Over the years, I’ve noticed that I love taking photos of doorways, windows, and arches. Besides being interesting architecturally, they symbolize a journey from one place to another. They delineate inside from outside; they mark an end and a beginning—a movement through time and space, from one stage of life to another. This year, I want to share some travel photos of these portals into other worlds.
Arch of Santa Catalina, Antigua, Guatemala ©Laurel Kallenbach
The Arch of Santa Catalina is an icon of the old Spanish colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala, which I visited in 2008. I loved the town, with it’s colorfully painted stucco houses and its cobblestone streets. I loved the Mayan women selling their intricate, handwoven textiles. And I especially loved this arch, which welcomes people into the heart of the city with views of the mountains and (from some angles) the Pacaya Volcano.
—Laurel Kallenbach, freelance writer and photographer
Read more about my travels in Guatemala:
Forgot about that lovely arch. I spent a couple months in Antigua going to language school in the late ’80s. Loved it there. The “Boulder of Guatemala.”
I spent about four nights in Antigua, and two of them coincided with Holy Week. It was fascinating to see the procession of saints/icons through the streets. Here’s the link to that post: /holy-week-processions-in-antigua-guatemala/