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Visiting the El Carmen ruins folkart market is among the top things people do on the weekends and holidays in La Antigua Guatemala.

Here’s a little secret. One of things on my to do list is to capture through time-lapse photography the contrast between the stark, almost monochromatic muted colors of the El Carmen ruins and cobblestone streets and the colorful handicrafts sold at the market.

Can you imagine watching the time-lapse video beginning with just the ruins and cobbled streets as backdrop and then how the color is added as each new vendor sets up shop and displays the colorful Guatemalan handicrafts?

Oh, I don’t think I will ever get tired for the abundant fresh produce available in el mercado of La Antigua Guatemala from the regular permanent stands or the ambulant produce sellers. Either way, you’re guaranteed fresh and colorful vegetables and fruits everyday. Life is good!

San Felipe de Jesús is just a small town next to La Antigua Guatemala, which has its own particularities. San Felipe’s church is gothic, its market is cozy, there are many options to have some delicious food… So, why not pay a visit to San Felipe on a Saturday or Sunday? I guess I am becoming a bit obsessed with Sundays, as there is plenty to do Don’t forget to tour around all the villages of La Antigua Guatemala; there’s more to come. Stay tune!

text and photos by Arturo Godoy

A few days ago Susanita was asking herself about rambutan and loquats tropical fruits.

Rambutan, or licha as it is known in Guatemala, is a red, plum-sized tropical fruit with soft spines and a slightly acidic taste. Lichas are now a staple of the mercados in Guatemala. Lichas (rambutan) are new comers and that’s why some Guatemalans living abroad might not be familiar with them.

Loquats, on the other hand, has been a staple of the Guatemalan fruit repertoire for as long as I can remember. “What the hell are you talking about?” Guatemalans maybe asking just about now. That’s right, loquats are nisperos or misperos, depends who you ask. As always, follow the white rabbit to see nisperos and read the background information.

Okay, I have solved the mysteries of rambutan and loquats tropical fruits. Now, which one do you prefer?

I know that one can go every day to the mercado, market, in La Antigua Guatemala for fresh produce and that if one goes Monday, Thursday or Saturday, one can find the find the largest selection and quality of fruits and vegetables. However, I had never seen the produce delivery trucks; I guess I am not up when the market gets restocked.

How many vegetables can you see inside the truck?

Sweet. Refreshing. Natural. Licuados are one of those treats that truly define a Guatemalan experience. The blended fruit drinks can be found most anywhere in La Antigua from fancy restaurants to local, hole-in-the-wall comedors… and I absolutely LOVE them. They are nothing more than fruit blended with your choice of water, milk, yogurt and, sometimes, orange juice. Often, sugar is added but I always ask for mine to come “sin azucar.” Usually fruit here in Guate is so perfectly ripe (as you can see from the pics) that any added sweetner would be too much… at least for me. So what is it, exactly, that makes licuados so addictive?

The idea of what are essentially smoothies is certainly nothing new to me, a U.S.-native. But, where I’m from in the Midwest, they just aren’t so prevalent. Here, in Guate, there is truly a licuado culture, a licuado craze even. It’s just as common to suggest to a friend to “let’s go grab a licuado” as it is to suggest meeting for a coffee. And this licuado culture has taught me to be more creative with my own smoothie concoctions. Never had I heard using papaya, honeydew or watermelon in a blended drink before coming to Central America… and now those are my top three favorites. Just the other day, the woman whom I rented a room from threw starfruit mixed with orange in her own, homemade version. It tasted quite “rico” as well.

It’s safe to say I’m addicted to these treats. I used to go hunker down to work online at Rainbow Café just so I could sip on a papaya-yogurt licuado while tackling my “to-do list.” It didn’t take me long to find the cheapest licuados in town though. At the market, you can usually order a licuado with water for Q7. At El Merendor it will cost you Q8. Looking for a spot more “oriente” go to Cookies where a licuado with water also costs Q7. Just add a quetzal or two for anything blended with milk or yogurt. Anywhere else, licuados usually cost around Q15 to Q20.

text and photos by Laura McNamara

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Market day in La Antigua Guatemala is much more than just getting your weekly produce or enjoying a photo moment of local Guatemalan life. To me it’s a sneak peak into the hard lives of the market workers and their families. The markets of Guatemala are full of little kids that have to spend their whole days sitting amongst fruits, vegetables, flowers and anything else that is for sale. Without beds, mothers have to get creative as to where to lay their children down.

