The biggest open air textile market in the world

I woke before the dogs and there was no rooster but Miss Noisy from last night woke everyone when she got home late last night. Not only could everyone hear her banging around but for some reason she started screaming. Someone must have knocked her on the head as she soon shut up.  

I only waited for a few minutes for the shuttle bit while waiting met a lovely US couple from Mexico. They are staying where I am and were also perturbed by Miss Noisy. 

Driving through Panajachel this morning showed a different side away from the tourist stuff. It looks nice, not with the character of Antigua but still ok. Like Antigua it is pretty clean but lacking in colour and quite basic. 

This mornings 90 minute drive was over narrow but ok roads which wound high and low over mountains and through rather rugged and not particularly attractive villages. I am sharing the ride with two loud Americans. The ‘know all’ types. I tried to get some sleep. It sort of worked.  

Arriving at our destination we were told of our meeting place and off we went. Touts were offering tours of the city. No thanks. Not today. 

Chichicastenango is quite a big town but the markets are different to what I expected. I expected big open spaces,  selling textiles. It is supposedly the largest open air textile market in the world. 

In reality this is enclosed tiny lanes with stalls selling anything you can think of from chickens and veg to tourist crap to regular type retail. Ive been here an hour and over it. The crowds  of people are pushing and shoving. The politeness of Antigua out the window. It’s a bit cooler here but still oppressive amongst the crowds. 

The textiles are of the ethnic variety, woven in bright patterns, heavy cotton and in some cases heavily embroidered. Many of the women shopping and most all of the ones in the stalls are wearing a degree of ethnic clothing. The clothes are rather beautiful but not my thing. Obviously the people don't feel the cold as these fabrics are quite thick and then they cover up with a cardi or jacket. I’m in short sleeve thin cotton and feeling the warmth. 

I have yet to see a woman with short hair. In every case it is pitch black, straight and long for the women, short for the men.

I dipped out and am in a coffee shop with “roof top views”. It sure has. Lots of tin roofs. 

The coffee is bearable, better than I would get in the US. Got three hours to go so am going exploring away from the market. 

Wandering didn’t uncover much but I did visit the local cathedral which was a bit daunting. After I had taken the photos I was told photos were not allowed. A shame as it was rather beautiful inside and watching the people walking on their knees to the alter was a bit weird.  Outside people were kneeling and praying while someone was waving burning incense over them. The air was heavy with the scent. 

I went in search of the cultural centre which was marked on my map. I didnt find it but also didnt find anyone who knew anything about it. Maybe it was just there to make the map look more interesting. 

It was lunch time. I was hungry and had time to kill. My choices were Domino’s Pizza, a cake shop or a Parilla which is a grill bar. I chose the grill bar and ordered a pork chop. 

Pork chop it was, grilled it was not. Battered and deep fried it was and enjoyable it was not. Even smothered with either of the two sauces that came too it was like eating greasy cardboard. Oh well for $10. 00 I didn’t hold out hope for anything great. I should have stuck to the fried plantain when I saw a street vendor frying it. 

I need to go for another walk I think. 50 minutes till my shuttle leaves. I have time. 

The walk and the ride home were uneventful. I nodded off on the wat despite the couple in front of me talking incessantly in the usual American rate of decibels. 

Once home I went for a wander to the lake along a different road. A nice typical paved road in a township. No stalls, no hawkers, no pushing and shoving. Just a nice walk. Down near the lake it was quite busy but not like yesterday. It seems Saturday everyone is here. By Sunday avo they are all on their way back home. 

Despite the dozens of restaurants it did not have that frenetic feel of yesterday.  I spied someone frying plantain and couldn't resist.  After the fried lunch it probably wasn’t the best thing to have but it was yummy. I love the chewy burned bits on the side. 

 Walking down my lane I had to squash against the wall as a tuk tuk passed. Anyone who has been to SE Asia will know how narrow a tuk tuk is. Thats how narrow the first part of my lane is. The second even narrower. But its well lit and busy with people so all good. 

Later I came back out for dinner.  Most the souvenir stalls down the street were packing up and the place was nice and subdued.

For dinner I stopped at a place at the end of a lane. Grilled prawns really were grilled prawns with a healthy dose of avocado and three chunks of garlic bread. All washed down with a Gallo beer. Life can’t be too bad. “Home” to Antigua tomorrow. I can’t wait. Hopefully Miss Noisy has departed and the dogs are not distracted tonight. 

And my adventure begins

And my adventure begins. Today I got to sleep in. Like hell. Despite an early night I only got a few hours sleep in between party goers, dogs and the bl00dy rooster. 

But this was my view first thing this am. The mountain in the background is active and every now and then does a wee puff of smoke. Some people climb it. In the words of Princess Anne I would say “not bloody likely”. 

As it was my last night at Jessicas I took my coffee downstairs to drink while the rest of the team were having breakfast. There were only four of us today, the others either having left for home or off on an adventure for the weekend. 

