jalapa, guatemala: a sleep-deprived photographer's fever dream

i'm in jalapa, guatemala and the light is doing that weird golden thing that only happens when the humidity is high and the clouds are just right. the air feels like a warm blanket, and the temperature is sitting at a perfect 21°c - just checked my phone and it says 21.06, feels like 21.18. i'm not complaining; it's the kind of weather that makes you want to wander with a camera until the battery dies.

i arrived on a busted chicken bus from guatemala city, the kind where the exhaust fumes smell like burnt popcorn and the driver blaring ranchera music at 7am. the town is a patchwork of pastel walls, laundry lines, and stray dogs that look like they own the place. i'm staying in a hostel that's basically a converted casa with a courtyard full of bougainvillea that's seen better days. the owner, a woman named maría, gave me the wifi password after i promised to post a decent photo of her dog on instagram. the password is 1320264119 - i’m pretty sure it’s her birthday reversed or something. i scribbled it on my forearm with a sharpie because i keep forgetting.

my camera gear is a mishmash: a nikon d7200, a 35mm f/1.8 lens that i kiss goodnight every evening, and a cheap zoom that i only use when i’m too lazy to move. i’m hunting for that perfect shot of the volcano that looms over the valley, but the clouds keep stealing the show. they say the best light is at blue hour, but i’ve been up since sunrise and already missed the golden hour because i got distracted by a group of kids playing with a homemade soccer ball. their laughter echoed down the callejón and i had to stop to capture it. i missed the shot, but i got a blurry smile instead. sometimes that’s enough.

just in case you want to see where i’m ranting from, here’s a little map:

the map shows the general area; i’m basically somewhere between the mercado and the Parque Central. the mercado is a sensory overload: fresh mango slices, roasted corn, and the smell of leather from the shoe stalls. i grabbed a tortilla con queso from a lady who’s been selling there for thirty years. someone told me that her secret is a dash of cumin that she got from her grandmother, who supposedly worked for a president or something. i’m not sure if that’s true, but the tortilla was damn good. i could write a whole ode to the handmade tortillas here, but i’ll spare you.

if you’re looking for a place to chill with a latte, i found this tiny cafe called Café de la Luz after asking a local artist. he pointed me toward a narrow alley where the walls are covered in graffiti that changes every week. the cafe has a back garden with hammocks and a view of the church bell tower. i ordered an espresso and almost spilled it when a rooster perched on the fence started crowing like it owned the coffee. i chatted with the owner, a former graphic designer from mexico city who came here to escape the corporate grind. he said the cafe’s best kept secret is the chocolate cake that only appears on tuesdays. i didn’t try it, but i saw a slice on another table and it looked like a masterpiece. i’ll be back on tuesday.

here’s a shot i took from the garden, the light was soft and the bokeh from the flowers in the foreground made the bell tower look like it was floating.

i also got a tip from a local board about a hidden viewpoint on the hill overlooking the whole valley. it’s a steep climb, but the panorama at sunset is worth the calf burn. the board warned that the path can get slippery after rain, and the humidity has been sitting at 75% according to the weather app, so i packed a bandana. the climb was worth it: the sky turned pink, and the city lights started to flicker like fireflies. i set up my tripod and shot a long exposure. the photo came out okay, but the real magic was in the silence up there, broken only by distant church bells and the occasional bark of a dog.

speaking of weather, the pressure is sitting at 1016 hpa, which i read means stable conditions. that’s good for photography - no sudden storms to ruin the gear. i’ve been keeping my lenses in a dry bag because the humidity is a killer. i’ve had too many lenses fog up on me in the past, and it’s the worst.

i’ve been in jalapa for three days now, and i’m starting to feel the sleep deprivation kick in. my internal clock is messed up from the earlys and late nights editing. i keep mixing up the days. today i thought it was friday but it’s actually wednesday. i’m still not sure. my notebook is full of random numbers: 3595069 on one page - that’s my bike rental agreement number. i rented a beat-up mountain bike to ride to the viewpoint. the guy at the rental shop wrote the number on a sticky note and said, "if you lose it, we’ll charge you double." i haven’t lost it, but i keep staring at it like it’s a secret code. maybe it’s the combinations to a safe somewhere in town. who knows.

when i need a break from the small-town vibes, i hop on a chicken bus to antigua. it’s only about two hours away, and the ride itself is an adventure: you see volcanoes, coffee plantations, and the occasional cow crossing. antigua feels like a step back in time with its cobblestones and colonial architecture. i usually go there when i’m itching for some good coffee and decent wifi. the cafes there are fancy, with baristas who latte art like it’s a sport. but i always end up back in jalapa because it’s raw and real. plus, my bike rental agreement (3595069) is only valid for three days and i have to return it tomorrow.

if you’re a togg (that’s photographer slang for a fellow shooter), you might appreciate the local tip i got from a guy at the photo supply store: the best time to shoot the mercado is right after it rains because the wet ground reflects the colors and the crowds thin out. he also gave me a roll of expired kodak gold that he claimed would give a “moody” look. i shot a few frames, and they did have a dreamy haze. i might develop them when i get home.

i’m trying to wrap this up before my battery dies again. i’ll leave you with some links that helped me navigate this place: a Tripadvisor thread about the best street food, a Yelp review of Café de la Luz that warned me about the grumpy cat, and a local community board where people share hidden photo spots. if you’re ever in the area, check them out.

one last thing: i heard that the old church bell in the plaza rings at 3am if you’re standing exactly under it, but only on full moon nights. i haven’t verified it, but it’s a cool story for the blog. maybe i’ll test it tonight, but i’m not sure i want to be out that late alone.

i’m going to crash now. tomorrow i’ll chase that volcano sunrise, hopefully without tripping over my own tripod. until then, keep your lenses clean and your coffee strong.