Page 11 | OkAntigua | Travel Guide to Antigua Guatemala

Santa Catarina Bobadilla Procession In Antigua Guatemala

Today was Antigua’s first procession of Lent and it was a fairly big one and consumed most of the day – from 11 am to 11 pm – to make life miserable for people who live here and hate gridlock. It’s only going to get worst.

But if you’re a tourist? There’s no better time to be in Antigua Guatemala. Check out the pictures below.

First, we checked out the flower carpet at Calle de Los Pasos, on Antigua’s east. While Antigua’s temperatures are comfortable throughout the year, the sun can be scorching at midday, which it was today.

Sawdust carpet

With sawdust carpet, the trick is to keep the sawdust moist. Once it dries up, sawdust will easily blow away, ruining the alfombra’s design. The job of the waterboy is to constantly spray the carpet until it’s ready to be trampled on.

Seems like a fun thing to do…

About a half hour ahead of schedule, the first section of the procession arrived.

I bet they were miserable standing under the sun…

The first anda (image platform) wasn’t as big as others I’ve seen, but it was very well done. The people at Santa Catarina Bobadilla definitely know how to do processions and top-notch displays.

Santa Catarina’s Anda

Procession…

I was surprised to see children carrying this anda, as it wasn’t announced it was a children’s procession. My guess is that it’s not labeled as a children’s procession unless the and is strictly carried by children the entire length of the designated route.

Children carrying anda

While anyone, provided you can pay the fee and purchase a robe, can sign up to be a cucurucho – anda carrier – the job of a timonel – steers anda – is not one to be taken lightly and usually requires years of experience carrying an anda. In fact, many timoneles, once they acquire the post, spend years doing the same job. They are the ones that coordinate how fast/slow an anda goes, the rhythm, and keeps an eye out for power cables and annoying photographer that set up in front of them, disrupting their rhythm. The best ones are said to not even need to push or pull an anda – just a few words often will do.

Timonel

Incense bearers

Drum section

After anda bearers have trampled a flower carpet and moved on, it’s the job of the cleanup crew tailing behind the procession to clean up any alfombra debris left on the street.

Cleanup crew

Because we live along the route of Santa Catarina Bobadilla’s procession, we got to see it again upon its return to its home church. This gave me the chance to photograph more alfombras.

Sawdust carpet

Interesting fruit art

A simpler alfombra

Jesus Nazareno de la Salvación

Virgen de Dolores, Santa Catarina Bobadilla

Procession, Virgen de Dolores, Santa Catarina Bobadilla

As with every procession, a band trails the main anda and plays funeral marches.

Funeral marching music

Traditional Guatemalan Food

Tonight, food vendors came out in droves to the plaza in front of Calvario church. I had the opportunity to try buñuelos, a dessert that’s served traditionally during Lent, but because they’re so delicious they’re easily found year-round at most street fairs.

Vendor frying buñuelos

Buñuelos are fried dough balls, but unlike doughnuts, they’re crispy on the outside and very soft inside. They’re typically served hot and drenched in a light honey, cinnamon and anise syrup. Tasty!

Up next is a vigil on Wednesday, in Los Llanos, Jocotenango, in a church I’ve never heard of before. Shouldn’t be hard to find – I’ll just go where the vendors are.

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More Holy Week photos here.

San Felipe de Jesus Vigil: Lenten And Holy Week Photos

The only activity planned for Lent today was a vigil at San Felipe de Jesus, at the same church where the first vigil was held. This vigil was noticeably less attended than the first one. After all, there are 36 days worth of vigils and activities, so it makes sense for people to pace themselves.

In any case, for me, it was the opportunity to once again visit the church I love photograph more than any other church in or near Antigua. Yep, San Felipe Church.

Not a cloud in the sky…

Today’s vigil was in honor of Virgen de Dolores. Typically, these images are “role players” and carried in platforms – known as andas – behind images of Christ.

Small alfombra, too far away…

This was the least elaborate of the display I’ve seen so far. Its length made it difficult to see the rather small alfombra near the altar. Here’s a closeup of the altar:

I really need to get a zoom lens…

Other than the kid who was taking care of the display and touching it up, there were hardly 15 people there at any point in time.

Trimming candle wick

Traditional Guatemalan Food

Since we arrived at lunchtime, we figured we’d go have a traditional Guatemalan lunch at one of the places locals highly recommend for home-cooked meals in San Felipe – the aptly named “Comedor San Felipe”.

Pretty it ain’t…

Now, something to explain here. There are many places to eat in Antigua, from street stalls to high-end pretentious cuisine. Comedores are way down on the totem pole – sort of like greasy spoon diners.

