My sixth day in Guatemala started off with a heart-breaking moment, that of leaving Sam’s family, whom I had come to know very well while staying with them during my time in Antigua. I’ll always remember them and Marco very fondly for their great hospitality. Then it was off for a 2 hour drive to Chichicastenango, plunging down into different valleys, passing through pine forests, and then zig-zagging upward to dizzying heights. The bus which we drove alongside by often on the drive is known as a camioneta, and was an old North American school bus which to me was a surreal sight since you never expect to be riding buses like this elsewhere in the world other than America!

In Guatemala, it’s also known as a “chicken bus,” mainly because of the wailing children, clucking chickens, and the many passengers. It’s three riders to each seat, with many more also standing in the aisle. A camioneta will stop just about anywhere alongside the road, and as the joke goes, a “chicken” bus can never be full. Each rider has to pay 75 cents per hour. I drove pretty fast through the small towns, but the bus still kept coming on and passing me by. I didn’t keep up with the bus, because I definitely didn’t want to race with that loco bus driver! Another bus passed me by on the zig-zagging roads, but I kept my speed preferring to make it safely to Chichicastenango.

We finally arrived, after the hectic drive down, in Chichicastenango, which is home to the most famous market in the entire Mayan region, always coming to life in a maelstrom of furious commerce without fail. It’s regarded as the best place to buy tipica textiles and handicrafts, made by Mayans. You have to be well-honed in your haggling skills otherwise you’ll part with more of your money than you wanted to. You just need to make reasonable offers to the different vendors. I felt like a NBA player, being in the market with Mayans who are shorter than me. I certainly came to empathize with the NBA players, right there. Walking down the street, I had goosebumps when I saw many of the Mayans sitting on the steps of a famed regional church. It was a beautiful sight.

Then it was back into the maze of vendors, once again, as we viewed the many flowers, vegetables, fruits, crafts, and clothes for sale. They even sold packs of wood/sticks from the mountains for locals who don’t have gas stoves. I stopped by a vending spot to buy some papaya from a Mayan, and I couldn’t resist eating it right then and there. It was delicious, and a great source of vitamin for the morning. I pressed on in the packed street, and saw 3 Mayans making small tortillas. It was a thrilling sight; they were making three different kinds of corn tortillas: black, yellow and white. Each of them tasted incredibly different, and was so fresh and hot. It would have been perfect if there had been some avocado on them.

One vendor had countless numbers of Mayan masks. I got a great deal on them because David, my media crewmember, and I brought 3 masks plus one moon chime. It is a definite must to visit that market if you are in Guatemala. You definitely could get a real feeling of Mayan culture and community from that market. We went looking for Deaf Mayans in the area, but failed to find some. I asked around the market, and one Mayan said that he knew some but many of their elders always hid their Deaf relatives, because of their lack of education. I had to move on with the rest of my day.

We drove another two hours, this time back to Antigua. The first place we stopped by was one of the most famous coffee estates, Filadelfia Coffee Resort & Spa, in the Antiguan region. It was a different world, entering the estate. There was strong security, and the estate was gorgeous. It comprises over 750 acres of coffee and ecological reserves, including 20 hotel rooms. Unfortunately, the harvesting period hadn’t begun there yet. I reserved a coffee tour tomorrow so I could see the coffee-production process, where they harvest the beans, wash them, clean, roast and ship the bags all in one location. It certainly felt and looked different from Rolando’s farm in Huehue.

Alvaro wanted to take me and David into the center of Antigua one more time before we leave for Guatemala City tomorrow. We stopped by a French crepe restaurant, where we had our dessert for the evening. However, something was missing. Coffee! We walked around the old center of Antigua. It was such a beautiful evening, capped off by some great fireworks. We found a coffee shop, and I saw the same barista there, from five days ago. He smiled at me. I saw that their coffee of the day was from Huehue, and mentioned to him that we had been there a few days ago. The roads were wild, and the mountains were unbelievable! He laughed and agreed with me. I felt great, having had the chance to think of Rolando’s coffee farm again. What a coincidence! There was a small parade marching past us, a perfect way to end the night and stay in Antigua.

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Related posts:

1. Day One: Entering the World of the Mayans
2. Day Five: Meeting more Deaf Mayans
3. Day Two: Face to Face with a Volcano
4. Day Nine: The Rainforest and the Cave
5. Day Seven: More Coffee, and a Meeting with a Deaf Model
6. Day Three: Visiting Quetzaltenango
7. The World of the Mayans
8. Day Four: My Day at the Coffee Farm
9. Day Eight: Prowling the Ruins of Tikal