Monday, March 31, 2008

La Merced

La Merced

La Merced

The Church of "La Merced" (Mercy in english) at Antigua Guatemala, the one I liked the most.

Antigua Cathedral

Catedral Antigua

Antigua Cathedral

The Cathedral in Antigua

Carpet on the La Merced Church

Alfombra en Iglesia LaMerced



Carpet on the La Merced Church

Part of what makes the Holy Week different in Antigua, is the "Alfombras" or carpets.

On the streets where the procession is going, people create those carpets, some with plant, and with other kinds of materials.

Lots of pretty and colorful designs.

This was the first "Alfombra" I saw that day, outside the church of La Merced, the starting point of the procession.

Lomo Relleno

Lomo Relleno

Lomo Relleno

I was told the name in spanish is Lomo Relleno, is pork meat, in a roll , filled with more meat.

Domingo de Ramos in Antigua

Domingo de Ramos


Domingo de Ramos in Antigua

The day I arrived to Antigua, was sunday, when its the festivities of "Domingo de Ramos", translation would be something like "Palm Sunday"

I liked the palms that were on sale, so I decided to take a photo.

The Palm Sunday festivity, is because of the day Christ entered to Jerusalem, and begins the Holy Week. People buy the palms, go to mass, where they are sprinkled with holy water. Those palms, are then burned, and the ashes are used next year, on "Miercoles de Ceniza", Ash wednesday.

Volcan de Agua in Antigua

Volcan de Agua en Antigua

Volcan de Agua in Antigua

This is a photo of the "Volcan de Agua" outside Antigua
Antigua was the city of Guatemala I was the most days, used the time to see how Holly Week is on that city.

Around Antigua there are 3 volcanoes.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

More Lava

Mas Lava


More Lava

Ok, I say it, I was totally impressed to see lava.

:P

Its Lava

Es Lava

Its Lava

The most interesting part of climbing the mountain, was to see lava, from little place where little lava was slowly coming out of the rocks, to lava in an almost solid state moving really slowly, to hole where one could see lava like in the photo, or full rivers of lava moving.

And the amount of heat is amazing.

Top of the Pacaya Volcano

Cima del volcan Pacaya


Top of the Pacaya Volcano

This is the view from near the Top of the Pacaya Volcano.

All volcanic rock and ashes, had to be very careful when walking, since the rock moves, breaks, sometimes is really hot when there is lava moving under it, can even break open a lava outing. In fact one person in the group cut himself with a piece of rock.

A very impressive thing to look, like a view of another planet.

Blue Dress

Vestido Azul


Blue Dress

Had to put a photo of Jessica (taken a few time ago) among the trip ones :P

Pacaya Volcano

Volcan Pacaya


Pacaya Volcano

Once in Antigua I took a trip to the Pacaya Volcano, although there are taller volcanoes around, the interesting thing is that is an active volcano that has lava flowing.

According to a sign at the entrance, its a 2200 meters climb, a good exercise.


This photo is a look of the volcano from the base.

Tamal Guatemalteco

Tamal Guatemalteco


Tamal Guatemalteco

This is a Tamal, Guatemalean Style.
Inside it, thre is a full piece of chicken (leg) in tomato sauce

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Sunset on the Peten Itza Lake

Sunset at Peten Itza Lake


Sunset on the Peten Itza Lake

Well a photo of the Sunset over the Peten Itza Lake, I like it.

At 9 pm, it was time to take a bus again, now more to the south towards Guatemala Capital City. Luckily it was of the Pullman type buses, so it was comfortable, so again, one night sleeping on a bus. To Guatemala City arriving at 4am.

Bird from Peten

Pajarito del Peten


Bird from Peten

Its a little Bird, I managed to photograph on the Peten Lake

Turkey Plate

Pavo Guisado


Turkey Plate

As I was saying, I took the time in the island of Flore, Guatemala, and decided to eat something.

So I eat a delicious plate of Turkey, prepared guatemalean style. It was delicious.

Peten Itza Lake

Lago Peten Itza

Peten Itza Lake

Well I am back after one week away on Vacations, for the Holly Week

I made a whole circle around on my trip.

Lets see, I started on my island, friday night at 9pm, from there a bus to Chetumal at the east, where I arrived at 4am, well most of the time was sleeping on the bus, so really didnt felt time passing, of course, not the best way to sleep.

At 5 am, take the bus from Chetumal to Flores,Guatemala, to the south and a little bit to the west. Arriving around 2pm.

Once in Flores, Guatemala, had to wait a little time, that was good, I took the time to eat, and stretch the legs a bit.

Took one of the boats to the Lookout point, from where one can see almost all the Peten Itza Lake.

The photo is my attempt (badly done) to do a panorama with Photostitch, one can easily see (even in this small version) where the photo join points are.

Other is since my flickr account is of the free ones, the maximum side has to be 1200 pixels, so it looks all tiny. But still one can see the lake, the island of Flores, a couple more islands, the town of SantaElena, and a bit of jungle.

Because walking 5 more meters (15 feet) is so terrible

Por que caminar 5 metros mas es terrible

Because walking 5 more meters (15 feet) is so terrible

Ok, I understand that it is more desirable to park close to the destination, specially if one is to carry things to or from the car.

But there are timers, in which in some people, that need to park as close to it, makes it look as if for them walking those extra 5 meters is harmful. It is interesting to see how sometimes just to save walking a few more steps, people keep driving around or waiting for long times.

One example from the other day, on the store park place, there were a few park spots like around 100 meters away, but there was one car that looked like going out just 20 meters ahead (or 80 away), so the vehicle in front decides to go and wait for the car that might go out in the not so closer spot. And it waited long for the people and kids to put the bags and then go inside. It was waiting even after I walked the 100 meters of the other park spots, and entered the store. So just to avoid walking 20 meter, waited for a few minutes. Well it might not look like if a few minutes would be such a big deal, indeed, but there are other times when people would go for longer times just waiting for that park place.

But the most ridiculous was yesterday night, at the park place outside of where I go to do exercise, while I parked, get all my stuff out of the car, a car went around the whole parking lot 3 times. At the end it parked "far from the entrance", or in other words, next to where I parked. I listened how one of the girls said to the one driving "Great, now i am late for my class, while you were here just driving around"

The other girls says "I wanted to park closer, so not to walk that much"

I was totally like "WHAT???", it was not even 30 meters(10 feet) to the entrance, and that was for her to walk that much, and her destination was to a place to do exercise, so what would be so bad of just walking a few steps more , even might be good for warming up (well not really being such a short distance)

Anyway, thats just how humans are.


Kisses
Jessica

Pineapple 13

Pina 13

Pineapple 13

Detail in black and white

Purple and Black

Purple and Black

Purple and Black

I love how purple and black go together

Purple blouse whit decorations
Straight black skirt
Black boots
And a fairy necklace.

Pineapple

Pinita


Pineapple