GuatemalaDailyPhoto

Yes, we have ice rinks here in Guatemala, in fact there is a free one promoted by the central government at Parque Central.
This one is at Ciudad Cayalá. Small in size but full of fun and laughs. Check it out next time you are around.
Oh, if you were wondering: yes, one week I’m drinking pinas coladas at 90F here in Guatemala and next week I’m ice skating.

Paseo Cayalá is the Center of a luxury Private/Gated community, Ciudad Cayalá they call it, more than 100 acres in size.
Exquisite architecture with a great variety of fine restaurants and luxury shops, a must stop if you are around Guatemala City. Just don’t go there during holiday season or you might have to stay on a car line for more than an hour to enter the parking lot.
I’ll share more of Ciudad Cayalá soon. Stay Tuned.

First Act depicts the daily life and dancing of the Chorti People, an ethnic group of Mayan origin.

Second act depicts life and dancing of the Garifuna People, brought to the country as slaves during colonial times.

Third act is about Day of the Death and kite flying. For Mayan people, the flight of kites symbolizes the journey of relatives soul to the after life. If the kite flies high; it means the soul is ascending to heaven. If the kite is having trouble gaining altitude and stability; it means the soul is going to the purgatory. And if the kite fails to lift or dives down, it means the soul is going to hell. Think about it next time you see them kites.

The Artists:

Actors of Proyección Folklórica Zoel Valdés, founded by Professor and Folklorist Zoel Arturo Valdés Molina, with 35 years of experience interpreting Guatemalan Folklore and Traditions.
It was a three acts play. I’ll have more photos tomorrow.

Well, the art festival at zone 1 it’s over; what could be better than a cello concert in the Presidential Palace?  I had the chance to see this guatemalan musician before;  Ricardo del Carmen Fortuny also directs choirs, for example.

Rainy Season is over here in Guatemala and these are the days we are specting now until May next year.

What a wonderful show we saw thanks to these talented artists, Myrna already wrote a review about the park where this show took place.  El centro it’s a great place to be these days due the festival that takes place for one more week.

Here is something every Guatemalan knows, Jocotes with a ground and roasted squash seeds, limes juice and salt.
Enjoy!

He always has been this sort of ghost for me, I’ve see him at night, always at night… really late in the night and then he disappears.  That’s more than enough for me, I’m pleased with the legend, with his ability to slip away and move something inside of you.  And that’s what I really want you to know about his persona: The mysticism and the caliber of his words.

He’s a great poet and performer, the best I’ve ever seen live.  Just today, I had the chance to see him for the second time ever, I don’t think he does much performances this days, but I’m not sure, he has been doing it for over fifteen years now.

So, if you have the opportunity to catch him someday in a live performance, don’t miss him, he may be without notice in the evening’s program.

While living in the States, a couple of years ago I was following the news of a former Guatemalan President being detained and sent to prison for several charges. One of the images on Guatemalan TV news was one that really called my attention. It was this congress man going to visit former El Presidente to jail, congressman brings a couple of bags of something I could not distinguish. I asked my now fiance if she new what that was, she tells me “That’s Pollo Brujo!”. Since then, I’ve been craving to try that.
And here it is! It is very tasty and healty, not over seasoned and it is chard broiled. Very simple but tasty, got to top it with some lime juice and it is perfect. Good enough for an imprisoned Presidente, good enough for Eli.
Enjoy.

Several months ago I was writing about how many people and myself was actually using a few coffee shops in the city as a (co)working space, chances are you don’t get to see how this is not the standard but, let me tell you, moving around the city with expensive equipment (cameras, computers and other gadgets) it’s for adventurous and fearless people. That being said, not all the battles are lost.

Follow the Freelance Diaries in the archives.

El Qüid it’s one of the two co-working spaces I’ve come to know in the city.  The other one it’s called “Chamba” each one a few steps away in zone 4. This area in the city once was also know for having the best partys but also for its decline from a comercial point of view; now, another story begin, involving hard working people. But that’s not the only thing… tonight, actually, I’m gonna stay here (at El Qüid) for a documentary projection; they have cultural activities which as you may know by now, I’m all for it.

Freelance Diaries: Get out there, speak, listen.

This is my first time in El Qüid, there’s good music in the background, coffee and beer, although, is a bit empty right now. The idea may be great, and the price is certainly fair.  It’s for the people to choose if this it’s a good idea or not.   Ernesto, one of the heads of this place, was kind enough to let me stay today for the rest of the afternoon, at this point they offer weekly and monthly plans. There’s still some construction and noise going on, but you just have to be patient I guess.

Kudos for El Qüid, good lighting, background music, reasonable prices, frendly people, interesting events, keep up the good work!

Don’ t you love third world countries burocracy!?
I lost my state ID and had to come to the registry to get a new one.
I came Tuesday and they tell me they weren’t giving line numbers for any of the services, you have to come back tomorrow they say. Came back early Wednesday and staid in line for  8 hours to be given a bill to go pay at a bank near by, went to the bank inmediatly and paid the bill, came back to the resgistry right after and when i arrive they tell me they are not taking any new people in line: you have to comeback tomorrow, they say. I come back early Thursday and they put me in a line for 30 minutes where i was given a piece of paper to write down my personal info. After that I have to join another line where they have one slow person attending the line, which has only move 3 spaces in two hours, ans there are 45 people before I, where they (hopefuly) will attend my request for a new ID.