MERCADO

Every Thursday and Sunday, Chichicastenango comes alive: its streets are filled with stalls of all kinds, making the municipality a true festival of colors. Organized around the central square marked by the church of Santo Tomás to the east and the Calvario chapel to the west, the mercado spills over into most of the downtown area. Even 8A Calle, which leads to the cemetery, is littered with vendors sitting on the ground, poultry piled in huge baskets in front of them, or clothes and shoes - similar to those found in French markets - laid out on large swaths of canvas.

As you go deeper into the heart of this cheerful open-air bazaar, you discover a succession of handicrafts from all over the Altiplano, from ceramics to fabrics by the hundreds, passing by wooden masks, leather bags, carpets, jewelry, jade chess sets and dishes. The whole thing is interrupted here and there by fruit and vegetable stalls, as well as drying meats and large pots being simmered by the inhabitants. A spectacle as visual as olfactory.

The more you go towards Santo Tomás, the more difficult it is to circulate. The crowd is crowded, the stops are frequent; one is fully immersed in the local atmosphere. Some rules are necessary. The first one: watch your bag. The second: compare products before buying. The last one: haggle, keeping in mind that about fifty quetzals makes the difference for many Guatemalan families.