back to Guatemala... (part 1 of 3)
After almost nine years, I went back to Guatemala... the country I was born in.
Here are the pics;
PART I: GUATEMALA CITY
Arriving was just exciting... I knew when we entered the country by looking out the window and seeing volcanoes in the horizon and rivers right below. While descending into Guatemala City I snapped a pic of the city's main plaza... and wow! little it has changed. (at least from above)
Once upon a time the airport used to be outside the city but now it is in the middle of it.
At the airport my family waited for me... and some new members were there... My sister had a son while I was in the U.S and it was at that moment that I met him for the first time... he is now 7. My niece (his sister) was 1 y/o when I left. Now she's ten.
Those two are the only niece and nephew I have.
The day after I arrived I visited the cemetery to see where my grandmother is buried. She died in 2006 and she's one of the people I didn't get to see again. I have great memories of her. The visit to the Cemetery was emotional... my mom cried... my brother, niece and nephew kept quiet. I felt like crying but kept myself together.
Instead of flowers, we brought palms. Next day it was Palm Sunday so we felt it was appropriate.
Back into downtown we watched a procession. By chance we stood by a piñata factory. The characters they make are so much fun.
The big pink dinosaur on the upper right is Barney.
The procession.
The Old Part of the City
The cool thing about Guatemala City is that there are still buildings left of the original layout of the city. On Palm Sunday, my siblings, nephew and niece went to the old part of the city to watch some more processions. (there are lots of processions on Easter in Guatemala.)
I'll share some pics of Guatemala City's streets that I took through the whole week here.
The first procession was the one of Jesus of the Palms. So representative of the day and so cheerful.
Jesus de las Palmas. (notice the old rooftop behind the procession.)
My nephew Joseph and I outside of the Temple where Jesus de las Palmas belongs to.
We walked around more to find the other procession.
Joseph, Linda and me. In the background is the National Cathedral seeing from behind.
People who carry processions dress in purple robe like the pic below shows. What struck me from this pic is the fact that the boy shining the shoes is about 10. It's sad but true in Latin America... kids do work to help out their parents to make ends meet.
In the background is the old Main Post Office building.
Jesus of Nazareth, Church of Saint Joseph.
Down the street view.
Saint John the Apostle, Mary Magdalene and Virgin Mary at the very end. The smoke is incense.
The Virgin Mary.
Group H-I: More than 10 years later
Palm Sunday night my siblings and I invited the kids on our block we grew up with. However, now they are no kids no more. They are all grown up, married and with kids and some have moved far away from the neighborhood.
When we all were little we organized a committee among ourselves to put together a christmas show for the people in our block. We did it every year from 1992 to 1997, I think. Our childhood was innocent and fun... I remember from time to time we used to go to the woods without our parents consent and when we got back home we got punished. We used to hang out on the street and play soccer all afternoon. When I left we were just graduating from high school, so I remembered them as we grew up.
To my surprise, most of them showed up. We ate and had a few drinks... but the party got wild once my brother brought out his keyboard and asked Dabner, a guy from across the street, to sing for us Spanish pop music from the 90s, when we all were teenagers.
Dabner singing and my brother Ricardo playing the keyboard.
Luis, Jose, me, Axel and Jorge.
Jose and Luis at the end of the party.
Although more than ten years have passed, they are all just like I remembered them. Their personalities little have changed.
I was asked a few times about my relationship status: "¿Y tenés novia?" (And do you have a girlfriend?) Only my immediate family knows about me being gay, so all this people have no idea. However, I told them I live with a partner (partner in Spanish could be either female or male) for one year and half and with that they stopped asking. Later my brother told me that they thought it was not consider proper to ask more. Living with somebody and then leaving the person is sort of taboo as getting divorce; so I understood. Anyway...
Throughout the week my family and I went back to the old downtown to watch some more processions.
Procession on Holy Wednesday night.
This is Holy Thursday:
Procession of Candelaria Church passing by the former Medicine School - National University (USAC)
My brother and I.
Alfombra. Cool design, I thought.
Good Friday
Good Friday morning the whole family got together at my grandmother's house to make one alfombra. ( rug made out of colored saw dust and pine leaves) A procession was going to pass by around 10am.
Beginning.
Showing progress.
Uncle Turo nailing some cloth to the pavement to represent the Holy Grail.
Me making the three crosses.
My brother posing.
The final piece.
At night we went to the Main Plaza to watch the processions of the day, when Jesus is already dead.
Altar at some random church.
Madonna of Sorrows. National Cathedral to the left.
Jesus passing by the National Library.
Streets of the Old parts of the City:
9th. Street
10th. Avenue
Capuchinas Church, 10th. Avenue.
6th. Avenue
5th. Street
One of the National University museums. 9th. Avenue.
Protest writings on street:
La violencia genera mas violencia / Violence creates more violence;
Lesbianas feministas en rebeldia / Rebellious feminist lesbians;
No mas armas / No more guns
URNG lives forever / URNG vive siempre. URGN was the guerrilla group which signed the Peace Accords in 1997.
Aborto legal / Legalize Abortion
Long live (Hugo) Chavez / Viva Chavez (Dañiel, do you agree?)
Family Time
Saturday, before I returned to NYC, I spend time with my niece and nephew walking the dog and playing Banco-Poly (something like Monopoly). Fun times!
My nephew, brother and their dog, Manchas.
My niece Linda and Manchas.
Manchas marking territory. lol
My brother and I with the internationally known Guatemalan comedian, Velorio. We went to his show.
