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Posts Tagged ‘panza verde’

Runnin’ on Empty

Posted in Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , on December 29, 2012| Leave a Comment »

yeah, I know….I haven’t been out/around or even ‘on planet’ for a while…the stinkin’ cold had/has me in it’s grip…early to bed, early to rise and that’s good for bags under my eyes…

Caffe Bourbon, introducing a new concept! paying their musicians…and maybe their help/suppliers….the new owner is well-connected and even better, has deeper pockets..Nelson Lunding now playing there Fri/Saturday nights…maybe even PM, Moriah and Bobby Darling sometime?

whoa…three loads of cruise ship passengers in town yesterday…pale folks, baggy bermudas, cameras in place..welcome to Antigua, pilgrims…some bar/eaterie owners reporting a steep downside in December revenooo’s…blaming it on a change in the type of tourists this year…low enders missing, the $150 a night hotel room folks reporting no vacancies.

got chops? Bull aka James Santiago Durham is NOT giving up the import of pork products from Tecpan….the two 1/2 lb pork chops (unsmoked, thank you)are my fave….jameswdurham2@gmail.com will do the trick…

La Sala! taking over the downtown nightclub scene…Johnny’s Place in Monterrico doing an ‘end of the year’ bash…from the way i feel now, I’ll be lucky to be getting out of bed, much less getting ‘bashed’…bushed, maybe…bashed, not..

plans afoot for heading northwest and the outskirts of Hue Hue in a week or so…do some diggin’ around some old Spanish diggin’s…silver…find some specimens(no, not urine)shoot some photos, write it up and maybe get  paid a year later…and you thought this writing gig was lucrative? hah…no, make that a BIG hah…ok, fine…I’m surprised I got this far…in with the Old, out with the Ewe…

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Garbage In, Garbage Out

Posted in Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , , , on October 27, 2012| Leave a Comment »

there’s only two more nights to catch the very urbane Mr Wayne Hooper…next thurday/friday at Angie Angies…7-9…there is tonight of course, assuming…Panza Verde, 8-10. Yet another musical hole in the soul of Antigua. But, hey…we’ve got the Friday night brass band at the Palacio, plus the ever swingin’ occasional marimba group on the steps of  City Hall. Yeah, City Hall….is the council or whoever’s in charge(sic)have meetings with the Mayor in his cell? web cam and skype?

Bull aka Santiago (James) Durham, long time Antigueno, 3rd place winner in the famed Terlingua Chili Cookoff…think 5 stars in Michelin…slipped, broke a hip bone(connected to the thigh bone, which is…)and now in the Betancourt Hospital in San Felipe…4th floor, rm #7…3 weeks, he says the docs said…the room is, shall we say, ‘spartan’….if know of any hot 20 yr olds that look great in a nurses outfit…call me…gawd..the birthday party in Vegas….Brenda in a nurses costume…wonder if I saved any photos?

Jason aka Goldfinger, back from the frozen wastes of Magadan(Siberia)….made me roadtest a ‘sample’ of the mezcal in the wood kegs behind the bar at Lava…

And I’m saddened by the implosion of what was, is and might still be La Casbah..I heard number$$s but since I never verify/fact check here, I’m not ‘goin’ there…significant though…Angel, across the street at the  new location of Djinn? sloooow….very sloooow…funny how, on that block at least, a move across the street can seem like the kiss of dearth…or death…Ricardo’s Tabacos y Vinos thrived after moving across the steet…por que/why? feng shui, dumb ass luck?

I thought i was in a time warp last night…no, not THAT bar….the lobby of Nido Antigua, Fushions’ complex? in the corner is a selection of crystals, crystals on chains and even a couple of Tibeten singing bowls…rum the inner rim with a stick, wand, whatever and the bowl starts to reverberate….kinda cool, especially with incense, an indian bedspread and some bean bags…maybe jefferson airplane.

Races in the morning..Pedro Cofino track, half way to Esquintla…9am…if you’re taking heart medications, bring double: trust me.

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Who Hit The ‘Snooze’ Button?

