GuatemalaDailyPhoto

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.

I’m a day behind on eating Fiambre. Fiambre is a traditional dish eaten for Day of the Death, 31st of October.
My recipe for Fiambre: Eating it and taking a long nap.
This is a plate with two kinds of Fiammbre: Fiambre Blanco and Fiambre Rojo.
Bon Appétit.

Piñatas, you can find hundreds of different designs and colors and you can even have them custom made.
This is on Zone 1, Guatemala City adjacent to Parque Colón, an entire street allocated to piñatas business.

Rock Culture is dying down here in Guatemala.
In fact, there is no single good Rock radio station anymore, the last one they tell me changed its style more than three years ago; now they play pop music. But there still some loyal young people out here.
By chance I ended up at this autograph signing by Alan Boguslavsky, former guitar player of one of the most renown Latin America rock bands. The Dream of the Dead, by Alan Boguslavsky.

Street Fashion, Sixth Avenue, Guatemala City.

I know you all have seen more elegant, more sophisticated, more abundant and richer versions of a Desayuno Chapín -Guatemalan Breakfast-.
There is not set of rules nor it is written in stone what a Desayuno Chapín should be, or should contain. In my opinion, the Desayuno Chapín should reflect Authenticness -my word-, devotion to aboriginal ingredients, and the most important; Practicality. Again, in my opinion; Desayuno Chapín is about what’s practical but still tasty, not about presentation or fanciness. And what I show you here is what a Desayuno Chapín is and has been for the largest segment of the population, especially in the countryside.
And I’ll have this Desayuno Chapín go against any at a distinguished restaurant.
Que ricos estan los frijoles -So tasty are them Frijoles- I told the female attending the shop. Es que estan hechos con cariño -It is because they are made with love/passion/affection- she tells me. That’s something you are not likely to get at a fancy restaurant.

I am very pessimistic when it comes to evaluate our cultural strength. But I have to accept that there are some positive stories out here.

Every one here in Guatemala is familiar with this ubiquitous fried chicken restaurant…

when I left Guatemala more than sixteen years ago, the restaurant had a strict policy of not allowing tortillas in their restaurant: they would not sell them or allow customer to bring them in. Guatemalans have to have tortillas with their meal and they could not stand eating their chicken with bread instead of them tortillas. A lot of times Guatemalan customers would sneak tortillas in to eat their chicken with. Who did not?

Now the restaurant has formally surrendered and even has provided tortilla vendors outside their doors with umbrellas to protect them from Sun and Rain. And as a formal sign of capitulation; they now feature tortillas on their menu!

Oh, by the way, they have a new item on the menu: A Pepian Sandwich. Pepian is a traditional Guatemalan Dish and it is the first time a see a sandwich version with it. I did like it.

I’m back! After being absent for a few, I’m back on the blog.
I’ll be posting more and more of this intriguing country of us and I’ll be showing you photos of a Photography Project I’m starting next week. So keep tuned.

A street candy shop on Zone 1 and some handicrafts and sweets at Mercado Central.

Cultural Festival of Mayan Languages at San Carlos University (USAC)
Lovely time at the University. The only thing that saddens me is a number I hear while holding a casual conversation with one of the Mayan Languages teachers. It turns out that there are less than 200 people taking Mayan Languages classes at the University. Not big deal right? Well, This University holds more than 50% of the entire University Students in the country, and there are more than 150 thousand students here. Less than 0.2% of students find it rewarding learning Mayan languages or culture. Sad..

A short play of Dia de los Santos (Day of the dead?)

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Young performer of El Pabank, ritual dance of Coban.
More photos and complete commentary tomorrow.

I don’t know much about this Guatemalan Tradition, what I know is: It is not in Jocotenango! Jocotenango is a municipality in the department of Sacatepequez, neighboring La Antigua Guatemala. The image of Virgin Mary, Patron Saint of Guatemala City was brought to Guatemala from Jocotenango, and, well, they celebrate the Assumption of Virgin Mary with this fair. Please, correct me because I know I’m wrong…
Oh, adjacent to the festivities there is a Relief-Miniature map of the entire country. Here is a photograph showing Tajumulco Volcano, the place with the most spectacular view in Central America, 13,845 ft above sea level at the summit.
At the Fair’s entrance; I found this duet playing Guatemalan folk songs. Their music was exquisite.