Here are the pics;
PART I: GUATEMALA CITY
Arriving was just exciting... I knew when we entered the country by looking out the window and seeing volcanoes in the horizon and rivers right below. While descending into Guatemala City I snapped a pic of the city's main plaza... and wow! little it has changed. (at least from above)
Once upon a time the airport used to be outside the city but now it is in the middle of it.
At the airport my family waited for me... and some new members were there... My sister had a son while I was in the U.S and it was at that moment that I met him for the first time... he is now 7. My niece (his sister) was 1 y/o when I left. Now she's ten.
Those two are the only niece and nephew I have.
The day after I arrived I visited the cemetery to see where my grandmother is buried. She died in 2006 and she's one of the people I didn't get to see again. I have great memories of her. The visit to the Cemetery was emotional... my mom cried... my brother, niece and nephew kept quiet. I felt like crying but kept myself together.
Instead of flowers, we brought palms. Next day it was Palm Sunday so we felt it was appropriate.
Back into downtown we watched a procession. By chance we stood by a piñata factory. The characters they make are so much fun.
The big pink dinosaur on the upper right is Barney.
The procession.
The Old Part of the City
The cool thing about Guatemala City is that there are still buildings left of the original layout of the city. On Palm Sunday, my siblings, nephew and niece went to the old part of the city to watch some more processions. (there are lots of processions on Easter in Guatemala.)
I'll share some pics of Guatemala City's streets that I took through the whole week here.
The first procession was the one of Jesus of the Palms. So representative of the day and so cheerful.
Jesus de las Palmas. (notice the old rooftop behind the procession.)
My nephew Joseph and I outside of the Temple where Jesus de las Palmas belongs to.
We walked around more to find the other procession.
Joseph, Linda and me. In the background is the National Cathedral seeing from behind.
People who carry processions dress in purple robe like the pic below shows. What struck me from this pic is the fact that the boy shining the shoes is about 10. It's sad but true in Latin America... kids do work to help out their parents to make ends meet.
In the background is the old Main Post Office building.
Jesus of Nazareth, Church of Saint Joseph.
Down the street view.
Saint John the Apostle, Mary Magdalene and Virgin Mary at the very end. The smoke is incense.
The Virgin Mary.
Group H-I: More than 10 years later
Palm Sunday night my siblings and I invited the kids on our block we grew up with. However, now they are no kids no more. They are all grown up, married and with kids and some have moved far away from the neighborhood.
When we all were little we organized a committee among ourselves to put together a christmas show for the people in our block. We did it every year from 1992 to 1997, I think. Our childhood was innocent and fun... I remember from time to time we used to go to the woods without our parents consent and when we got back home we got punished. We used to hang out on the street and play soccer all afternoon. When I left we were just graduating from high school, so I remembered them as we grew up.
To my surprise, most of them showed up. We ate and had a few drinks... but the party got wild once my brother brought out his keyboard and asked Dabner, a guy from across the street, to sing for us Spanish pop music from the 90s, when we all were teenagers.
Dabner singing and my brother Ricardo playing the keyboard.
Luis, Jose, me, Axel and Jorge.
Jose and Luis at the end of the party.
Although more than ten years have passed, they are all just like I remembered them. Their personalities little have changed.
I was asked a few times about my relationship status: "¿Y tenés novia?" (And do you have a girlfriend?) Only my immediate family knows about me being gay, so all this people have no idea. However, I told them I live with a partner (partner in Spanish could be either female or male) for one year and half and with that they stopped asking. Later my brother told me that they thought it was not consider proper to ask more. Living with somebody and then leaving the person is sort of taboo as getting divorce; so I understood. Anyway...
Throughout the week my family and I went back to the old downtown to watch some more processions.
Procession on Holy Wednesday night.
This is Holy Thursday:
Procession of Candelaria Church passing by the former Medicine School - National University (USAC)
My brother and I.
Alfombra. Cool design, I thought.
Good Friday
Good Friday morning the whole family got together at my grandmother's house to make one alfombra. ( rug made out of colored saw dust and pine leaves) A procession was going to pass by around 10am.
Beginning.
Showing progress.
Uncle Turo nailing some cloth to the pavement to represent the Holy Grail.
Me making the three crosses.
My brother posing.
The final piece.
At night we went to the Main Plaza to watch the processions of the day, when Jesus is already dead.
Altar at some random church.
Madonna of Sorrows. National Cathedral to the left.
Jesus passing by the National Library.
Streets of the Old parts of the City:
9th. Street
10th. Avenue
Capuchinas Church, 10th. Avenue.
6th. Avenue
5th. Street
One of the National University museums. 9th. Avenue.
Protest writings on street:
La violencia genera mas violencia / Violence creates more violence;
Lesbianas feministas en rebeldia / Rebellious feminist lesbians;
No mas armas / No more guns
URNG lives forever / URNG vive siempre. URGN was the guerrilla group which signed the Peace Accords in 1997.
Aborto legal / Legalize Abortion
Long live (Hugo) Chavez / Viva Chavez (Dañiel, do you agree?)
Family Time
Saturday, before I returned to NYC, I spend time with my niece and nephew walking the dog and playing Banco-Poly (something like Monopoly). Fun times!
My nephew, brother and their dog, Manchas.
My niece Linda and Manchas.
Manchas marking territory. lol
My brother and I with the internationally known Guatemalan comedian, Velorio. We went to his show.