Thursday was market day in Chichicastenango, aka Chichi for travelers and locals alike. For both visitors and sellers, the day started early and it involved a long bus ride uphill in twisty mountain roads.
I love markets. Sure, I usually don’t like to wander around raw meat stalls very early in the morning, and walking in packed alleys can be a tiring exercise. But markets, from Beijing’s Silk Market to France’s quaint Saturday food frenzy, tell a lot about a country’s culture.
The gap of wealth within Guatemala is also fascinating to observe. Antigua attracts wealthier travelers from all around the world more than backpackers, but it also attracts local tourists. On one hand, you have the locals who barely get by—the kids who sell candies in the chicken buses, the Maya girls who sell necklaces etc. And on the other hand, there are groups of Guatemalan tourists who, cameras in hands, have their pictures taken by the “exotic” Mayas.
In Guate, each company has its own terminal and they are scattered throughout the city. Además, to make things even more confusing, they don’t really have a name. “How am I supposed to explain the driver which terminal we want?” I asked Feng. “Just tell him we want to take the bus de pollo,” he deadpanned. Unfortunately, “chicken bus” doesn’t translate as easily. I settled for “bus regular”.
Everybody makes mistake. We did a bunch of times. Like the time we got robbed by guys with machetes in Volcán Agua, Guatemala. Or when we got mugged in Panamá City.
We like to think we are wiser now. But sometimes, things are simply out of our control.
Even though we’ve been there twice, Guatemala is always a bit of a culture shock.
Tikal is probably the most famous Mayan archeological site.
