How do you turn a living city into a shopping mall? Well, unregulated businesses will pay top money for real estate and in places where there are no city ordinances dictating how much of the real estate can be use for housing, schools, parks, business, et cetera, many houses become businesses. That’s is the sad … Read more
A couple of years ago, I made the declaration that public washbasins, lavaderos, and water tanks, pilas, are the current social media networks of the villagers around Antigua Guatemala. Well, while talking the ladies in this public washbasin in San Juan del Obispo, I can reiterate that this declaration still holds true. Public laundry washbasins … Read more
As I have mentioned before, it doesn’t matter what day of the week one stops by the public washbasins, lavaderos around Antigua Guatemala, one will always find the ladies doing the laundry either their own or somebody else’s. I have chatted with several of these women and I’ve asked what were some of the reasons … Read more
It doesn’t matter what day of the week you stop by the public washbasins, lavaderos, you will always find the ladies doing the laundry. In the past I have talked to several of the women doing the laundry and I asked what were some of the reasons for utilizing the public washbasins even though most … Read more
Public laundry washbasins (sometimes river and lake shores) serve as the gathering place for news, gossip and community building through the interactions that take place there. In many places in Guatemala public washbasins could be considered the first news broadcasting sites or rural social media networks, similar to Facebook or Twitter for people with computers … Read more
I have mentioned it a few times, but let me repeat it again. There’s are aesthetic principles which are used and apply to design and architecture to make then look and fit harmoniously and coherently into the Antigua Guatemala enchanting environment. Take this water tank and washbasins for instance, which I am not sure it’s … Read more
It’s nice to see colonial pilas and lavaderos (water tanks + washbasins) being used now as fountains and as decoration. If you want to see a pila as decoration follow the white rabbit to The Venerable Colonial Pila is Now Used as Decoration. If you want to see colonial pila being used as a fountain … Read more
Don’t ask me, but how did the venerable utilitarian pila (water tank) and lavadero (washbasin) became decorations elements or design accents? In The Venerable Colonial Pila is Now Used as Decoration I introduced you to the washbasins and water tank inside McCafé in La Antigua Guatemala with the following words: What’s a pila (pee-lah), I … Read more
The venerable colonial pila from Guatemala is often in my focus, don’t you agree? Now, if you can tell exactly how many pilas, washbasins, have appeared in AntiguaDailyPhoto since May 1, 2006, I will mail you a post card made from the washbasin photo you choose. Good luck to all players! [gmap]
The first step of making the Guatemalan washbasin is to set the concrete mold pieces and then filling it with concrete. The concrete mold pieces are covered with burnt oil so they don’t stick to the fresh new concrete. The whole process from setting up the mold pieces to putting the final details like white … Read more
Actually, I should say removing the mold pieces. Basically, to manufacture pilas, washbasins, there four basic steps: Set the mold pieces and iron rods pieces to serve as skeleton. The mold concrete pieces are applied a light layer of burnt oil so they don’t stick to new concrete structure. Fill it with concrete and wait … Read more
These pilas go for a little over Q500/$60 because they use higher quality paint and more cement in the concrete mixture. Cheaper pilas can be had for a little as Q300/$36. Don Eduardo González shared with me that he knows people who have over 20-year old pilas manufactured by him. Also, he made it very … Read more
First of all, I read ALL your comments. I don’t always find time to reply every single comment, but I do read each one. Second, I keep requests in my to-do list. Third, eventually I get to your requests as time and circumstance allow. Fourth, I don’t follow a logic order; what can I say, … Read more
The last meeting of the Club Fotográfico de Antigua was quite a blast with some very interesting guests like Iván Castro, James Rodríguez and Diego Colombi. First, my good friend Iván Castro, founding member of FlickrGuatemala, decided to pay us a visit to see what’s exactly happening at the photo club. Check out Iván’s most … Read more
The venerable colonial pila from La Antigua Guatemala finds a new use as decoration in a fast food restaurant. What’s a pila (pee-lah), I hear you ask? simple, the omnipresent pila guatemalteca is basically a water tank and one or two sinks or washbasins for doing dishes and washing the clothes. You have seen a … Read more