Trip to Chichicastenega

Today, Sunday, I took another Viatour trip with Clark Tours and my driver and tour guide was Mark Anthony. Chichicastenega was one of the most amazing places I have ever been! The market was beautiful and vibrant and there were many people, many of the Mayan indigenous people selling beautiful wares —textiles and clothing. I bought an amazing, colorful, beautiful hand embroidered blanket, which could also be a wall hanging, for $800 quetzal, which was $100 US dollar. Every time I look at it I smile. Also on the tour was a man from India and my friend, from Argentina. I would have loved to have more time to explore and walk through.

I could only talk to the Argentinian man in my basic Spanish, but he was a friend to me on our adventures. Together we went to the cemetery, and we had to walk up an epic hill back to the city. He was faster than me but waited for me at the top and let me rest and drink water. Then we walked to the market, I got lost when going to the bank machine with the vendor, so he waited for me and walked with me again. I was appreciative of him.

We had lunch at a local restaurant together. I had chicken, they had steak, it was with steamed squash (green and yellow zucchini), Spanish rice, and then I had a Guatemalan cheesecake, which was warmed and like nothing I have ever had. It was much more dense than “normal” cheesecake but quite delicious.

After the adventures in the market, we went back to town, we had a 3 hour drive ahead of us. I highly reccommend Clark Tours, Mark Anthony and this tour.