"Guatemala is considered by many to be one of the world's
most beautiful countries", our "Daily Program" says
-- but you couldn't tell it from this port. "Destino de
Cruceros" sums it up -- "Destination of Cruise Ships".
There was nothing here except a few dozen vendors selling
tapestry, woodworks, carved masks etc., the usual "stuff".
The quality varied quite a bit and the prices likewise. One unusual
vendor was a jewelry shop; while many vendors were selling inexpensive
jade (an oxymoron), this place took credit cards, had very expensive
merchandise, and an extensive display explaining how to identify
fade jade. We didn't go for the real stuff or the imitation.
Guatemala is the northernmost country in Central America, with Mexico on its north. The guide tells us there are 50,000 square miles of landscape varying from mountains (33 volcanoes), to rainforests and lakes. Sounds nice.
We liked a tapestry, for which the vendor asked $120. We had more like $15 in mind. Ten dollars was politely dismissed, and the "boss" (in Spanish) told the girl that was speaking to us (her daughter we presume): "$20 or $25". Ultimately we paid $18; a fair price, but maybe not a bargain.
It was a hot day and everyone was complaining about it (although it didn't seem nearly as hot as yesterday, in Nicaragua) -- but the local beer was to be had for $1 each. Served under a canopy with a breeze from the pier, it was tasty (even though we don't make a habit of drinking beer at 9 in the morning). We returned to the beer joint this afternoon, just to make sure the quality is consistent from hour to hour.
Mom
suggested that "Sara" here was available for sale too;
that she ate only tortillas and was easy to take care of.Faces in the marketplace