Ring in the New Year with a Party in Antigua

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Ring in the New Year with a Party in Antigua

December 30th, 2008 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Must See or Do | No Comments »

Antigua is getting ready. Tomorrow night is New Year’s Eve and this city has certainly built up a reputation for putting on one of the most spectacular displays of fireworks. The show starts about an hour or so before midnight and fireworks can be seen from all over the city. The loud, brightly colored sky captures the imagination of all involved in the celebration, hope for the coming year reflected in the light on their faces.

If you want to enjoy the celebration with close friends or family only, scamper up onto your rooftop. From there you can enjoy the light show above and the dancing and parading around in the streets below.

The fireworks aren’t the city’s gig; people all throughout Antigua set Read more

School on Vacation??? The Antigua Cooking School Perhaps?

December 24th, 2008 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, Guatemala - Places to Eat | No Comments »

Far from being your traditional classroom setting, the Antigua Cooking School, hosted by Militza de León, a graduate of the Intecap Guatemalan culinary school, and Vilma McComsey, proprietor of The Antigua Cooking School, is set in the walled garden of a colonial home in La Antigua, under a 130-year-old avocado tree.

Miltza and Vilma, who take turns instructing the daily classes, are far from being teachers only; they are also hostesses. They chat mindlessly with the students, who feel a bit more like guests who have been invited into the kitchen. There is no room in the kitchen, however, for idle hands, so the students pick up the dough and get to work.

Christmas is Coming… and so are Tamales Negros!

December 19th, 2008 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Places to Eat | 2 Comments »

With Christmas fast approaching excitement for tamales colorados mounts. Tamales are good at any time of year, but the tamal negro is a personal favorite of mine and it seems I can only manage to get a hold of some in the month of December.

Black tamales get their name from their chocolate-based sauce and is commonly accompanied by raisins, nuts, and dried plums. It might seem a little strange at first, but the sweet taste is something that kind of just grows on you, kind of like the habichuelas con dulce served during Semana Santa.

Other tamales served in during the holiday and year-round include the tamal colorado, which is probably the most common and the smaller chuchito which Read more

Typical Guatemalan Dishes Served Right at La Fonda de La Calle Real Restaurant

December 15th, 2008 | Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, Guatemala - Places to Eat | No Comments »

Back in November La Fonda de la Calle Real held it’s annual Carrera de Charolas, which was, as always, a smash hit. Now it’s time to discuss why La Fonda de la Calle Real Restaurant is a smash hit as well.

If you’ve spent much time in Guatemala, you’ll know that there is a wide variety of restaurants to choose from. In Antigua you can get anything from Chinese to Mexican, and finding authentic Guatemalan fare can actually be a little tricky.

Mini Videos of Guatemala

December 4th, 2008 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Culture | No Comments »

If you’ve never been in a Mayan marketplace it is hard to understand what it’s like through words or even through pictures. Without taking a trip to one yourself the best way to experience it is probably through video. Thanks to the “A Mayan’s Guide to Guatemala” you can.

The mini-series “A Mayan’s Guide to Guatemala” is posted on www.howstuffworks.com and takes you inside Guatemala. One of the videos is of the Mountain Markets, where many of the Mayans who grow crops or make crafts sell their goods. Other videos take you inside Mayan craft-making, and another focus’ on children’s roles in Mayan culture.

These videos are a good way to take a brief Read more