Guatemalan Fruit: Mango de pashte
Guatemalan produces several kinds of mangoes (dozens really), but by far mango de pashte (loofah mango) or mango de leche (milk mango) …
Guatemalan produces several kinds of mangoes (dozens really), but by far mango de pashte (loofah mango) or mango de leche (milk mango) …
Greed and ambition do not know of any limits. That’s how we got ourselves into the present economic crisis… sure the free …
There is really not much to say about the panoramic view of La Antigua Guatemala you see above. Except, perhaps, I can …
The sonajas or maracas take on a different name in Guatemala, they are called chinchines; an onomatopoeia (onomatopeya in Spanish). Generally, Guatemalan …
Today is theme day for the City Daily Photo community around the world; 840 daily city web sites thus far. For the …
Christmas Day is a very quiet and easy-going day in Guatemala. But, it does not begins like that. On the contrary, right …
The above sign about ZONA WIFI (wifi zone) now on display on the four corners of the Plaza Mayor (Main Plaza) of …
Central Park and the streets nearby were militarized for about 10 hours, beginning around 5 a.m. because El Señor Presidente of Guatemala …
Aspirante PMT printed in t-shirts means ‘aspirant’ for the Municipal Traffic Police (PMT abbreviation in Spanish). The proper word for traffic, as …
Back in December 26, 2006 I wrote about the banking war in Central America between Citibank and HSBC Bank over the access …
How can we go by Día de todos los santos (All Saints’ Day) and Día de los fieles difuntos (All Souls’ Day) …
Maybe we will get it right this election. —The Brunscheon, Oregon We hope so. —The rest of the world Well, as some …
Here’s a second wooden sign for the Sabe Rico Delicatessen Chocolatería which can be found hanging at the entrance doorway. I really …
Obviously not all the signs are for new business. Sometimes, there are business which did not succeed and their local is taken …
Here I was walking around Antigua with a smile on my face mulling about how lucky I was to be able to …
Your comments and feedback are very important and often show me the way for future posts or follow ups. Such was the …
Back in May 11th, 2007 I showed a picture of the Río Pensativo which was nothing more than a dry river bed. …
ACT 1: So there I was, consumed by own thoughts, after having had a few moments at the Benches at the Museo …
Enough about pondering the big questions! Sompopos are now here and thus we are now “officially” in the rainy season. Sompopos arrived …
One of the benefits of having a Banana Republic (not the clothing store, but the real thing!) is the tremendous amount of …
With the first rains comes the sompopo de mayo (May’s giant flying ant), and the sweet atoles become available at your nearest …
One of the benefits of living in a third world country is that you don’t need to read Cien años de soledad …
Guatemalan mixtas (mixed) are basically hot dogs which come with tortillas instead of a bun. Simple and great tasting. There are other …
Since you guys are having the cravings for Guatemalan fresh fruit snacks, I decided to show you the current options. All you …
That’s right, these poor fellas will be history pretty soon! This variation of the Guatemalan bread is known locally as lagartos (alligators) …
The poster above is about a concert promoting the Human Rights in Guatemala. The concert was held in La Antigua Guatemala’s Central …
All the weekends of Lent (Cuaresma) and during the Holy Week La Municipalidad de La Antigua Guatemala (Municipality or City Hall) imposes …
Honest, I don’t mean to brag. But I have to say sometimes life can be pretty good in La Antigua Guatemala. Let …
Well, you may be wondering what SAT office means. Behind this placid view of this government building hides one of the reason why Guatemala is so poor; a beggar really if we consider that Guatemala begs money for road repairing, road building, new modern national identification card, fertilizers, schools, libraries and the list goes on and on. The picture above is the local office of the Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria, SAT for short and the equivalent of the IRS.
I find the singing of the indigenous people extremely haunting and touching, even though, they are singing evangelical hymns. To me this singing has another layer of pain and denouncing which is above the meaning of the words they sing; something much older and more mystical than the religious hymn brought by the European Christianity.
That is exactly what Guatemala needs from the new Social Democratic government: Real people making real miracles (or at least real positive changes)!
Christmas’ Eve or Noche Buena in La Antigua Guatemala is celebrated by staying up all night burning firecracker, eating tamales or turkey and drinking real fruit punch or hot real chocolate, visiting family, friend and neighbors for the respective abrazo de Noche Buena and buenos deseos (Christmas hug and wishes); many even go to midnight mass. At midnight the presents under the Christmas tree, around the nacimiento (nativity scene), are opened and everyone laughs and hugs indiscriminately everyone around. These celebrations rate the highest on nostalgic memory scale; everyone living abroad wishes to be in Guatemala for this season and for this night in particular.
