Guatemala City appears to be a typical Central American city by day, with it’s excess of street stalls, shouting vendors and the overpowering smell of fried chicken. Most tourists just try to navigate their way through the maze of chaos, find the bus station and get out. Crimes against foreigners and highjackings are not uncommon. Guatemala city in particular, possesses an underbelly that is caught in a crisis where the value of drugs and money are sometimes valued higher than human life.
Paradoxically however, being lost and not speaking good Spanish is a bonus rather then an obstacle. Locals are surprisingly unhurried and helpful and may even offer to walk you to your destination and point you in the right direction.
Despite its social problems, Guatemala’s unique beauty, heritage and its warm people continue to attract tourists who will mostly find the experience unforgettable for all the right reasons.
The real adventure starts when you board the ´Chicken bus´ heading for the highlands. Riding on chicken buses is the highlight of travelling through Guatemala. Their nickname comes from the fact that they are brightly painted old American school buses. On the bus there are plenty of opportunities to interact with Guatemalan folk whose charm, warmth and sense of humour is a stark contrast to the cool and distant facade between people in modern western societies.
A word of warning- don’t look out the window if you’re scared of heights. Imagine looking into deep, green valleys as you curve around a cliff on a blind corner at a speed of about 80 km´s per hour. The whole journey is not unlike a runaway rollercoaster ride.
Stepping off the bus and into a highland village is like stepping into a scene back in time. The first thing that stands out is the intensely colourful traditional clothing worn by both men and women alike. Ladies, young and old, wear a woven piece of material called a corte or a traje wrapped around their waist as a patterned skirt in every colour of the rainbow. A lacy blouse is worn on top. The Gentlemen look charming and impeccably dressed in colourful pants and white hats.
Most villages have a central square sometimes marked by a cathedral and pastel coloured shops and cafeterias that line the cobble stone streets. Women walk the streets carrying a basket on their head, selling bread and fruit – a scene that makes for a supurb photo opportunity, however always asks for permission, especially when photographing children. In remote areas rumours circulate of child abductions by foreigners.
Children as young as 4 years old will try to sell you home made treats, gum and cigarettes with amazing bartering skills they sadly have had to develop at such a young age.
You cannot talk about the highland villages without mentioning the gangs of stray, skinny and mangy dogs that plague the streets. These lovable but problematic mutts are there to stay.
When walking around these charming places, everyone who makes eye contact will greet you. It is very important for women travellers to dress modestly, as doing so will bring respect to oneself, a highly valued part of the culture and the national psyche. In fact, no matter how poor Guatemalans are, they will always try to look their best and it may not be understood why westerners dress slovenly when we are seen to have so much money.
The local folk inhabiting the highlands are mainly of Mayan descent and speak an indigenous language, Spanish is their second language, although this will vary from area to area. The old Mayan Religions include Animalism, Shamanism and Sacrificial Ceremonies, now only localised in special regions. Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism are the main Religions introduced by missionaries in the 16th Century.
Art is highly valued in Guatemala, especially painting, ceramics, embroidery and wood carving. These handcrafts along with beautiful materials can be bought very cheaply at craft markets.
The ancient ruins of Tikal remain the highlight for visitors as they seem to rise out of the lush jungle. They are of particular interest to even amateur anthropologists or those who fancy themselves as being able to decipher the Mayan hieroglyphs.
Practicing common sense is important when travelling in Guatemala. These include having a local guide escort you on hikes through bush or uninhabited areas and avoid travelling at night time. The villages are quite safe but it is always recommended that you don’t walk alone after dark.
Guatemalan Food
Throughout the whole of Guatamala Proper, there is not a huge variation of food or dishes cooked by people. The local food eaten everyday will no doubt include the staple ingredients of rice, beans, maize (a primitive type of corn) and meat. Pork and beef are eaten but chicken is most popular along side fish, if close to the ocean or fresh water source.
Meat is usually fried or barbequed. Sometimes it is used in a simple stew or soup with carrot and potato. One will notice how good the chicken is in Guatamala; probably because it’s free range, hormone free and was probably running around the yard happily that morning.
Wherever you eat, green chilli or tabasco sauce is sure to on the table as a condiment to pour over beans and meat.
Tortias are eaten with just about every meal or used as a wrap.
Ladies on the street side can be seen patting out the dough in their hands to make a thin, round circle. It is thrown into a blackened, open pan over a fire where it cooks to a light and crusty flatbread. Filled with beans, chicken, cheese and sour cream it makes for a very cheap meal, approx. 50c-$1 (US$).
Plantain bananas are a staple food in the Guatemalan diet. It is usually fried with batter or without to make chips and it is often caramelised with sugar served and as an absolutely delicious desert.
Fantastic, sweet and juicy fruit is available everywhere and some of the best you’ll ever eat. An abundance of pineapples, watermelons, rockmelons, bananas and mangos are cheap to buy and line the market stalls with colour. A ‘Liquado’ is a healthy afternoon snack, fresh fruit blended with milk or water into something like a smoothie.
No traveller will find themselves greatly out of pocket to eat healthy, good food in Guatemala.
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