"You Want to Buy Machete??" The Market and Other Guatemalan Experiences, With Pictures!!

So today me and my neighbor were walking through the market and that we are convinced Guatemalans are raised to sell! Children have great marketing skills and are pretty sly about it. One really cute little boy asked if I wanted to buy some handmade fabric and I said no but kept talking to him just because I was waiting for my bus and he was pretty adorable. I had my nice camera around my shoulder and after I told him no, he said "pues...por un beso?" hahaha and then after I laughed he said he could use my camera to take a picture of me for me....sneaky little kid...I know he would have run off with it. So I told him oooh nooo haha and he had this little smirk and walked away.

Children here don't go to school, they are shining shoes at 7 years old and selling on the streets all day. Few do go to school, but the schools here are privately owned so it is rather expensive for families to send kids to school. 

In the market they really do try to sell everything and anything. I was looking at some things and this guy comes up to me in two seconds and asks if I want to buy a machete! I do not look like the kind of person who would buy a machete...I thought it was hillarious. 

An other distinct Guatemalan thing I've found is their fascination with fireworks! 4 am and all day and all night fireworks, or bombas, are set off. They are either firecrackers or a huge mortar that sounds like a war is going on. The tradition is to wake up someone at 4 am with firecrackers outside their door if it is their birthday....but I'm having a hard time believing that it is someones birthday nextdoor EVERY morning. So with the fireworks, rooster, barking dog, and loud children around the house, sleeping is a challenge. If you ever come, bring earplugs to sleep with. 

Yesterday I went to Lake Atitlán and explored by boat the villages of San Juan, San Pedro, and Santiago. San Pedro was definitely the best and was really very beautiful. The lake is also gorgeous, there are 3 volcanoes and about 12 villages total. Besides hiking Volcan de Pacaya, Lake Atitán was definitely one of my favorite things I've done since I've been here. 

Local life is easy going. Everyday we wake up, go to class or volunteer, drink a lot of coffee (BEST COFFEE EVER), run some errands, hang out at the cafe or bar, always meeting new people, and then watch a movie or go out that night. I love this lifestyle. Life moves slow and simple. I could definitely get used to it. I got offered a job at the local bar! haha we have gotten to know the bartenders of Cafe No Sé really well! More people have moved into the house. So right now we have one Canadian, one guy from the UK, one from Korea, and another from Australia. Talk about a cultural experience!!! 

So far, I LOVE it in Antigua, it really is different from the rest of Guatemala I've seen. It feels the safest, and the people are really friendly to tourists, and the vibe is very welcoming. 

PICTURES FINALLY!