MEMORIES AND VISIONS: Embedding in Guatemala...NANCI YURONIS & SHEILA SHEEHAN

     Color, color and still more color.  No blah beiges, winey taupes, or endless off-whites.  Nope…the colors of Guatemala are far more serious, and visually they continually demand your attention.  Nothing, no place in our travels compares with the visual bombardment of color, pattern, and shape that populate row after row of tiny stalls in the alleyways of Chichicastenango’s huge weekly market.  If a visit to Guatemala isn’t already there, put it in your bucket right away.


     The colors, close to intimidating, challenge the observer to decipher individual objects from the blur.Approaching each stall, shapes begin to assume a definition that echoes the known.  Here in Guatemala, however, although a blanket is a blanket, a table runner is a table runner, and a tote bag is a tote bag…it is in shape only.  Guatemala’s merchandise dances, moves, entices, delights…everything is more than just what it  is.

     For newbies such as we were, the shopping was exciting and pretty much addictive.  We tried so hard to apply our personal ”travel purchases advisory”, namely…”I like it, but I do not want to own it.”   Who knew that I needed to own 4 huipiles (colorful handwoven and detail-embroidered tops worn by most of the Guatemalan people, particularly in the highlands), Sheila needed 3, Dar needed 25, and Lockwood needed a few, too.  We all succumbed to the fever…Cathy must have zillions of friends and relatives because she was always getting just one more item…a belt, a bracelet, a table runner…she actually became very adept at bargaining.  But then, she learned from Dar, the acclaimed pro. 

Robin engulfed in color at the market in Chichicastenango

     Robin tentatively picked up items, but then set them down again…sure that she would find a bigger, prettier, less costly version down the row a way.  Mostly, she enjoyed observing it all.  Pretty soon, the blur factor set in.  Cynthia spent an hour making friends with a vendor of woven belts…much time, back and forth chatter, and “walk-away” negotiation won her some fine purchases.  Lockwood loved it all, and she showed her love by buying it all.

      Truly, it was all so much fun, but soon it was time for a tequila break, and a breaking open of the bags, a showing and sharing, and a comparison of who bought what for what price.  Once the tequilas and the sangritas were ordered, the OOOOHS and AAAAHHS took over as we all marveled at the richly colorful and intricately designed goods we had just purchased.

     Although it may sound like all we did was shop, that we were blinded into consumer excess by the richness of color and texture of all of the goods we came upon…we actually did much, much more.  We stretched our legs and our minds, we laughed soooooo much, we enjoyed great camaraderie along with fine, fine food and drink, and, perhaps most importantly, we expanded our qualifications for world citizenship.    Thanks for the memories. 

The hats of the major-domos in the Chiapateco Highlands Mayan villages.

One of those shopping moments with Nancy Lockwood and Sheila. 

One of those tuk-tuk moments with Joe and David.

Explorers in plastic chairs on the prow of the boat taking us across the lake to San Marcos, San Juano and to Venaca for a late lunch. Left to right David, Duke, Joe

Nanci & Sheila – July 2011