The closest place to find comedores in Antigua are the ones at the Mercado – none there any local has ever recommended. When people mentioned this place, I half-expected a small restaurant, not actually a comedor, which is the sort of place I normally don’t go to unless recommended to me, as was the case with this one.

Decorations? This place really didn’t have any. But clean it was, which is more important than dusty plants or old, faded paintings.

Simple tables and benches at Comedor San Felipe

In the back of the kitchen, the owner and her assistants prepared the ingredients for the stews, which were later to be cooked right out front, next to the lady preparing the blue-corn tortillas.

Kitchen

Front of the restaurant

The place was fairly big and even though there wasn’t much activity in town that day, a stream of people kept coming into the place.

We sat down and ordered off the menu of the day. All dishes are Q35 and include sides, tortillas and a drink, which that day meant tasty horchata (rice drink). Other drinks can be ordered for an additional cost.

Sorry dear, no soda for you

Wife and I ordered the traditional regional stew, pepian de gallina (spicy beef stew) and carne asada for our daughter. By the way, I have to make a note here. When ordering chicken dishes, you’ll sometimes see something-something de gallina or such-and such de pollo. Well, what’s a gallina? Chicken. What’s a pollo? Chicken. In English there isn’t a distinction between the two, but in cuisine, absolutely.

A pollo, what most of us consume in the US, is a chicken that has reached full size (takes about two months, less if being pumped with hormones and chemicals). A gallina is when that chicken has been allowed to reach full maturity – usually five months. It’s like talking veal and beef.

Is there a difference between the two? Some people swear there is – I can’t tell. What is different is the texture – gallina meat is a lot tougher than pollo is, something that leads to ridiculous reviews online when people complain that the chicken in their caldo de gallina (chicken stew) is somehow too tough. It’s supposed to be that way. If you want your chicken to be tender, make sure pollo is what you order, not gallina. unless you’re ready to duke it out with your meat.

Pepian at Comedor San Felipe

The pepian de gallina was good – wife agreed, though my only complaint was that the stew wasn’t hot enough temperature wise, just lukewarm. The carne asada was great though, really tender and tasty and one of the best I’ve had in any of the cheap places I’ve been to. I’d probably order that next time around.

Carne asada at Comedor San Felipe

After leaving stuffed, we headed to Mercado San Felipe next door to pick up some sweets.

Lots to choose from…

Tomorrow is back to Santa Catarina Bobadilla to catch the procession – the first of the season! – leaving Sunday at 11:00 am.

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More traditional Guatemalan dishes here!

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Have you visited San Felipe yet?

How was it? Share below!

San Jose Cathedral and Santa Catarina Bobadilla Vigil – 3rd Day of Lent

Alfombra Catedral San Jose Antigua Guatemala

For the third day of Lent, my task was to visit the vigils at San Jose Cathedral – once the biggest church in the city during colonial times, and at Santa Catarina Bobadilla, a hamlet on the outskirts of Antigua with a church so tiny it would easily fit inside the courtyard of some of the houses I’ve seen here.

Even though Santa Catarina Bobadilla is closer to my home than San Jose, I headed to the latter first to make better use of my time.

San Jose Cathedral

This church is really a shell of what it used to be. Damaged by an earthquake, space the church now occupies is only what at one time was the entrance foyer. The ruins of the massive nave are behind the church. Even the facade of San Jose Cathedral, which has been restored, lacks the two massive bell towers it once sported on each side.

San Jose Cathedral

As I got nearer the church, I heard the unmistakable sound of Lent – the traditional pito (whistle) and tambor (small drum), announcing to the public where vigils and processions are being held that day. I’ll upload a video later – once you hear the ditty once, it’s unforgettable. The flute, known as tzicolaj, is what the indigenous Maya used for their spiritual rituals. As with many other things, it was eventually adapted to serve Catholic traditions. The drum is known as a tun.

Traditional pito and tambor

This particular vigil was an honor to the image of Cristo del Perdon – the crucifix at the altar. Once thought to be the work of famous Portuguese sculptor Quirio Cataño, historical research now dates the image to the mid-18th century, author unknown.

San Jose Cathedral Vigil Display

The theme of the vigil was the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus – the crucifixion flanked by a nativity scene to the left, an empty tomb to the right. The flower carpet depicts the Trinity – Jesus, a dove (Holy Spirit), and the voice of God coming down from heaven.

