A Day in Chichicastenango (Feb.17th)

Max did not wake up feeling very well. He asked to be dismissed from having to go shopping in Chichi. No problem. Joni and Jackie were planning to stay in San Pedro anyway. More volunteers were returning from Chichi to San Pedro after the day of shopping was over. The rest go on to Antigua after Chichi.

Breakfast is at Hotel Mikaso Resto. All I can put down is a simple ham/cheese mini omlette with no extra toast or refried beans. The shopping contingent to Chichi is in great spirits.

But the number of road accidents we see today. Three very bad ones. 1) On one of many many hairpin turns a large truck cut inside ans totally squashed a very small micro-vehicle where everyone said that the driver was dead. 2)On a straight stretch there was a chicken bus was going slightly uphill but his entire transmission and back wheels fell off behind him. 3) An eighteen wheeler transport was totally overturned about 25 below the existing highway roadbed.

Our shopping in Chichi was pretty successful. You can't keep the good shoppers down. Besides we had seen only one of the three accidents so far.

Thursday in Chichicastenango is supposed to be one of the biggest markets in all of Guetemala. the other saying in our group is get it cheap in Chichi before you pay higher prices in your last stay in Antigua. We do our best to get rid of as many quetzales (currency) as possible. Althogh I'm reluctant to buy too many things at first this one lady followed me around for 25 minutes. Finally, yes, I'll buy that shirt I was looking at fo Q75.00. ($10.00CAN) But we're also buying for upcoming Fundraising events. People in the stalls defintely come down in price when you buy 20 at a time or 10 at a time. In colourful patterns we buy table settings, pot holders, cell phone holders and many more items. All in about 2 hours of shopping.

The stopping point at the end of the shopping is Hotel San Thomas. This is a ritzy hotel as we have not seen before. Maybe $100 per night. Only gringos are allowed to wonder inside and gaze in the courtyard admiring theparrots and floral arrangements. Okay so I'll go to the bano. Must have ticket from office. Ticket from office cost Q5.00 and then you can use the washroom. I guess it's worth it because their standards sre very high.

For my shopping crimes(?) I was in cahoots(?) with both David and Janice. They both drive a hard bargain. So when the three of us converge on a stall we don't take any prisoners. One stall had to get more and more potholders from another family stall because we bought them all out....down to Q2.10 per since we bought in quantities of 20 for Janice and 10 for me.

                                                               Front entance of Posada La Merced....Tom is holding court

Arriving back in Antigua. Here our accomodation is Posada La Merced. It is a trusted and reliable place and will never be confused with Casa Argentina in Xela which does have difficulties. Posada La Merced has the greatest concierge arrangements. You want something we can make a phone call. You have to make a shuttle mini-van booking I'll do it right now for you. You want a chocolate message? We have someone for that also staying at the Hotel.

Almost like a Reality TV Show (Yuk) we are now down to 12 volunteers. Three volunteers leave early next morning, I believe. So all twelve of us do go to the same restaurant. One that the group has been going to for a number of years. There is always live music. A band plays Peruvian flutes and many other instruments and the leader, to me, has a great sense of musicality. An instrumentalist often "sings" his flute as one may even "sing" a guitar and one or two instrumentalists traded a very sophisticated ukelale. (8 strings?)

Oh yes, supper in this dining establishment? The Sopa Del Sol was a herbal/vegie/potato very good soup. The camarones(shrimp) were garlic and just perfect. A good evening was enjoyed by all.