Right now, the going price for tortillas is 6 tortillas per one quetzal (Q1 = US$0.13). This fact brings me to another interesting aspect about tortilla selling in Guatemala: tortillas are sold by units and not by weight, which means some tortillas could be tiny or really thin or worse yet use maseca flour in the mix. 🙁
Well, for starters you need ‘real’ nixtamalized maize dough (nothing of the maseca flour that Manolo uses), a ‘real’ comal (baked clay griddle) and you need to use ‘real’ leña (wood logs, quite possibly pine). After that, you need a good pair of hand to tortear (hit into shape) a real looking tortilla. You don’t need no sticking mold to shape your tortillas ma’am. 😉
Dobladas (turned over) is our last meal at the Virgen of Guadalupe Celebrations. Dobladas are made from nixtamalized masa (maize dough) like tortillas, but other ingredients are added before the masa dish is folded over itself and cooked. The ingredients that are added to the doblada are normally ground pork rinds, cheese, mashed potatoes, whole beans, et-cetera, but could be anything really. For instance I would like to find dobladas with cheese and loroco flowers; that would be very tasteful. Dobladas are normally fried or cooked over a comal (griddle made from cooked clay); just like tortillas. Dobladas are very similar to pupusas, except they are turned over. Check out the giant pupusas or Mayan pizza photos. Once dobladas ared cooked they are top with repollo salad (cabbage salad or coleslaw), tomato sauce and/or chile sauce (hot and spicy sauce).
For those who would rather break a piñata than playing around with fire, I present to you the Lucky 7 Burning of the Devil Piñata for you to fill it with all your frustration and negative vibes and virtually burn it or break it with your mouse, trackball or tablet until your let it all out. Happy Burning of the Devil everyone!
In the picture above you see two foreigners taking Spanish classes in a Restaurant/School named Korea with omnipresent beer posters. Here’s the Spanish word/phrase of the day: Quiero más cerveza por favor (please, I’d like to have more beer). Life is though for the Spanish students in the Spanish school capital of Latin America.
The tree of knowledge was an apple tree and Newton took a bite from a fallen apple. The rest is history they say, but history is being rewritten as we speak.
As beautiful, cosmopolitan, antique and modern as it is La Antigua Guatemala, many people choose to live in one of the surrounding villages that belong to the municipio (county) of La Antigua Guatemala. There are many reasons for this decision which range from the economics, ‘real guatemalan experience’, or simply to live in a more natural and greener environment.
From the Guateflora series we take a different road to show you the lush roads around La Antigua Guatemala. By the way, the roads that communicate La Antigua Guatemala with the rest of the ‘real’ Guatemala are some of the best in the country, if not the best; they are kept in better conditions than the rest of the roads around Guatemala.
Thanks to our resourceful readers now we know exactly what shade of blue should the Guatemalan Flag should be. Manolo provided us with the exact Guatemalan Congress Act 104-97, available as a PDF download, which determines the color blue as ISCC-NBS 177. Then, Manolo, who felt like procrastinating, decided that ISCC-NBS 177 was not something most people could understand as Celestial Blue, so he gave us a web site address where we could look at the specific shade of blue. He went even futher, and submitted the HTML codes #4285B4 and #4997D0 for the Guatemalan flag blue. Xensen, took this information and came back with Pantone Matching System 297 and 298 and a link to get an idea of the color. So with all this information at our disposal, we now know what the official blue should be used in the Guatemalan Flag (like the photo below). But, like I said yesterday, “… Reality dictates that the Guatemalan flag can be blue, any blue really, with or without the emblem or coat of arms.”
Well, who knows really. I know there’s legislation which describes to the T what a Guatemalan flag is supposed to look like, but like always in Guatemala, laws are beautiful abstract texts that live inside very dusty books. Reality dictates that the Guatemalan flag can be blue, any blue really, with or without the emblem or coat of arms.
Calzada Santa Lucía gets overcrowded with all the stands of the 11 candidates for the La Antigua Guatemala City Hall or Muni as we call it here. They all have their booths, their chants and songs, their promises, their colors, their flyers, their visual and hearing pollution, their trash, et-cetera.
It is official: The California avocado if from La Antigua Guatemala. I had mentioned a couple of times the antigüeños are known as Panzas Verdes (green bellies) because of all the avocados they eat (see trivia 2) and that one Wilson Popenoe took the antigüeño avocado to California (see trivia 3).
