Sunday Market and Mountain Climb

Sunday, April 10, 2011—Chichicastenango

It was only 6:30 when I awoke. With no wifi for reading e-mail and newspapers, I read for a while. Then I bathed. As I was going out around 7:45, the owner of the hotel asked if I would like coffee. He roasts his own. We sat in his kitchen and visited as I drank. He told me he has been an illegal alien in the US, but an “invited” one, meaning that he had an offered job before he crossed the border. He was first in Houston, but he spent most of his years working in Chicago. He said his place here was originally just their home. To help pay expenses, they started renting out one room. Then they cleaned up the courtyard and rented out more. Eventually, they build the two-story portion where I am staying which gave them a total of 8 rooms to rent out regularly. He’s a very nice man. He, his wife, his brother, and his son all help operate the place.

When I eventually left at 8:30, the town was covered with market stalls, yet they were still putting up more. Knowing the tour groups from neighboring cities would arrive around 9:30, I wanted to experience the market before it got crowded. There are wonderful things being sold. If I were a shopper, it would be a great chance to buy native products—blankets, sculptures, weavings, products made from weavings (aprons, pot holders, etc.), masks, and on and on.

With so much time on my hands, I then decided to hike into the mountains. I found a road leading toward a park and followed it. Many pickup trucks full of people coming into town for the market passed me. I occasionally passed a home with children out playing or adults working. I continued past the park until I got to the top of the mountain with wonderful views across the valley. On the way back, I stopped briefly at the park where musicians were playing live music. That made me think of Bob Maroney and how he would have enjoyed being with me for that. Then I continued back to town arriving around 11:00 to experience the market with the crowds of tourists among the local people. At times, the passageways were so crowded that people became a wod of a traffic jam with shoving coming from all directions.

Hungry, but with restaurants and stalls crowded, I headed to an ice cream place. I got a frozen banana on a stick and dipped in chocolate. It was so refreshing that I got another. That solved my need for food temporarily. I then returned to the room to rest and read.

Around 15:00, I went out again. The market had slowed and many stalls were being dismantled. My goal was to try to find a cyber café. I walked to the main roadway, and one was right in front of me. Although it’s cost was minimal, I resented having to use it. I’ve become spoiled by having my own computer and rooms with wifi. Anyway, I spent an hour checking e-mail, posting to my blog, and reading newspapers. I also wrote a message to the father of Conner telling that I hoped they enjoyed their hike yesterday and that I hoped Conner remained fine from the time I parted from him until they arrived.

I was hungry by the time I left the cyber café. A small restaurant for local people near my hotel had been busy both yesterday and today with people waiting in line outside to get a seat and have lunch. I headed there, and I was able to walk right in at 16:00 and order. I got pollo guisada. There was a large chicken leg with an orange colored sauce. The plate also had a large portion of cold noodles with slices of carrots and a marinated mixed vegetable salad with mayonnaise. They brought a bowl that looked like mashed kernels of corn, and it was the picante for the meal. Oh, and there was a basket of the small, thick corn tortillas that are popular here. It all tasted great, and I washed it down with a Pepsi Light.

I sat on my balcony reading until it got too cool. Then I came into the room to write on the computer and to play a few games of FreeCell on it until bedtime.