Evening Lecture

Last night I was invited by Doug Beasley to offer a lecture about my work, it was in a cozy hotel at Antigua Guatemala with his workshop students in a very warm atmosphere, after that we went to take dinner and talked about art, photography and ourselves, it was a very candid conversation with these wonderful new friends.

Terrific Drummer

This song from Brand X shows a lot from Phil Collins drumming skills, now he is suffering a spinal injury affecting his hands. I hope hear good news about him in the near future.

New Café de Subasta 2009

Today was launched the 2009 version of the acclaimed Café de Subasta by the Guatemalan roaster Café León. This coffee is one of the winners of the Cup of Excellence Guatemala 2009 contest and you can find some info about the farm that produce this outstanding coffee in a recent post. As in former years we had the privilege designing the packaging and the advertising campaign.

Judging Patience and Skills

I was invited to be juror of a plastic handcrafted models, as a modeler in my teen years (Schwimmwagen shown) I know this hobby requires lot of patience and hand skills. Thank you Coco for inviting me to such nice event.

Toy Party

My little son threw a party for his bear's birthday with all his stuffed animals, wrote a card, play with them at the backyard, shot them (these) photos and also has named it after me. They are very important for him. I think kid's imagination is something worth to support.

Hot Water for Coffee?

The Ottoni kettle is able to boil water fast and efficiently as any other kettle but with a lot more of style. Although it is one of the more decorative designs by Bodum, its quality is still the highest. The kettle's body is made of 18/10 hand polished stainless steel. The mahogany wood handle is a laminate of several layers and glued with waterproof glue. A final covering lacquer seals the wood against steam.
View more at www.bodum.com

Welcome Cool Weather

The rainy season is almost done, not much rain after all, the crop will be punished. Welcome to the blog Gurú!
View video

In Love with That Place

I'll never be tired of photograph the streets, churches, ruins and volcanoes of my beloved Antigua.

Overwhelmed?

The best cure to stress is to throw away the worries, or even better, don't pick up anything that can turn into one.

Extreme Toy

Riding the city I found this Tonka Mog - as Jorge call it - in front of the cousin's house, I didn't know how extreme these kind of toys were.

The First Time

This song take me back in the early years when many of us could remenber our first love or the first flirts with the one we liked, and now all these experiences may make us better lovers in a most mature state of mind.

Walking in The Clouds, Part 3 (Final)

As almost every coffee farm in Guatemala, it has its own beneficio, these facilities are often a small buildings with no much aesthetic, they are built to work not to show off. There you can find a big tank where the coffee beans will be poured, then with the help of a lot of water beans will be carried to machines that will take off their skin, then the clean beans will fall in two or three tanks where they will stay for a day or two in fermentation, after the latter process is done the beans will go to the drying patio, where they will sun dried until reach the exact final stage to be stored in yute sacks. Many farms also raise worms into the coffee skin remainders, transforming the pulp in organic fertilizer, here you can see the soil that will be used later to fertilize coffee trees.
After our visit were done we went to a near coffee/spa to take a brunch. This is the kind of work that you don't feel like that, you feel it like fun.

Coffee on the Go

Compact, lightweight and easy to use, the new Brunton Flip-N-Drip allows campers to make coffee easy. Simply boil water in the Flip-N-Drip base, attach the brew chamber filled with your favorite P11 roast and "flip" to percolate the perfect cup into the double walled insulated mug. See more at: www.brunton.com

Proud Father!

Last night my daughter had her annual dance show, she has improve her featuring in these shows since two last year to four this one, I am very proud because she put very special effort on that and she is harvesting what she has sown. Luv you Nats!

Funny Sunday Ride

Tired of the same bike rut I decided this Sunday morning to give a chance to the city, so I took the paved way to the streets 9 miles and 1,500 feet down. Two of the main avenues (Las Américas and La Reforma) are closed to traffic on Sundays, so people can walk, ride or just take their pets around. My first stop was at a delicatessen where my coffee is sold, there I met the former city mayor who gladly bought an Obscuro P11 can, then I did some rounds in a residential area where I found Miguelito, a friend who was training to the next marathon in Washington DC, after 1/2 mile chatting I left him and turned to the Av. Las Américas, there I found another pal; José with his kids who were strolling their dog, then before the streets began to get crowded I decided to get back all the way up taking some off road shortcuts that finally lead me safe home. After this journey I realized that Guatemala City is still an small town.

Walking in The Clouds, Part 2

Finca Florencia have some cafetos older than 60 years as Mingo the manager told us. Rodolfo who always accompany us in these adventures and act as a back up photographer, drove us around the trails visiting the different sections of the plantation and we walked down the spots when the going got tough. I took a pic of a small plant that is very easy to find in the country, when you hit it, it feels the threat and close its leaves very quick. Sure this tiny plant is alive!