Alfombra – San Jose Cathedral

Elsewhere on display inside the church was the image of Jesus del Desamparo, one of the most important ones in Antigua, as it goes out on a procession at prime time during Holy Week – during Passion Thursday and Good Friday.

Image – Jesus del Desamparo, San Jose Cathedral

Another interesting exhibit was the robes worn by the image of Jesus del Desamparo (above), which changes every year. A bit of gossip here: a person at the church told me that the robes are donated by church members – robes can be quite expensive due to the material used. Basically, whoever arrives first to the church with a robe for the image gets the honor of seeing the image wear their robe for the procession – sort of a holy catwalk.

Well, one year, someone showed up first to donate a robe in a color unlike any other – guess which one below – which led to the robe being ditched at the last minute for being a little too unconventional for the procession in favor of a more regal one. I’m told the lady threw quite the hissy fit when she discovered that her handiwork wasn’t going to be on display.

More costume changes than Cher…

Work was done, it was time to head to the next vigil.

Santa Catarina Bobadilla Vigil

This hamlet – home to less than 400 people, has the honor of hosting the first procession on the first Sunday of Lent – something they take quite seriously. Their church is tiny – so much so that the display took up the entire church. It was necessary to stand outside the church in order to see the display.

Santa Catarina Bobadilla Church

The display at Santa Catarina Bobadilla was far more interesting than the one at San Jose. What did the aquarium flower carpet have to do with the scene in the background (The parable of the ten virgins)? Absolutely nothing, as far as I could tell, but still very cool.

Display at Santa Catarina Bobadilla vigil

The fruit artwork was pretty cool.

Didn’t know you could do that with a watermelon

After taking enough pictures and stepping on enough toes, I headed out to take more pictures. The atmosphere was quite more festive than at San Jose Cathedral, with vendors and children running around – much like the one at San Felipe Church.

I spotted a vendor selling wheat spikes in front of the church – the first time I’d seen those. I struck up the conversation with the man, who told me wheat (grown in Tecpan) is a traditional decorative element of Lent – something Google confirmed later.

Local vendor selling wheat spikes

In the middle of our conversation, some goons from the Hermandad (the brotherhood in charge of fundraising to organize and create the displays) showed up and in a hostile tone asked him if he had a “permit” to be there. Meaning, had he paid his dues to sell there. The man, somewhat nervously, told them that he had received permission from the Brotherhood’s President to sell his wares until midday.

After the ~~mafia goons~~ Hermandad brothers left, I asked him how much did the permit cost. “About Q20 to Q30”, he replied. So next time I hear the words “devotion” and “tradition” regarding Hermandades, all I’ll think about will be cash register sounds – religious traditions here are big business.

Feeling bad about how the vendor was treated – they could’ve been nicer – I bought a few wheat spikes, which the wife loved and are now decorating our home.

Traditional wheat spikes for Lent

More Lenten Season Food

Well, not exactly. The street food available was what you can find pretty much at any street fair.

Plataninas (bottom) and chicharrones de harina (top)

Looking for something salty – it was about lunchtime, I figured I’d decide between plataninas (fried green plantain slices) and chicharrones de harina (fake pork rinds made from puffed wheat). I went with plataninas, which were good.

On my way out of town, I spotted Domino’s selling pizza by the slice, something they don’t typically do at their Antigua stores. Not exactly Lent food either, though as with everything, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were offering cross-shaped pizzas 40 years from now as venerated Lent tradition. Anything for a buck.

Domino’s pizza stand at Santa Catarina Bobadilla

Up next? A vigil on the first Saturday of Lent and more traditional Guatemalan food. Read the Pocket Guide to find out where I’ll be next :)

Guatemalan Residency Through Marriage

A reader recently emailed me asking about the possibility of obtaining residency through marriage in Guatemala. Meaning, if you get married to the Guatemalan chica or chico of your dreams.

Personally, I haven’t bothered to inquire into the process because my plan was never to settle in Guatemala permanently. But after three years here, the time is nearing and border runs are increasingly becoming annoying – visa expiration time usually comes around at the worst possible time.

Here’s my reason for coming to Guatemala…

I figured that for the benefit of readers of this site – and my own, it was time to look into what is required of a foreigner seeking to obtain residency in Guatemala via marriage. Turns out, it *seems* like on paper, it’s one of the easiest procedure to do. Here’s what’s required according to Dirección General de Inmigracion (Inmigration Directorate) of Guatemala. you can read the info in Spanish yourself by clicking here (PDF).

