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September 8, 2005
The Market at Chichicastenango
We were up early and caught a bus to Chichicastenango to see the big market that is held every Thursday and Sunday. Marcelo and Rosi had described it to us back in Sonora, Mexico. It was about an hour’s drive on windy roads through unbelievable Guatemalan countryside.
The market was quite a social event. Block after block of market stalls sold everything from carefully embroidered traditional Mayan clothing to baby chickens. Near the town plaza was the Iglesia de Santo Tomas which had similarities to the one we saw in San Juan Chamula with lots of candles along the ground, pine needles carpeting the floor and incense.
One of Em’s favorite aspects of the market was that everyone was so busy buying and selling stuff that no one seemed to mind her taking pictures. Head over to the photo site to check them out.
We also made our way up to a small Shrine of Pascual Abaj atop a hill that was about a 20 minute walk from the market. A tourguide trying to get us to pay him to lead the way said it was too dangerous to go alone. Our guide book also warned of robberies. But when we walked to the base of the hill a young Mayan girl laughed when we asked if it was dangerous. She then pointed out an elderly British man who was making his way down the hillside. He also confirmed the walk was fine. We found the shrine without any problems.
Back in Panajachel we had dinner outside our hotel in a restaurant that overlooked the lake. Tomorrow we plan on exploring a few of the other small villages around the lake.
Posted by Peter Mork at September 8, 2005 7:33 PM
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