Posted in Granada, Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Nicaragua, Restaurants, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , , on October 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Antigua….safe, sane and sedate. Maybe INGUAT can use this in their literature but for those bars/restaurant owners counting on foot traffic ($$) it’s a deadly trap…but there are bright spots…Wayne Hooper, Mr Smooth Jazz himself, is back…playing at Panza Verde and no, i didn’t take notes(no pen) and my memory(sic) is like a sieve…Piano Mike mentioned something about he and Moriah doing a gig(ask him)…

Hillbilly Tom, back from being unwell…goin’ to the races on Sunday…what good ‘ol boy could resist the roar of V8’s?…Plumb Bob wanted to go but he’s on a bus to Tapachula to renew his visa.

Angies’s birthday? not….the FB posting was bogus but I got to see her and the improvements at AA’s…art on the walls(and good)plus Ay! Robot is in the front portion…yay…they’ve survived…good move, Dan…probably a better location.

check out Sobremesa’s new art and Fusion’s new look…very very ‘bistro’ now..well, I like it..fine.

per Henrik of dos Reillys, the new location in Granada opens in December…and that town knows how to party(unlike the new Antigua)…some folks starting to get the concept that Zone 1 is/has sucked a lot of bar biz from A-Town…and why not? looser, closer and a lot more exciting…walk up 5th avenida norte and fall asleep, for example.  La Sala? great art/walls and rockin’ music…unlike the Sunshine Grill: I stopped for a slice of pizza to go and on the TV was vintage Prince, ’80’s, doin’ Purple Rain…the owner had the sound off: WTF?  the sound  off? ah…some folks just  don’t get the concept…I’da stayed and bought a beer just to hear Purple Rain and watch Prince do his moves..

Bull Durham,aka Santiago, out of action for a week…getting new fangs…which means no pork orders this week…fine…didnt’ wanta bbq anyway…oops, wrong…’grill’ is the proper word..  

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Chaos in the Calles

Posted in Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , , , , on August 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »

ah…the wedding? Elle and Mo? perfect..he’s a prince…the setting? La Posada del Angel,lower 4th where Bill(Clinton)stayed…actually i was expecting more,something over the top than Panza Verde..who cares what i think? everone was running late: Mario my usually reliable taxi-driver, the one with the card, the times, the stops and the schedule? right…faded…a  ‘no-show…as if he cares, he is now officially off my Christmas Card list. So, running late(thanks, asshole)i caught a tuc-tuc to the four blocks away from the Marvelous Ms M’s domicile…the driver tried to extort an extra 5 q…WTF?…’had I been carrying he probably would’ve had a face to face with Mr Beretta but…i wasn’t and he finally became convinced of my sincerity’..

thank god that Luis my friend the guide came along..he called another cabbie who showed up…in time to be slightly late…late? Lex was late and he had the ring…the weather? lightning/clouds/lightning over Agua and Fuego…spucking fectacular!…this was a Civil Ceremony, unlike the full-on Church wedding for Alex Ferrar (Sobremesa)a few months ago..’nevertheless, it went ON and On and On…were they getting paid by the word or the page? champagne was held in abeyance(wait til the words are said, things signed…on and on and on…whew..the rains started, the canapes were whipped on and the bus was waiting outside, at least..onweird to Ocelot…onweird to Bistrot Cinq, dinner reservations at 9…food didn’t hit the table til 10:30…they were packed, jammed and slammed..even Camilo was serving dishes..folks lined up…maybe 50-60 would-be diners…’never seen B5 so packed, ever..M and I bailed at 11:30…Elle? radiant! ‘Mo’ her bridegroom? perfect, a prince of a guy and as I’ve said more than once…keep this one, all the bad ones are taken.

The ex-Cahsbar/Cashbar/Casbah Story? Canoa propped their signs in the open doors today, indicative, one presumes that they’re ready for biz…the lower level? yep…another pub owner and Mateo are doing a different kind of pub…kinda like Panza Verde’s tiny bar but writ large..for the older/senor citizens…with $$ , one would presume..and that little bar in the back of Riki’s…Paris? new management, from another local bar owner, coming soon..it’s always been one of my favorite hideaways….nobody will ever see you there..’wonder if the pizza is still as good as it was..was that when…what’s his name, now working at La Sale, the ‘Joe’s  Grill’…Fabrizzio!….whew, a senior moment, yet again..

ah, a miracle! went by to a friend’s house and met his carpenter..brought the book box photos/measurements…asked..’can you do this?’   Si!…when? today! right..as if…2 hours or less later…shazam! arabic for no fucking way, jose! haven’t decided on color, as I’m still in shock…

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Musical History Made Last Night!