Goodbyes said I grabbed an Uber and dropped my main bag at the hotel I will come back to on Monday. None of the reception staff speak English. Yay this will force me to practice my Spanish which is improving by day.  Speaking is coming easier but understanding - yes! Well!

The hotel is the one that my tour will start in and it has the cutest outdoor courtyard. I am looking forward to staying there. 

I have started this post in a cafe.  Having left my bag and with a couple of hours to kill I set of to find an ATM. The hotel is not far from Jessica’s place so the area is familiar and it was easy to find a machine. 

Sadly, it didn’t like me so off I trotted to find another. That found I went to get my card out and OMG!  Every travellers nightmare. Where was it.??  After a few minutes of panic I retraced my steps, worked up a massive sweat and formulated a plan of how I could get cash another way. All good. I’ll grab a cold drink, cancel the card and be on my way. 

Just one more look. Just as well. Said card was found exactly where I should have put it and did put it. Panic over. Now to find an ATM that works!  

With that sorted and cash withdrawn it was time for a snack. The place I wanted to eat at didn’t open for another hour so it was lunch on the trot with a pulled (pronounced pull-er-ed) pork tostado, similar to the one I had at the market the other day but in a toasted roll and with cheese. A new favourite especially at a cost of $5. 

I did a recce of my new neighbourhood and found a wee jewellery store. I never travel with real jewellery and ended up giving my koru to the lady I worked with at the school. I was taken by this:

Look familiar?  I am now its proud owner and love it. 

Closer to home is a laundry - they wash dry and fold for 7quetzales ($1.50) per pound (weight). I’ll be back. 

Even closer (2 minutes walk from my new ‘home’) is a divine cafe/chocolate shop with seating in a quiet (well except for the american girl next to me that is) lush garden. Just gorgeous.  I will be back to this one too. Returning to the hotel I waited outside for the shuttle. And I waited. And I waited. The little house opposite took my eye.   So did the lady carrying stuff on her head. 

Eventually my shuttle arrived just when I was trying to figure out what to do because I didn’t think it was going to show.  The trip notes said they might be up to 30 minutes after the ouck up time. It was over an hour later when they arrived.  I got the front seat because I was last on board. 

The driver speaks english and was full of chatter, most of which I was not listening to but every now and then I got something useful. 

There are 22 spoken in this tiny country. A different language (not a dialect - totally different language) for  each department of the country.  Many people do not speak Spanish at all. 

We passed through many towns and villages. Some pretty some not. We passed by a village known for their leather work. The roads were great.  There were many slips but they have built retaining walls around the areas prone to slippage. Very well done.  

Rules were broken all along the trip. You pass wherever you can. Lanes are blocked off without warning (not in a gradual way like they are at home.  Suddenly you have something blocking the lane). Tree branches on the road can be used to warn drivers of a breakdown. Work safe and Waka Kotahi would love this:

We passed a graveyard. Even the graves/tombs were painted in one of the six colours allowed in Antigua City. 

Our drive took us mainly along the Pan American Highway which begins in Alaska and with the exception of a small part south Panama and north Colombia goes right down to the southern most tip of South America. I guess thats what we will be going on during the tour. 

The piece in the middle is called the Darién Gap, one of the rainiest areas of the planet running between the last outpost in Panama to the first town in Colombia. It is a good four day dangerous hike from one end to the other. 

We passed a few of the “Qute” cars we had seen in Antigua. They are mainly used for taxis and about the size of a tuk tuk but with a bit more power. New ones cost about $NZ10,000. I must try one. 

The scenery was sublime, towering hills, green everywhere and villages tucked away in the crevasses. Photos don’t really do it justice. 

Eventually we arrive in an unattractive town called Panajachel. My destination. After the cuteness of Antigua it was a let down. The hotel is down in the depths of a lane way but an unexpected oasis. My room bijoux but cute. 

I set off to see Lake Ataitlan, which is surrounded by volcanoes. Its only a short walk from the hotel. My little lane opens onto a street full of tourist stalls. The place is wall to wall full of tourists and the stalls full of junk tourist stuff. Its awful.   It leads to the lake which is lined by hawkers selling traditional souvenirs  (probably made in China). 

There are people everywhere, mainly Spanish speaking and its horrible. 

The Lake though is beautiful and as I write I am sitting in a restaurant on its edges waiting for the sunset while I wait for dinner. I’m glad I ate before catching the shuttle. 

I ordered taco carne de res. Beef tacos and nothing like the tacos back home which are a version of the US version of something they have in northern Mexico. I hate those tacos. 

