Guatemala #3: Market

I just love this before and after I found while looking up images for the post on ruins - This is the market in San Pedro (on Lake Atitlan where my mum lives) in 1942 vs. now.

Guatemala #2; Mayan Ruins Before and After

These three archeological sites are all in the Peten region of Guatemala. Archaeologists often render ruins as a means of reconstructing the salvaged artifacts into a cohesive picture of the site and it's residents. These "before" pictures give us huge insight into the contemporary "afters". (note: the research I did here definitely whet my appetite for ruins)


Ruins at Uaxactun: The drawing was done by Tatiana Proskouriakoff in 1950. This site was rediscovered in the early 20th century by an American Archeologist.


The site at Tikal is the biggest in Guatemala and the most complete as well. It is very remote and surrounded by jungles. I've never been but I must say, it looks haunted to me. OooooOooOooooooo...


Archeologist Tatiana Proskouriakoff is buried at the ruins of Piedras Negras. Read about the discovery of the panel here by Stephen D. Houston. To recognize the drawing in the bottom photo compare the glyphs on the side of the panel with the monuments at the base of the temple stairs and the faces on the temple with the one in the thick jungle brush. See. Haunted.

Guatemala + Stan = Missing House

I'm off to Guatemala in a few days so I thought I'd do some Guatemala Before and Afters.

In 2005, Hurricane Stan devastated much of Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador. My grandparents lived in Jucanya which is just outside of the tourist town of Panajachel, Guatemala. This is a before and afters of their awesome house. I was back there last year and crossed the river to their property. When Stan widened the river which ran by the house, it washed away about 40% of the property. The place was stripped, empty and deserted except for the squatter who had set up camp in my old bedroom.

Check out my mom's flickr set of befores and afters.



No need to point out the fact that I'm mourning a villa - I'll post in a bit with some more down to earth B&As.

Chris McCandless and the New Wanderers

If you haven't read the book or seen the movie about Chris McCandless, here is his story in a nutshell. McCandless was young man who rejected society and decided to live a wandering life. He travelled up and down North America eventually drawn north to Alaska. He hitchhiked to Denali Park and after being dropped off on a dead-end road off the highway, set off into the wilderness alone.

Several days hike in Chris found an old abandoned bus and used it as shelter. He survived for several weeks but not being prepared for the conditions of the north and improperly equipped, he starved to death. His body was found by moose hunters weeks later along with a diary and his remaining belongings.

His story has inspired young people across the world to make the pilgrimage to his bus in Alaska. He has become a symbol of disenchanted youth and freedom. Here is a story about these new wanderers who are following in Chris's footsteps.


Here is a picture of Chris McCandless shortly before he died in front of the bus in Denali Park. This photo was found in his camera found on the bus.

These pictures are tourists at the bus site.

Celebrities After Photoshop

Here is a great collection of celebrity portraits collected by Hemmy.net retouched with Photoshop. I have seen this done many times before but I was kind of shocked with these ones because I noticed they actually added makeup to some of the women. I guess I knew that had been done before but I've never seen comparisons that hit it home quite like these ones.

Queen Street Fire

This week there was a six-alarm fire on Toronto's Queen Street West. It destroyed several local businesses as well as left several people homeless. I had a chance to witness the demolition of the ruins this weekend and it was a very sorrowful site. Many people were standing and watching in silence. My friend noted that 'it felt like a funeral.' Here are some before and after pictures from a local blog called Torontoist.

Helen Mirren

Here is Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren. Mirren was born Ilyena Vasilievna Mironov but changed her name once she decided to persue an acting career. You probably know her best for her portrayal of 'The Queen' of England.

Bert Stern Pin Ups

In 1962 Bert Stern asked Marilyn Monroe to pose nude for a photo shoot at the Hotel Bel-Air. The series of photographs has become know as 'The Last Sitting.' Forty-six years later Stern asked the same of Lindsay Lohan. Here is the result. The pictures are available in New York magazine.

Viktor Yushchenko

Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko first claimed that he had been poisoned in September, when he was admitted to a clinic suffering from stomach pains.

It was only slowly that his face began to change, a mask of lesions and blisters disfiguring the 50-year-old's previously youthful looks.

Read more from the BBC News article.

Folgers Coffee Commercial from 1963

Check out this Folgers Coffee commercial from 1963. According to Cracked.com, Folgers launched this campaign targeting women who felt they were inadequate housewives.