Posted in Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , on July 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

in what may well be the only live rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in Antigua was performed at Caffe Bourbon earlier….Mariah Sterling(Piano Mike’s daughter)and Joe, his musical sidekick on rhythm guitar, carried off a decent version…’Schwing!’…you probably had to have seen the movie ‘Wayne’s World’ to get this, as the earlier version by Queen kinda languished…

A fresh big SAT sticker/poster(the tax folks)sealing what was the Bud Room/Lounge/Pangea? don’t know if the ukase(fancy jappo word for command/order)also included Braulio, altho…’never seen one of these SAT stickers before..rumor has it that there’s a 3 month penalty(time out?)…and what was up or not up with the Great Antigua Power Turn-off from 9-3?…as of 10, the lights were on and some were home..

kindof found my ‘chi’ in Chichicastenango yesterday…the day trip version. Two hours up, two back and four on the ground…the highway is in great condition, it is a pretty drive and life/art? repeated itself..on page 44 of the latest version of ‘Our Man’…the blond gringa who gets to sit on the …..? yep, twice..how did I know? psycho…no, pyschic…I don’t ‘get’ Chi-Chi…packed with tourists on shuttles, mid-size vans and big suckers, coming/going…makes Antigua’s tourist trap look anemic and there’s no good reason(that I can see)…their native arts/crafts market is the same as here, their jewelry sucks, two good hotels(the Mayan Inn and Hotel San Tomas) and one sucky little museum..who ever is doing their tourism ads deserves a giant medal for pushing schlock.

Caffe Bourbon? if only they’d kept up with the Mike/Moriah Show…the only draw that ever drew…Cashbar? closed again..Sunday night..I’ve heard stuff that isn’t repeatable…time will tell, I s’spose..

Nelson still doing his ‘final final’ sets around town…go see him..Cafe No Se or Panza Verde and wish him well on his lane to fame…recording stuff in the States? yep…be able to say that you knew him ‘when’…is that all there is? look, I’m tired, ok? the Mayan incense stuff at the door of the church was very cool…dodging the gringo tourists wasn’t…just how did they get so fat? its appalling…being able to recognize a US tourist from a Spanish couple by their weight/dress code…and Spain’s broke? ok, fine…the Quetzalteca has been open and its breathed long enough…should one decant it? a little swirl on the tongue, waiting for the hints of blackberry, oak and ….you tell me…the week is ahead of us: go do something good for Antigua…anything…Chi-Chi? once was enough..

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Slander, Lies, Gossip and Innuendo

Posted in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged on April 1, 2012| Leave a Comment »

accent on the 3rd syllable..a chance encounter with Seth Montfort/ford on the streets earlier, having made a successful bus trip from Belize to Costa Rica and back: when I last spoke with him a month or so ago, I had worries about him being on the road…he made it back and now, against all odds, is looking for a place to rent this week…ack! ‘no idea how to contact him other than leaving a message at Panza Verde, so if you..etc..hell, he’d probably write a concerto or two for you…interesting stories about PV but you gotta ask him…my lips are zippered..zipped?

another piece of ‘intel’…a long lost/gone famous beauty is returning to A-Town! when, why or such is under wraps, i.e., ‘zipped’ and you thought that i couldn’t keep a secret? mum’s the word and it’s under my arms (old, old joke like Prince Raleigh in the can)

Korey Dai Peterson! a most xlnt new T-shirt! Occupy Antigua! on sale at Nim P’ot tomorrow..’gave him the idea about producing ‘glow in the dark’ plastic Jeezus figures for the dashboard….could i have royalties?…and a light sprinkle of rain just at 7  or so…perfect/short/nice touch, god..und zo, we’re in the final home stretch of Jesuz on a Stick week..block that street, close that calle…i’ m a bit blase by now, if not also (fill in the blanks)..

