GuatemalaDailyPhoto

Closing down the shop, Downtown Guatemala City.

You won´t believe the diverse foods available in Guatemala, but what´s most amazing is the price-quality ratio. (more…)

Many Guatemalans who live in the United States return home during mayor holidays, like Semana Santa or Holy Week. Some are coming back for the first time in decades, others make the effort to come back every year. They bring their children and wives to walk the streets and visit the places they knew as children. One of the first stops is your old house or street. This is a shot of my street in the historic center of Guatemala City. Nothing prepares you for the torrent of emotions that overwhelm you when you recognize your old house.

photo and text by Eddie Deleón

This is the first time I’ve been at La Esquina Jazz Café, and I’m sure people told me about this place at least a year ago, located at 6ta avenida 0-15 zona 2, Guatemala City. It’s a great place to hear live Jazz and have a drink after work. The melody below was part of the restaurant’s playlist that night, according to my friend Luis, thank you for the reference!

High ceiling coffee shops should be my next photographic hunt, don’t you think? Also, I’m a fan of low light places like the one in the picture, that is Café León, located at zona 1. If you want to know where’s located go to the previous review of this place.  As the afternoon progress, the place gets more people accompanied by a book or friends catching up.

In this kind of buildings, I think I’ll always enjoy to zone out thinking about the original building, the first inhabitants and the sumptuous life they had. Most of them politicians or the first tradesmen that the city came to know.

Here are some photographs of the Critical Mass ride, Guatemala.
Critical Mass, Guatemala started 8 years ago, an event to promote the use of bicycles as primary commuting method.
There is still much to do, specially breaking the cultural barriers. Here in Guatemala if you ride a bicycle to work; you are poor. If you do well, you have to drive to work or the corner store 300 feet away.
Streets are not as bad as one might think. As I say, most of the factors that make people prefer motor vehicles instead of bicycles are cultural.
I’m glad there are events like this and loyal followers.
Keep Riding!

32 years (!) riding the streets of Guatemala with 0 accidents.

Riding the bicycle is not a cyclist, it is a life. Respect us!

Founder of Critical Mass Guatemala

Early start

Founder of Critical Mass Guatemala

Nothing sexier than a beautiful woman working on a bike.

Nothing sexier than a beautiful woman working on a bike.

And of course the day I went to ice skate the rink was down for maintenance. I guess I’ll have to wait until Christmas Season to ice skate here in Guatemala.
The rink is open from mid November to the last week of December.

Here is a beautiful piece I got the other day at Mercado Central, Downtown Guatemala City’s most important market.
This table runner might cost you up to $100 at a department store, but here in Guatemala you can get it as cheap as Q150, less than $19. So don’t forget to visit Mercado Central in Guatemala City.

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

Dance of the Fertilizing Snake

Dance of the Fertilizing Snake

Dance of the Fertilizing Snake

Chorti Dance

Chorti daily life

Chorti daily life

Chorti daily life

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.