Blogs from Chichicastenango, Western Highlands, Guatemala, Central America Caribbean

Initially I hadn't planned to check out the massive market in Chichicastenango. It is held every Thursday and Sunday and I wasn't sure if either of those days would fit into my plan. It's possible to visit on a day trip from Antigua or Lake Atitlán as many shuttles offer the service - for a price. But because I summited Volcán Tajumulco much earlier than anticipated, I ended up with plenty of time. After an extra rest day in Xela I took off for Chichi the day before the market to spend the night in order to get an early viewing before the tour buses and shuttles arrived. A lot of stuff was set up Saturday afternoon in the market but I went back again at 7:30 in the morning. The expanse had doubled in size ... read more

The previous day we left Mexico and headed to Panajachel in Guatemala. It was a fairly long day as we travelled by bus. Our first full day in Panajachel and we headed over to the biggest Mayan market in Central America in a town called Chichicastenango. On the way to the market, the bus driver pulled over so that we could get some great shots of Lake Atitlan. Lake Atitlan is this massive lake which Panajachel is situated next to and we got some great photos of the lake as the bus driver stopped by when going up the mountains. When we got to the Mayan market it was extremely busy with Mayans and tourists. We first visited this little church which was like the second church in San Cristobal; Catholic but with a Mayan feel ... read more

Last Sunday we drove two hours to Chichicastenango. The road to Chichi, while good, is through mountains and quite windy. Thursdays and Sundays Chichi comes alive with markets in the street. We drove almost right into the market, literally, and found a place to park. We walked down a steep hill that had several tents selling hardware, pots and pans, even soles of shoes. We weren’t sure if we were even going the right way to the church, when we were assaulted by the strong smell of incense. We turned the corner and followed the sounds to the church on the hill. On the steps of the church were several locals selling flowers and burning pine needles. There was also a stereo speaker playing religious music, quite loudly. We had read that going up the front ... read more

Road blocks, Antigua, markets and more lakes in Guatemala.... read more

(Day 826 on the road) After a few weeks in Guatemala now I have to say that I am properly impressed. Of course by the beauty of the country, but even more so by the honesty of the people and the absence of hassle. It is by no means standard that in a poor country like Guatemala tourists are treated equal. Despite how much I love Asia for example, the omni-present foreigner pricing and rip-offsthere are one thing I can really do without, and which make travelling much more tiring and troublesome than it needs to be at times. In contrast, how refreshing it is to travel across Guatemala! Of course there were a few instances where people have taken advantage of us, but for the vast majority, we have been charged the normal price for ... read more