ah, rumors/gossip? per a usually semi-reliable source, there’s a gang of two on a moto, doing hit/run stick-ups, for the last month or so…per same, a stick-up at 5pm last friday, under the Arches(and not McDonalds)…where the hell is our locak Kojak,  Mr Cervantes? …probably, along with the recently dismissed Mr INGUAT, replaced for being too good and the need for a job for someone’s nephew..

look’s like I missed a helluva wedding yesterday..Marc and Marina..having done one Guate wedding last month, I think I’ve made my quota for the year: at the point when the priest asks if anyone has any objections, I’m loath(inclined)to jump up and shout…WTF? are you serious? i had to explain last week to the marvelous Marbel that in the Youy ESS of A, 50% of all marriages end in divorce..or as Matt B once related, via a divorce attorney, if you knew that the airline had a 50% crash rate, would you fly with them? ‘having been down the bridal path 4X, you might think that i’m being septical..no, skeptical..would I? maybe, if she owned a liquor distributor network and a serious trust fund and I drafted the pre-nups…jeez, i actually had a ‘pre-nup’ once..as with a lotta things, i forgot all about it..could she come after me, now? hah!…no, a big double HAH! or hah-hah..i think it was recorded but she’d have to find it, etc…rotsa ruck..

yep, I’m stuck in town for this week…two serious appointments re ‘the silly little booklet’..after that, writing up a great NGO, ‘Houses to Homes’…I, as usual, had no idea..Barb K goes under the knife(serious surgery)this week..send good vibes, please.

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In The Swill of the Night

Posted in Guatemala, Living in Antigua, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, central america, guatemala, tagged , , , , , , , on February 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Monica of Jungle Party back!…no, i don’t know from where but she’s looking for a new manager/manageress…is that a real word? do i care? it’s the concept..someone ‘younger’ to deal with the age group that goes there..

ah..the Venetian Masked Ball? whew…there’s a ‘production’ goin’ on…stage, sound systems, costumes/masks for rent and a swirl of activity…yep, got my mask…no need for the brown paper bag as feared..

coming next weekend on Satuday the 25th…a charity thing at Joe’s Grill..on the way to Ciudad Vieja..starts at 11:30, 25% of gross goes to Charity..no, not her…ribs, chicken, corn on the cob, baked potato…the American Legion will provide free transportation from the Condesa by the park, starting at 11:15…tickets? 100q and call Bill @ 7934-6576 for same..or buy ’em on the way..Fabrizio must’ve got Da Mayor to do something about the road repairs out there..and thanks, Frank, for pointing out the proper spelling of  La Antigua Galeria de Arte…hey, i’m only hooman…well, maybe..the changes will go up/out into cyberspace to amazon.com for the latest version of the bookette..

wierd night, restaurant-wise…some local faves doin’ tables, some not…El Cazadore Italiano taking the nightly prize for biz..other’s slow/quiet…tres strange how the diners flow one night and then the other..B5 doing fine, Fusion dead..go figure..

Whisky Den, under the watchful eye of Karla doing brewskis..Braulio’s, the reinvented version of Pangea? half a dozen beer drinkers..Lava? quiet…guate’s checking their cell phones for messages..

Riki’s? dead…Red’s? lo mismo…Angies? quiet…not quite dead..but quiet..Ricardo’s Tabacos y Vinos? only the staff there..lotta turistas walking 5ta norte..o shit..’just remembered that i promised Victoria of Cafe Flor that i’d come hear her sing…damn…gotta get another notebook for writin’ stuff down…if i can remember to buy the notebook..CRS is me…mental pause, i guess..

Nelson and Ron Fortin at Cafe No Se earlier…two of our better musicians in town..Carla Berryhill back in town…’had it with West End/Roatan and Rio Dulce…gotta job for her? she’d probably take it…knows her stuff, bar-wise…so..the VMB tomorrow night? gotta feeling its gonna be totally different this year…how, i’m not sure…Gabi is amazing, to say the least..Alex and Rita’s wedding on Saturday…his folks are in town and met ’em at Sobremesa..’haven’t been to a wedding since the early 2000’s…daughter #1, in Carmel..’been the kinda things i shy away from, given my track record..

got no plans for tomorrow night? go do the VMB…weirdness personified, folks in costumes, masks and acting out..if Panza Verde’s 25th was any measure of fun, this might be in the same category..

 

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