I actually always wonder, where do they go after the market, what do they do?

This child is still to young to walk or talk, however, I’ve seen little kids as young as three years old selling stuff while walking through the market. They might not know how to say complete sentences but they can certainly say ‘eight quetzal or one dollar’. The biggest heartbreak is that you become immune to it. Even if you try not to!

Whenever we see these kids anywhere around Guatemala and on some of our travels through Nicaragua my husband constantly brings up that they have absolutely no childhood. They go from sleeping in their mother’s cloths to selling on the streets or cleaning in the house or caring after their siblings without a moment of happiness or childhood.

When we lived in Costa Rica, the landlord of a property I lived on hired a young Nicaraguan boy. He couldn’t have been older than 20. On the same property lived other families with kids. We always left the toys, tricycles and scooters outside. Every free moment he had he used to take these for rides, or you could find him playing with the toys that a five year old would play with and he was having the time of his life! Sheer happiness exuded from him. My husband’s observation was, this is him making up for his lost childhood. I’m sure his life wasn’t much different than the boy in the picture. So maybe these kids can grow up and still make up for their lost youth.

An interesting article describes how these children let out their energy as they get older, even when they are working the streets or at the market. Culture Unshocked: Toys and Play. It gives another point of view into the same culture, but with a different approach from mine.

However, one thing I do agree is, they certainly don’t take anything for granted and even the smallest things that people of different classes overlook, could bring a wonderful experience to them.

text and photo by Marina K. Villatoro

About Guest Contributor: Marina K. Villatoro has been living in Central America for over 7 years and her site Travel Experta is all about traveling in Central America. Marina loves to help people plan the perfect vacation to this amazing part of the world! At her website, you can sign up for her RSS feed and join the fun on her Facebook fan page and follow her on Twitter at @MarinaVillatoro.

Sweet. Juicy. Succulent. Happy. Fresh. Inviting. These are just some of the words that come to mind whenever I spy the overflowing mounds of fruit at the market. With such a flood of rainbow colors, I find the market is an excellent spot for a quick pick-me-up! But it’s not just the colors. It’s the hustle and bustle and the everyday bargaining. There are days that I just love to be caught in the middle of it all! I remember the first time I encountered the true market bartering game in Thailand. Used to the fixed prices of immense supermarkets in the U.S., I was a bit frustrated as I attempted to try and figure out what I should pay for various goods. At first, I didn’t even like the business of bartering. ‘Just give me a fair price!’ I cried out inside my own head. But now, I LOVE IT! It has become a fun game of battle-of-the-wits to see who can out-charm the other… vendor or buyer?? And still, it’s more. Market bartering offers a window of opportunity for me to better communicate with, learn about and learn from the Maya.

More photos of succulent fruit to come!

text and photo by Laura McNamara

As you can see in the picture above, most flower shops are working really hard to have a large inventory of flower arrangements for the Day of Dead celebrations around Antigua Guatemala.

This picture was take at Floristerí­a Perpetuas Rosas (Perpetual Roses flower shop) inside the Antigua Guatemala’s market. Some of you may already know why the name perpetuas rosas is such fitting name for a flower shop in La Antigua Guatemala, right?

By moving from one section of the mercado to another, we find that las floristerí­as (flower shops) are preparing the flower arrangements of the Dí­a de los muertos or Dí­a de los difuntos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. Above you see the round arrangements called coronas (crowns).

Dí­a de los muertos is celebrated in Guatemala on November 1st and 2nd. In previous years, I focused on the once-a-year delicacy called fiambre. I even set up a fiembre slide show, so you can see how it is prepared.

This year, I am planning to take you to see the giant kites of Santiago Sacatepéquez. This is one of the most colorful and rich celebrations in Guatemala. We will have leave the valley of Panchoy and drive up to the high lands of Santiago Sacatepéquez, about 30 minutes from La Antigua Guatemala. Are you up for the trip?