Guatemalan-style Treasure Hunt

Our girls like to have a Treasure Hunt as they ride along on our trips to Mexico to renew our visas every 3 months.   Each girl gets a sheet of paper with a list of things to find.  We have done many Treasure Hunts before when traveling in the United States, but our list in Guatemala has some interesting additions:

Adobe house
Animals crossing road
Another American
Baby on someone's back
Big bundle on someone's head
Car with loudspeakers blaring
Chicken bus (a used American school bus painted bright colors
    and zooming at high speeds)
House on the edge of a cliff
Man in intersection directing traffic
Man pushing ice cream cart
Man wearing mecapal (headstrap with huge load on his back)
Microbus (minivan crammed full of people, with lots of stuff piled on top, too)
Person carrying load of firewood on his or her back
Pickup truck full of people standing in back
Pila (deep sink made of concrete with 3 sections)
Stop sign (these are rare)
Stray dog
Tin roof
Tuk tuk (small taxi on 3 wheels for 3 passengers... or 8 Guatemalans)

See if you can find some of these where you live!  Happy Treasure Hunting!

Fireworks in Chichi

In Guatemala, the local people set off fireworks outside their homes at midnight on both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.  On our dirt road, our neighbors built fires.

We woke up the older girls and went outside to watch the show.

We were dog-sitting Teddy, and he was super scared by the noise, so we took turns holding him.  Even Michael!

Our landlord's dog, Negro, was shivering from the cold, so we gave him a box to sleep in.  (He always prefers our balcony, especially now that he has a bed!)

A few days into the new year, Veronica was very quiet, so I went to find out what she was doing... I found her feeding Teddy his dog food, piece by piece!  He is such a sweet dog with the kids.

Happy New Year from the Montgomery's!

New Friends and New Styles

The girls met a neighborhood girl named Carmen.  She is 11 years old and has come over to play a few times, especially liking to play the card game "Spoons."

The girls also tried out the local style of carrying babies on your back in brightly colored, woven fabric.  They were glad the teddy bears weren't heavy!

Veronica is the first one in our family to own a traditional hüipil and corte (shirt and skirt), which were given to her as a gift.  They were hand-stitched beautifully by an 18-year-old young lady.  (Read the blog called "Traditional Mayan Outfit for Veronica" to learn more.)

A Walk in the Chichicastenango Market

By Carrie Montgomery, age 12

     As we strolled through the market in the small town of Chichicastenango, Guatemala, many fascinating sights, smells, and sounds clamored for our attention. We were surrounded by stalls made of crudely cut wooden poles with tarps spread on top which were designed to keep out at least a little water when it rained. Inside the stalls, vendors displayed multicolored fabrics that seemed as if they were rainbows taken from the sky. Women were purchasing clothes, shoes, hats, and accessories. We paused to admire the traditional Mayan clothing. A merchant demonstrated the beautiful earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelery that he had for sale. Purses, stuffed animals, pottery, and other trinkets were also crowded on the small tables.

      As we slowly made our way down the narrow passages, it was interesting to notice the Guatemalan people scurrying about their tasks. A man staggered by with a load of burdensome bricks secured on his back by a head strap, and a lady passed us with a cute baby tied on her back with brightly colored cloth. We heard someone shouting, "Un quetzal! Un quetzal!", so we turned around to see a man selling frozen chocolate covered bananas. Children begged for cheap plastic toys while their mothers considered practical metal pots. People bargained about prices, and we could hear a child wailing in the distance.

      When we turned the corner onto another road, delicious fruits such as mangoes, pineapples, papayas, strawberries, and oranges lined the sides. A man pushed a banana cart down the street. Nutritious vegetables proudly showed off their vibrant hues while we gazed at them hungrily. A grandmother sitting with her legs bent under her tried to sell carrots, onions, potatoes, and green beans. Smoke drifted from several cooking fires and brought with it tempting odors of chicken, tamales, tortillas, soups, beans, and hot drinks.

      The rutted cobblestone streets underneath our feet made walking difficult, so we had to watch our step. Puddles lurked in unexpected places for it had rained the night before. Overall, the experience reminded us of a buzzing beehive filled with activity. Finally, when we were ready to go home, exhausted and loaded with bulging packages, a tuk-tuk came and sped us to our house.