These are some of the most often used ingredients in the Guatemalan kitchen. This photo was taken on Calle del Arco in front of La Fonda de la Calle Real at a booth that the restaurant put out to showcase their flavors and the ingredients they use in their kitchen. You can take this photo to your local Latin market and start cooking some of the recipes found in this site under the Food and Drinks category. Bon Appetite!
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).
Ferris wheels are another element of the Guatemalan fair. There is at least one Ferris wheel, but more often two or three of different sizes. The Ferris wheel is known here by these names rueda de Chicago(Chicago Wheel), rueda de la fortuna (wheel of fortune) and vuelta al mundo (around the world). Fairs are made up by all kinds of ambulant stands. Fairs are like accordions, they grow or shrink depending of the size of the community or town. All these photos belong to the San Pedro Las Huertas, a small village just outside and belonging to La Antigua Guatemala. At the end of July, La Antigua Guatemala will have its massive fair in honor of Saint James or Santiago.
Almost all town fairs and festivities are around the town’s patron, in this case is San Pedro Las Huertas, which by the way, means Saint Peter of the vegetable gardens. Since Guatemala was a catholic country for the last 500 years or so and the Mesoamerican indigenous people absorbed and mixed the catholic rituals and traditions with their own religious beliefs and traditions, most Guatemalan towns have a Spanish catholic first name and often an indigenous last name (otherwise known as the original name). For example, Santo Domingo Xenacoj, which means the original name of the town was Xenacoj, and the town was re-christen with Santo Domingo. Now with the above information, we now know that a town’s fair happens once-a-year on the town’s catholic patron. For San Pedro Las Huertas the date is June 29th and for La Antigua Guatemala is July 25th because the city used to be called The Very Noble and Very Loyal City of Saint James of the Lords of Guatemala, as mentioned by Manolo a few days ago. And some of you thought La Antigua Guatemala was already a very long name; try explaining to your friends and relatives that you are planning a vacation to The Very Noble and Very Loyal City of Saint James of the Lords of Guatemala.
For those who like to imagine what ruins were like and what people did around them I have todays photo of San Pedro Las Huertas Town fair with the church (not a ruin) in the background and all kind of food vendors around the town’s plaza. So this is what the ruins looked like when they were in used by the people of the past. If you would like to browse for other photos from San Pedro Las Huertas, just follow the white rabbit or if you only want to see a better shot of the church in the background just say we’re not in Kansas anymore.
The English-language speaking community refuses to recognize the official name of La Antigua Guatemala because it is too long or lack of knowledge or poor Spanish-language skills; who knows really?. They just want to call it Antigua. But Antigua is a Caribbean Island. Yet, they refuse to call it La Antigua Guatemala, which, by the way, simply means the former Guatemala City.
To add to this confusion, many Guatemalans just call it Antigua too, although more often they say La Antigua. This error is even published by newspapers and magazine. Worst yet, the road signs just say Antigua Guatemala. Even Wikipedia just have it listed as Antigua Guatemala, which by the way means Old Guatemala.
Believe or not, the monument plaque says that this monument was erected in the memory of Walter Williams who happens to be present on the date of inauguration for the the road. I guess that back in 1925, Guatemala was still a jungle and foreign visitors were scarce, so they needed to erect a monument to celebrate such an important event.
Thanks to Juan, who asked me to go and take some photo of the San Cristobal El Bajo Church and its plaza …
Normally I have only shown the façade of many houses and building in La Antigua Guatemala for an obvious reason: I do …
The Compañía de Jesús Building has to be one of my favorites building in La Antigua Guatemala. It is beautifully restored with …
The Antigua Guatemala is full plaques pointing to historic sites or events that happened here. The Antigüeños must luck the humor or …
I believe the magic of La Antigua Guatemala is in its details, often overlooked, like a lamp. You can browse the Doors and Windows, Details and Fountains and Gardens categories just a get a feel of all those wonderful details that make for an enchanting experience a visit to this Spanish Colonial Town embedded between coffee plantations, flower farms and volcanoes.
