Market Day in Chichicastenango

Thursday was market day in Chichicastenango. I opted not staying there all night this trip as I didn't need any more huipils. My first stop, as usual, was to the Hotel Santo Tomas for pancakes. Luckily the parrots were out this trip.

The hotel is always beautifully decorated.





A marimba band plays on the balcony at lunch time.


After breakfast and enjoying the parrots it was off to the market

One of the things which is striking to me is the use of the color red.

I keep meaning to buy one of these crocheted baskets.

There is a shaman at work on the top of the church steps.


Chichi is famous for the beautiful needlepoint type huipils on usually a black background.

A drunken man in really terrible shape in front of the ice cream store. No, I didn't have a banana split.
Some interesting long embroideries.

The shuttles to Panajachel and Antigua meet their passengers in front of the Hotel Santo Tomas. As the appointed time arrives vendors congregate here looking for last minute sales.

Trip to Panajachel and Lake Atitlan

The gorgeous lake was mostly misty without good views during most of my visit. Because of the runoff from fertilizer and sewage around the lake there is a huge "slime" problem which has hit the news recently. You can see the slime beginning at least a mile from shore as you go across the lake. It is really hurting the fishermen's income.
My first morning I went down a few doors to one of my favorite restaurants for pancakes.

Itsn't this a great mural at the head of Santander, the main street.


My favorite fabric store. Well, all right, its the only fabric store in town as far as I know. Run by a man from Solola who still wears the traditional costume.
I know, I know, you have been waiting for the banana split photo. It turns out that now there are at least 3 places on the main street where I can buy them. This is the deluxe one for an extra 2 quetzals which means you get the wafers.
The streets are usually busy with women and children peddling all kinds of things. Business is so slow right now that some of the women are taking time to chat on the sidewalk.

My favorite restaurant is closed on Tuesdays so I decided to try the restaurant next door to my hotel. Turned out they had better pancakes and cheaper.
A beautiful vine on the main street.

Quick trip to Guatemala

Eight days after returning from Asia I embarked on a week-long shopping trip to Guatemala. I based myself in Panajachel, on the shores of the gorgeous Lake Atitlan. There won't be any lake photos as it was misty on the horizon from the farmers burning off fields in the area. This is a mural over a really nice restaurant at the head of Santander Street...the main street in Panajachel.
Halfway up the street is a nice ice cream parlor with banana splits. Not quite as nice as Swenson's in Bangkok...but acceptable. And its a great people watching location.

One of my favorite restaurants appropriately named El Jardin. They had wonderful homemade breads and jam.

Tne entrance to my room in a small garden. I always reserve early so i can have this wonderful room. The hotel also has a travel agency with shuttle service which I always use. I have stayed at several other hotels in town and like this one the best. It is called Posada de las Volcanes. One morning as I was walking up Calle Santander a parade of children was exiting the school yard, about halfway up the street.


Many of the towns in Guatemala acquired tuk tuks which are handy after serious shopping.

There are a series of fast food stalls which seem to be a permanant fixture outside the school yard and are open late in the evening.

An hour by boat across the lake is the colorful town of Santiago Atitlan. These photos are from market day. The women wear my favorite huipils from the area. Light blue striped fabric with gorgeous birds. The men used to wear pedal pushers made from the same fabric with colorful birds on the hem but they are rarely seen these days.
One of my young friends from town over the years named Joe. He currently drives a tuk tuk although I think he is probably 12 or 13 years old.
Women selling huipils in the market. The birds are increasingly being made by machine but are still gorgeous. And, of course, they are becoming more and more expensive.

I stayed overnight in Chichicastenango in order to attend the market early and visit a huipil dealer. This was the street in front of my hotel being set up on market day.
I found two Singer Featherweight sewing machines in a local shop. The one which appeared to be in the best condition was listed at $133.

The courtyard of my hotel.
The steps of the famous church in the center of the market. It is a mixture of Catholicism and shamanism. It is not uncommon to find people praying in front of the altar and others listening to a shaman with candles and chicken parts performing a ritual.