Blogs from Chichicastenango, Western Highlands, Guatemala, Central America Caribbean - page 5

Chichi like everywhere else I have been in Guatemala so far is located in montains in a vally. It is a beautiful village, which is very famous for its Thursday and Sunday markets. If you want to go to Chichi, try to be there a night earlier so you can enjoy the morning when they are setting up for the mercado. ... read more

Rachael has had great success with her blog and I haven't had much success with internet - speeds are very variable - so I thought I'd give it a whirl... We arrived in Guat after the journey from hell - 40 hours and then, in our wisdom, another 4 or so driving... fortunately sanity had prevailed and we'd ditched the idea of renting a car. We never would have got out of Guatemala City. Not to mention the fact that it got dark on the journey and we had an unexpected stop for half an hour for roadworks... However, it was well, well worth it when we arrived in our first spot, Chichi. Chichi is a small town of about 23,000 people, but very traditional. All the women were wearing traditional dress, which involves a piece ... read more

We have had a full day in Chichi and it was fantastic. Lucy and I wandered around the streets and in the plaza for a while this morning. There is a lot of activity - music playing continuously, lots of locals wandering around in traditional clothing, there were traditional dances in the most amazing and elaborate costumes, processions through town carrying these huge statues - really incredible. We seemed to have been in the right spot every time. The markets have everything you could imagine in them, shoes, clothes, fruit,ceremonial masks children´s toys and even dried fish! Lucy and I were starting to head back to the hotel, when amongst the crowd we spotted Jack, who was asking for directions. He arrived in Guat. City late last night and caught the chicken bus to Chichi today. ... read more

Since arriving at Lago de Atitlan we have come to love Pana, the variety of cosy eateries and the quite gentle bargaining of the local tradespeople. We have found a lovely garden restaurant surrounded on three sides by trees and foliage out of which birds sing and dart out to peck crumbs. We have also enjoyed a vegetarian Indian restaurant which we frequent and we even got stuck in there when a sudden thunder and lightening episode was followed by REALLY heavy rain! No wonder it is so green and lush here! We sat sipping soup and chewing warm bread watching the sides of the red dust road transform into two rivers broken by a gradually lessening track in the centre. A man selling t-shirts on a stall opposite kept moving his plastic chair further and ... read more

The trip to Chichi from Pana takes a long windy road. Fortunately we avoided the chicken buses and got a private van. An hour and 10 minutes later (the driver predicted to the minute) we arrived in Chichi to do some serious shopping. Unfortunately, rainy season showed up and drenched us and many of the stands. Despite the weather we went on a mission to find some textiles and handicrafts. Note to the traveler: the prices start MUCH higher here than in either Panajachel or Santiago Atitlan. Enjoy the environment, and look for harder to find items…everything else can be found cheaper elsewhere. None-the-less it was fun to bargain, talk to locals and eat papas con chili y ketchup. My afternoon was spent catching up with an SIT friend in Pana. She introduced me to ... read more