Lavaderos del Tanque de La Unión
The washbasins at Pilas de Santa Clara, better known as Tanque de La Unión, must be the most photogenic laundromat in the world, don’t you think?
Washbasins
Arches of Pilas de Santa Clara in Antigua Guatemala
Believe it or not, that yellow structure houses public washbasins, sort of a laundromat, used everyday by people to wash their clothes until about five years ago. Nowadays, it is used infrequently as a washbasins, but still people use it for hanging our and chilling. Photographers, like myself, use this monument as a photogenic backdrop; … Read more
Public Washbasins Pilas de Santa Clara
I believe this photograph shows the best possible way the actual lavaderos, washbasins, of Pilas de Santa Clara better known as Tanque de La Unión. It is too bad that you rarely see people washing clothes at these lavaderos. If you would like to see people washing laundry at public washbasins, hop over a bus … Read more
Repurposing Colonial Water Tanks and Sinks
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
Doing Laundry by Hand in Antigua Guatemala
Often photography enthusiasts and photographers taking a photo walk with me ask if the people still do laundry at the public lavaderos at Tanque de la Unión, Pilas de Santa Clara is the proper name. Well, I was asked that this weekend and sure enough we get there and this woman from Santa María de … Read more
Washbasins and Water tank at Casa Herrera
This is the top view as seen from the spiral staircase of the washbasins and water tank at Casa Herrera. Although, as we can see from this perspective, the washbasins and water tank are only decoration pieces now since they have electric washer and dryer in the kitchen; as shown in the corner of the … Read more
Guatemalan Portrait: Typical Smiling Girl
If you visit Guatemala, one thing that will be common everywhere you go are the smiling faces. Here I captured the typical smiling face of a girl having lots of fun at the lavadero público in the Pilas de Santa Clara, better known now as Tanque de la Unión. Let’s have another creative caption contest. … Read more
Every Day is Laundry Day Around Antigua Guatemala
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
Public Washbasins from Santa Catarina de Bobadilla, Antigua Guatemala
Today I will let you guys caption this picture. I am excited to read what creative stories you guys can come up with for this picture of a little girl barely reaching the lavadero. Next Sunday I will pick the most creative caption send a photo post card to the winner. As in previous photo … Read more
Pilas de Santa Clara
I have always called this monument Tanque de la Unión because that’s what everybody calls it. However, I learned during my Antigua Guatemala’s history certificate course, that most historians call it Pilas o Lavaderos de Santa Clara. I believe both names are correct, but Pila de Santa Clara is probably more correct since these washbasins … Read more
Arches at Tanque de la Unión
These arches along with the public washbasins and water tank are one of the most often photographed landmarks in Antigua Guatemala. I am certain that if you have visited Antigua Guatemala with a camera on hand, you have a picture of it; am I correct? Estos arcos junto con los lavaderos públicos y la pila … Read more
Laundry Day in San Juan del Obispo
This is what a typical laundry day looks like at any of the public washbasins and water tanks in and around Antigua Guatemala. What’s not so typical is to see a man doing laundry in one of the lavaderos (washbasins). Este es un típico día en los lavaderos públicos en las aldeas de Antigua Guatemala. … Read more
Guatemalan Colonial-Style Washaterias
We call them lavaderos in Spanish, pila is also used, pila is actually the water tank. and I believe I have posted at least 6 o 7 entries about the public washbasins and water tanks as I have found them around Antigua Guatemala. The first person who can correctly list all the different posts that … Read more
Every day is laundry day at los lavaderos
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
Washbasins and Water Tanks Are the Social Media Networks For Villages
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