year, velaciones, vigils, are a very important tradition during Lent and Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala. Velaciones are altars …
The New and Improved Rincón Típico
I believe it was in 2010 or early 2011 when I first had lunch at what I called La Cocina De Rosario. …
Flowers of Guatemala
Perhaps this is why Guatemala’s slogan is “El País de la Eterna Primavera” or “The country of the Eternal Spring” for those …
Guatemala’s Children’s Day, A Day to Reflect
I believe that Guatemala’s Children’s Day, Día del Niño in Spanish, is a great opportunity to reflect on the needs of children …
Café Barista Recycles Used Coffee Grounds
Café Barista is the Guatemalan coffee house chain equivalent to what Starbucks is in the U.S. more or less. I don’t visit …
Talk: Photojounalism in Guatemala During the War Years by Jean-Marie Simon
El fin es sólo el comienzo. The end is just the beginning. One of the aspects that I enjoy the most about …
Strange-looking plants seen at the nursery
Guatemala is certainly rich when it comes to flora and fauna. Here’s a really strange-looking plant that I found at Vivero La …
Facts and Myths about the Giant Guatemalan Sompopo Ant
Once again the May sompopos ants actually arrived in May and on time! Are you ready to drop your jaw and say, …