But these were worse. The soft tortillas were doughy and undercooked. I scraped the filling out, smothered it in guacamole and corriander and ate the few morsels. I still had time before sunset so the wait called for a beer. At least it will kill the taste. I’m glad it was a cheap meal and I’m glad I dragged a pecan pie with me from Antigua. The sunset was worth waiting for:

I wandered the streets after that awful meal and saw nothing other than horrible souvenir stands and a few restaurants (one was an Indian Restaurant - and not of the American Indian variety). Really?

Eventually making it back to the hotel my day was drawing to a close. As cute as the hotel is, I think it is way up there with the noisiest places I have ever stayed. OK it’s early but do people really have to scream at each other across the balconies ( especially when they have screechy high pitched voices) and does that dog have to bark non stop.  There is a musically challenged place nearby and the base feels as though it is right next door.  I wish I could use ear plugs 🤪. 

This afternoon has been a real let down after Antigua but at least in this hotel I have my own bathroom and wont have to lie awake at night wanting to go but not wanting to scoot outside and down the path to the loo and wake someone.  But my wee room was so quiet during the evenings and it felt like home pretty quick.  I miss it. 

I miss Antigua but looking forward to the biggest textile market in the world in Chichicastenango (ChiChi for short) tomorrow.  I know it will be chaotic and touristy. I hope not as bad as this. 

My last day of volunteering

I arrived at work this morning and the place had been transformed. From the graduation setting I left yesterday today we have a birthday setting for three boys turning 15. 

The ladies arrived and it was hugs all round. The sparkle in their eyes makes me glad I got up at some ungodly hour to be here for them. 

I was on flower making duty today and described as a battery as I just power through it. Although today Azucena (the teacher), Flora and I had a few laughs. 

We only worked briefly making flowers and then patients were gathered in the newly decorated hall for the mass. The air was filled with excitement. Kids upstairs were wheeled onto the balconies so they could see down into the hall. Many were flat out in bed and possibly had been there all their lives. I will talk more about that in another post. This one is for happy stuff. 

The anticipation grows. Kids are clapping and banging on their seats, guests arrive and are ushered to their seats. Maracas are shared out and streamers distributed. Nothing has started but the atmosphere is bursting with joy. 

The music starts and three youngsters are wheeled in. The girls are dressed in fluffy pink dresses. Today is for them. Their 15th birthdays.  Each has two support people with them. One of their support people holds their hand. One of the girls is very calm and seems to understand. The other is constantly moving sliding round in her chair. The boy is fitting. 

One girl has what looks to be a relative or friend here. The others just the support people. 

A prayer is read and even some of the non-verbal patients participate. I am struggling to hold back the tears. A religious service follows with some beautiful singing.  Each of the patients receives a communion wafer and a squirt (from a bottle) of holy water . I hope it helps them but I fear not. 

Well if I thought the start of the week was emotional this is way way more so. But what a privilege to be able to participate and see the looks of joy on the faces of those that are able. 

It was time to say goodbye and I shed more than one tear. I have asked if I can come back to visit one day next week. Goodbye might be harder then. 

But the goodbyes mark the start of my holiday. No class tonight so bring it on. 

As usual a bone shaker bought us back into town and Flora wanted to eat at the Restaurant we had drunk a lousy tea at the day before. It wasn’t the sort of place I would usually dine in when travelling but I figured I wouldn’t be going anywhere else posh so why not. After the lousy tea I didnt hold high hopes for good food but the setting was lovely.

Formal table setting, waiters with their hair in a net, my serviette placed on my lap and a diverse menu. Not wanting to have anything Italian, French or American I ordered a Guatemalan Ceviche and a glass of Marieta MC Rias Baixas Espana Albariño. It’s a while since I had a wine but this was so worth waiting for. It was what we would call a large size priced at around $20.

With a very delicate flavour and a hint of fruitiness I swooned. Maybe the emotion of the day helped. 

My Guatemalan ceviche was yum but not a ceviche. The fish was raw, the prawns were not, the salsa on top super tasty - little picante but not so much as to spoil the taste of the fish. All in all a great lunch. 

Lunch done it was time for a desert so we stopped at a coffee shop when a blood orange gelato went down a treat. Flora and I said our goodbyes and I headed home where a long shower cooled me off enough so that I slept like a baby for a bit. I had come home early so I could see the sunset but alas despite the sun during the day it was not to be. It had clouded over. 

Dinner was great and came with a handful of laughs. Some of us go our separate ways tomorrow but those of us that are still around have agreed to catch up on Wednesday night before my tour starts on Thursday. 

My adventure starts tomorrow (Saturday) when I am going to a town called Panajachel a town in the Highlands, west of Guatemala City. It is on the north shore of Lake Atitlán. Surrounding the lake are the San Pedro, Tolimán and Aititlan volcanoes.

Everyone is going to check the volcanoes out but Whakaari/White Island is a bit fresh in my memory so am going to a nearby township on Sunday. Chichicastenango is home to the largest open air textile market in the world. I wont be buying textiles but it should be fun to check out. I come back to Antigua on Monday. Till then.