A visit to el mercado of Antigua Guatemala can be an assault on the senses. Rich saturated colours, beats and rhythm to the ears, and of course, a full spectrum of aromas. All of this even before you buy anything. Where would you start at booth of tropical fruits such as this one? Follow the … Read more
Copal incense and corozo palms provide the main aromas of Lent and Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala. Corozo palms are sold in the Antigua Guatemala municipal mercado during and around Lent season. As I have said before, Lent and Holy Week in La Antigua Guatemala carry their own set of scents, flavors and colors. I … Read more
To be honest, many times I can not tell what all the ingredients, spices, or fruits are that I encounter when I enter the market. What about you, how many ingredients do you recognise in this picture?
This is what a typical Christmas decoration stand looks like in the market of Antigua Guatemala. Everything decoration you see here is artificial and man-made, most of made in China quite possibly. On the other hand, you can find stands with natural Christmas decorations such as pine needles, manzanilla strings, pashte, chicuyas, pascuas, corderos de … Read more
El mercado of Antigua Guatemala is such a photogenic place. Almost everywhere you point you camera, you have interesting vistas to capture. Here, for instance, is an overview of the grain vendor shop. What items do you recognise and what items you don’t?
Today we begin a new section which I am calling Sentimental Saturdays in which I will share photographs from the Brooks Buderus archive. A few months ago I came into several hundred slides taken by architect Brooks Buderus in the 70s and 80s in Antigua Guatemala and other cities around Guatemala, Honduras and Chiapas, Mexico. … Read more
Oh, I don’t think I will ever get tired for the abundant fresh produce available in el mercado of La Antigua Guatemala from the regular permanent stands or the ambulant produce sellers. Either way, you’re guaranteed fresh and colorful vegetables and fruits everyday. Life is good!
San Felipe de Jesús is just a small town next to La Antigua Guatemala, which has its own particularities. San Felipe’s church is gothic, its market is cozy, there are many options to have some delicious food… So, why not pay a visit to San Felipe on a Saturday or Sunday? I guess I am … Read more
Market day in La Antigua Guatemala is much more than just getting your weekly produce or enjoying a photo moment of local Guatemalan life. To me it’s a sneak peak into the hard lives of the market workers and their families. The markets of Guatemala are full of little kids that have to spend their … Read more
Sweet. Juicy. Succulent. Happy. Fresh. Inviting. These are just some of the words that come to mind whenever I spy the overflowing mounds of fruit at the market. With such a flood of rainbow colors, I find the market is an excellent spot for a quick pick-me-up! But it’s not just the colors. It’s the … Read more
By moving from one section of the mercado to another, we find that las floristerías (flower shops) are preparing the flower arrangements of the Día de los muertos or Día de los difuntos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. Above you see the round arrangements called coronas (crowns). Día de los muertos is celebrated in Guatemala … Read more
There’s no coming back. I was surprise to see a computer being used among all the fresh produce in the mercado (market) of La Antigua Guatemala. Sure, Lucky, my favorite vendor, supplies fresh fruits and vegetable to many restaurants around Antigua, but I was startled to see the computer in there. I think for now … Read more
You can go every day to el mercado (market) of La Antigua Guatemala, but if you go Monday, Thursday or Saturday, you can find a larger market (about twice as big) and the best selection and quality are available in días de mercado (market days). You also find a crowded market on those days. In … Read more
The transnational Spanish cell phone company Movistar enters the humble Guatemalan market; following the example set by Domino’s Pizza. So now, you can go to el mercado (market) of La Antigua Guatemala for your vegetables, fruits, spices, flowers, dishes, charcoal and cell phones. These two girls, with Telefónica Movistar t-shirts, were selling the cell phones for Q130/USD$18 with Q100 of airtime and your own cellphone number; not bad all.
Chiltepe is the name given to Guatemala’s most widely-used hot pepper. I posted a photo of shrimp ceviche, a shrimp coctail, on May 14th that had chiltepe in it. In the picture above, you can see chiltepes as they are sold in the mercado of La Antigua Guatemala.