Mother’s Day is celebrated in Guatemala on May 10th. Where do Guatemalans take their mom to dine on her day? But of …
Back on Ash Wednesday, February 21st, 2007, I said that in the Catholic Realm the Holy Week celebration had begun with Ash …
This is one of the kitchens at La Fonda de la Calle Real, which shows a typical kitchen in the colonial times. …
La Antigua Guatemala, despite its name (Old Guatemala City) and its architecture, is a modern city with cutting-edge technologies like Wireless Internet …
Shoe-shining is not out of time as some people commented on Nuno’s Shoe shiners. Well, shoe shining is not a forgotten trade …
I want to end the food series with something light. Salpicón is a type meat salad; that is right I said meat …
Really green garden, originally uploaded by rudygiron. This a very lush and green garden. It is a pleasure to the eye. In …
I am happy to report that the Antigua Photo Walks are a total success. It’s been among the TripAdvisor’s TOP 3 activities …
Another common sight of the #RealGuatemala around Antigua Guatemala is the peasants on their way to work their land. This is especially …
Another goal that I have set for myself for this new year is to make panoramic photographs all the plazas [main squares] …
We continue our series #RealGuatemala with a photograph of drying clothes in one of the villages of Antigua Guatemala. If you look …
As soon as you step outside downtown Antigua Guatemala, you can find the REAL Guatemala. A quick visit to Ciudad Vieja, about …
Even the Fuente de las Sirenas received a bath of blue light during the inauguration of the Christmas lights decorations in Antigua …
I decided to place the vibrant hibiscus flowers [rosa de jamaica] in the foreground and and dramaticly-lit ruins as backdrop. I made several shots switching for the focal point from the flowers to the ruins as well making horizontal and vertical orientation version… TAP to see the full size photos and post.
I believe I have a fun and solid street photography workshops/photo walks that produce consistent results for photography enthusiasts. I really enjoy …
The Plazuela de la Escuela de Cristo is one of my favorite parks in Antigua Guatemala. In fact, I really like the …
Here’s your illustrated Guatemalan Spanish word of the day: Portón for large doorway. Just when I think I have shared with you every nook …
This week Guatemala and the other countries in Central America will be celebrating their 200th anniversary of Independence. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, most massive events will not be allowed. So, Guatemalans are mostly observing the special date with flags, firecracker bombs and fireworks… TAP to see the full size photo and post.
The rainy season brings out the vibrant colors of the gardens of Antigua Guatemala. You need to take strolls during the wet …
Once again Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, was observed in Antigua Guatemala. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Semana Santa [Holy …
During the dry season, when there are less clouds in the skyline, one can really appreciate the continuous eruptions of Volcán de …
As I have mentioned before, often when people think of tourism to Antigua Guatemala, they think of foreigners travelers who visit Guatemala …
Volcán de Fuego seems to be more active during the dry season that spans from November through April, but the reality is …
Last Saturday I mentioned that poco a poco, little by little, some of the activities from the old reality are coming back …
Since the Municipal government has forbidden the ambulant vendors in all the parks of Antigua Guatemala, including the world-famous Parque Central, vendors …
Take a photographic tour to see some plants blooming now: Dry Season Blossoms in Antigua Guatemala Blossoms From The Land of the …
This is one of the two bus stops in San Miguel Escobar, 1 kilometers separates the two bus stops. Even though San …
There is something that I find attractive in this entrance gateway. Perhaps it is the metal jade plant blossom decoration, the lamps, …
Back in May 2006 I set out to share with y’all images of daily life from Antigua Guatemala and its surroundings even …
We are very fortunate in Antigua Guatemala because a lot of the food that we consume in the municipality it is grown …
Ambulant vendors are one segment of the tourism industry who is really hurting this pandemic where tourists pretty much vanished from the …
As you can tell if you have been following the daily updates of Antigua Daily Photo for the last 14 years, I …
Honestly, the architectonic details of the Antiguo Colegio de La Compañía de Jesús in Antigua Guatemala are really exquisite. I could spend …
The Antigua SkyCam Weather Station was launched in January 2017 through the collaboration of ClimaYa.com and AntiguaDailyPhoto.com. The Antigua SkyCam Weather Station …
Here’s your illustrated Spanish word of the day: Barroco for baroque. The façade of Iglesia de La Merced is one of the …
I feel that by making intimate photographs some of you can experience vicariously daily life in Antigua Guatemala. Let me know if you do… tap for full image!
Processions provide us with lots opportunities to shoot in black and white as well as in color; depending of what you include …
If you like curries head over to Toko Baru, a great joint located on 1a avenida sur, offering lots of curry and …
As I said a few weeks ago, often in Antigua Guatemala people when they think of tourists, they think of foreigners who …
Today we continue the new Panza Verde Portraits series with a portrait of Francisco who guards the main entrance to the Real …
Today I will begin a new series and category: Panza Verde Portraits. As many of you know, Panza Verde, green belly is …
This is a centuries old play written by a Franciscan friar as a warning for those who make the wrong choices in …
Today’s version of chicken tikka masala es from Toko Baru, a great joint located on 1a avenida sur, with lots of curry and pita sandwich options. I highlighted this diner for the first time back in April 2010 with a shorma kebab pita sandwich.