Requirements for Permanent Residency in Guatemala Through Marriage

1. A recent photograph.

2. Original passport and photocopies of every page in your passport authenticated (notarized) by a lawyer.

3. A certificate of validation for your passport, issued by the embassy or consulate of your country, accredited to the Government of Guatemala (with “Pasos de Ley”). A certified birth certificate will do for people from countries with which Guatemala has no diplomatic relations.

4. Proof that you have no criminal record in the country where you have lived for the last five years (with “Pasos de Ley”). If that country does not extend a similar document, you must show certificate stating so. Also, provide an affidavit (notarized letter) of “Carencia de Antecedentes Penales” (Lack of Criminal History), and a Police report from Guatemala.

5. An original, certified birth certificate from your Guatemalan husband/wife indicating a marriage.

6. Original, recently certified marriage certificate.

Oh, and one more thing:

Foreigners who have at least a year of being married to Guatemalans may acquire permanent resident category by the only fact of contracting marriage and must submit the documentation required by law.

So basically, you must have been married for a year to your Guatemalan sweetheart and have no criminal record. The one major difference between residency through marriage and the other types is that I don’t see listed there an income requirement, as I’ve listed elsewhere.

It’s my guess – remember, I’m not a lawyer nor do I play on TV – that just like all other residency paperwork in Guatemala, you must be in the country in order to get the paperwork started and living here. Otherwise, you’d lose your residency status were you to be outside the country for an extended period of time.

Was the lack of an established income an oversight of the person that posted the information online? Has a law been passed that eliminated this requirement? Or was there never such requirement in the first place, as I seem to faintly recall having read before? I’ll get to the bottom of it soon, if anything, to provide accurate information.

By the way, it seems it takes most people at least a year to get residency through marriage. I might go through with it just for the fun of it, provided I can do it on my own, without costly lawyer fees, at a reasonable price.

Stay tuned…

What Are Velaciones (Vigils) During Lent Season in Antigua Guatemala?

This month, I’ve set for myself what I think is a crazy goal. I’ll be documenting every procession, vigil and interesting event happening in and around Antigua this Lent season, as listed on the events calendar on this year’s Antigua Pocket Guide.

Will I make it to every event? I sure hope so. I almost didn’t make the first one, a vigil in San Felipe, because of timing issues and scheduling conflicts. But I’m glad I worked it out, as today’s display inside San Felipe Church was mesmerizing.

First, my daughter and I arrived at San Felipe, a town less than five minutes north of Antigua. As usual, there was a slew of street vendors selling the usual treats, along with dishes specifically prepared and only seen during Lent season. We’ll touch on those in a later post.

San Felipe Church

Outside San Felipe Church

What Are Velaciones?

In a nutshell, a velacion, or vigil, is part of the tradition called “Cuaresma“, or Lent – Cuaresma comes from the Spanish word for “cuarenta”, or “40”, which is precisely the number of days Lent or Cuaresma lasts.

Velaciones are a precursor to processions – sort of way to get in the mood of the season. Churches typically prepare as nice a display as they can afford – funded by brotherhoods, or hermandades, who are the ones who actually put together the entire display. Churches are decked out with their best curtains and decorations and all are done to represent a particular theme, usually a biblical scene. As is the custom, intricate sawdust and fruit carpets are laid out in front of the scenes, many strewn with pine, which gives the air a distinctive fragrance.

San Felipe’s display was striking and wowed us from the moment we entered the church.

San Felipe Vigil

The particular theme of this vigil was based on the biblical account of the time Jesus walked on water. Depicted on the scene was Peter, the disciple who dared to go out on the water to meet Jesus, only to see his faith falter, which caused him to begin to drown. Is at this moment that Jesus comes to Peter’s aid.

What was cool about the scene is that there were speakers in the church playing the sounds of a storm – wind and lightning sound effects included. In addition, the boat the disciples were on actually rocked back and forth a few feet, adding a bit of realism to the scene.

When we were there, a reporter from Channel 3 showed up. I doubt we made the 6 o’clock news, as the cameras were never pointed at us.

Channel 3 Reporter

After taking more than enough pictures and video, we headed out to buy some snacks. I love how they serve mangos here, which can be pretty messy when you try to peel one on your own.

No, she didn’t drop the mango on the floor and coat it with dirt

By the way, something I find amusing is how a lot of fruit here is coated with lime juice and pepitoria (dried pumpkin seeds), even peanuts and cashews. They’re fine to me without any added dressing, but to each their own – my daughter and millions of Guatemalans disagree with me, so there may be something to it.

Up next? A vigil at San Jose Cathedral and one at the tiny church in Santa Catarina Bobadilla on Friday. But you already knew that if you downloaded my free 2015 Antigua Pocket guide, right?