The Guatemala Gringo

Purchase Mayan Textiles in Antigua, Guatemala

January 23rd, 2009 | Guatemala - Culture | No Comments »

The Indigenous people of Guatemala produce some of the most beautifully woven and colorful textiles. The problem is, most of them live in remote villages, making their textiles a little harder to access than the ones massed produced for the tourist crowds. The solution is Nim Po’t, a consignment store that serves as a place to purchase and showcase Mayan textiles.

One of the most popular and sought after item available at Nim Po’t are huipiles, the large overblouses traditionally worn by Mayan women. The neat thing about huipiles is that each village has it’s own style, and it evolves over time, so experts can actually tell where a huipil is from and when it was woven Read more

Bakery and Restaurant in Antigua

January 21st, 2009 | Guatemala - Places to Stay, The Best of Guatemala | No Comments »

Delicious chocolate cake and homemade banana bread are mmm mmm good at Doña Luisa Xicotencatl in Antigua, Guatemala.

This little restaurant and bakery is located on 4a calle oriente #12, but it is better known as the yellow house across the street from Deliciosa where there used to be a Subway, or next door to Fridas. It is a common place for Antigüeños to meet for breakfast on a Sunday morning, or grab lunch during the week.

The food is excellent, reasonably priced, and the atmosphere is great. Doña Luisa Xicotencatl is located in a restored home from 1650, and is named after conquistador Pedro de Alvarado’s companion. In the front room on the second floor there are some Read more

Go Take a Hike! In Guatemala

January 12th, 2009 | Guatemala - Adventure, Guatemala - Must See or Do | No Comments »

Get your blood pumping hiking one of Guatemala’s volcanos/mountains!

Tajumulco is Central America’s highest volcano, at 13,776 feet, but technically it is an easy climb. It does, however offer some pretty amazing views of both Mexico and Guatemala. On a clear day you can see all the way to the Pacific Ocean!

Guatemala Coffee Farm and Estate

January 6th, 2009 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 1 Comment »

Guatemala is known for its excellent coffee, and a tour of a Coffee Farm & Coffee Museum is a fun way to taste what’s brewing in this Central American coffee hotspot.

Finca La Azotea is open from Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Saturday until 2 pm and closed on Sunday. It is located in Jocotenango, Sacatepequez.

Here’s the La Azotea way of doing things:

At La Azotea we plant only the highest quality Arabica variety of coffee, under a dense, bio-diversified canopy of shade trees. Our organic pest control system coupled with advanced composting used for fertilizer make Azotea en environmentally friendly plantation.

At harvest time our workers hand pick only the ripe red beans.

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 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 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 Read more

Paying Taxes from Abroad

November 26th, 2008 | Guatemala - Relocation | No Comments »

One of the biggest topics of discussion, and sometimes heated debate, among expats is how to handle taxes. Many would like to move out of the United States and just forget about any tax responsibilities they may have. The IRS, however, feels a little differently about the subject.

As an expat living abroad in several countries for over 5 years now, and traveling for many more prior to that, I am proud to say that I file my taxes yearly. A wise man once said, “Pay Caesar’s things to Caesar,” and I have found that a good motto to live by.

Does that mean you should expect to get hit hard by taxes? Not necessarily. Many Read more

Purchase Mayan Textiles in Antigua, Guatemala

Bakery and Restaurant in Antigua

Go Take a Hike! In Guatemala

Guatemala Coffee Farm and Estate

Ring in the New Year with a Party in Antigua

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

Christmas is Coming… and so are Tamales Negros!

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

Mini Videos of Guatemala

Paying Taxes from Abroad

Recent Posts

Additional Travel Resources

What I'm Doing...

Comments

Blogroll

Archives

Categories

Tags

The Gringo Travel Network