Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! This year I was able to visit my family in Guatemala.
Guatemala is a beautiful country full of nature and lots of culture. There are many breathtaking views to experience if you have the time to travel around. Many of the locals are friendly. Guatemala has many volcanoes, 37 volcanoes officially, and 3 of them are still pretty active. The country also has many lakes and rivers, Lake Atitlan being the most well known one due to its beautiful scenery. The weather in Guatemala is not too hot, it is relatively cooler in the evening time making it nice to relax outside on your porch. The average temperature in Guatemala is 70-90 degrees fahrenheit. Guatemala spans 42,042 square miles and is bordered by Mexico, Belize, El Salvador Honduras and the Pacific Ocean as well as the Golf of Honduras. Guatemala means place of many trees and comes from the Nahuatl word Cuauhtēmallān.
I spent most of my time visiting and meeting family members, other times my grandmother and I would visit touristy places. The main reason for the trip was to accompany my grandmother to her home country. It's been a while since I visited so my Spanish was a little rusty. I wish I would have interacted with my family a little more, but the language barrier was a problem for me. In an effort to not say the wrong things, I fumbled my words a lot. Which I tend to do in English as well, due to my shyness in speaking. That wasn't something I was able to explain when they asked, so I accepted the fact that I can't speak Spanish well. Ultimately the more you interact with people the more words you learn to use correctly, and I did actually get to learn new words.
The last time I came to Guatemala I was 10 years old, and my grandmother celebrated my 10th birthday. She threw a big party for me with all our family members. I wasn't familiar with anyone, the thought of random people at your party is strange but it felt like home. I can honestly say I had a great time, my grandma always said I never once complained or cried that I wanted to go home. After 15 years I came back to Guatemala only to miss home at times. Since I spend most of my time at home with my family and friends, I can't imagine being away from home so long where it is more comfortable. Oh, how you grow up and change personalities. I think it's really nice in Guatemala, there is lots to see and experience an dI would love to come again. On the downside, crime is quite concerning. Daily on the news there are reports on violent-crime incidents. The Guatemalan Government also has a warning on their website about what locations are safe and which are not. These unsafe locations are riddled with gangs, so before traveling have a plan and search the locations you want to visit, stay in groups and never jump into a random car that claims to be a taxi.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to visit many places this time because my weak immune system fell ill from eating bad takeout. When traveling to a new country it is always important to eat at clean, approved restaurants to limit the chance of contracting a virus or bacterium. I lost a week of sightseeing due to illness. I wasn't prepared with medicine either, and ended up going to a hospital due to extreme dehydration. I thought I was doing fine but my grandma said my state was very concerning. Soon after my poor grandmother also fell ill. Though we were able to bounce back up right after taking the medication that was prescribed to us. With delicate stomachs we built ourselves up to start eating once again and began making plans to visit more people and places with the little time we had left.
Plaza Central/ Parque Central
Our first destination when we arrived was Plaza Central. There we saw the Palacio Nacional. We visited a sightseeing bridge at the plaza and took photos, then we checked out the Central Market. The Central Market is amazing, it’s an underground market with everything you could possibly need. We went there a few times during our trip for various reasons, like buying flowers, buying fresh vegetables and fruit, and also a couple knick knacks to bring back as recuerdos. They also have meat markets and cheese markets, and many food stalls. Getting around is like a maze with rows and rows of stall venders and the many levels in the building. It is so packed that vendors spill out into the street and even occupy the stairs. We tried a food stall that was supposedly extremely popular with the locals and when we got there the stall was packed with people eating their meals and waiting for their orders. I'm not exactly sure but I think it may have been part of the reason for exposing ourselves to disease. I had platanos rellenos. It's plantain filled with beans, and it tasted very good. They serve it with sugar sprinkles on top. Then I tried a yucca dessert. I think they were called buñuelos. They were very sweet but different from the ones I am familiar with. Lastly, I also tried a Dovlada, which is a crispy taco filled with meat and topped with a cabbage salad. There were many other snacks to try but I am not as adventurous when it comes to trying new foods. If the texture or taste are out of my comfort zone, I will not eat it, but I will at least try it if offered. I speak more about these snacks in my post about Snacks I’ve Tried in Guatemala.
City of Cayalá
Our second location that we visited was Cayalá. It is a beautiful city where all the buildings were white, and the streets were made of stone. The design of the city was based on European architecture. You would think the city was historical with many old buildings but it's a pretty recently built city. Construction of Cayalá began in 1982, and now occupies 441,000 square meters. The main tourist attraction is the shopping district with many high-end stores and many places to eat and snacks to try. We walked around not really entering any of the expensive stores. Then we came across a little outdoor vendor market. It was full of people selling all sorts of things like clothing, handmade items, stationary, toys, candies, and so much more. It was a really nice market and it surprised me to see many vendors, reminding me of the local craft markets you see in California. For a bit I entertained the idea of, what if that was me selling there. I find outdoor markets to be very enjoyable, and when I have the chance, I try to go to them as well as sell. After the market we hit up a local ice cream shop, and I wanted to order this special strawberry drink that came in a souvenir cup. Though unfortunately the strawberry flavor only came with milk, and I didn’t want to risk it, just in case it would make me sick. So instead, I ate a cone of Rosa de Jamaica. The Rosa de Jamaica is everywhere here, everywhere you go it is the main agua fresca for restaurants and street vendors. I don't know what I was really expecting with the cone but it was alright. Pairing the Rosa de Jamaica with a cone was the wrong choice but that is how they advertised it on the screen. I don't think icy deserts should be on a cone.
Then we walked around a little more to find the giant buried in the ground. It’s actually a statue made of marble made by the sculptor Walter Peter Brenner and the giant is supposedly coming out of the ground with a bronze key in his hand. On our way to the exit I had an appetite for croffle. The little cafe I saw was pink on the inside and everything was so pretty so I asked my grandmother to stop by. I ordered their new croffles and it ended up taking an eternity to make. We were both under the impression that it was already made. Unfortunately I wasn't even able to eat it because I ended up falling ill that same night. I wanted to eat my dessert right after dinner, but dinner was the worst. It was the most terrible soup I've ever eaten, yet I ate it because I was hungry and I didn’t want to waste it. Food is food and I always learned to eat what is in front of you. It can be a blessing or a curse, and this time that terrible soup cursed me to be bedridden for a week. That night right after I ate the soup was when it all went down, and my little croffle stayed in the fridge the whole week and by next Friday I opened the little box because I was feeling better and mold had begun to take over. I was devastated,I had to throw the pastry away. I'm sure I could find croffles somewhere in California.
Aurora Zoo
The third place we visited was Aurora Zoo. By then we weren’t fully recovered yet, but it was my grandmother's idea for us to get some fresh air and not be locked up in the house. So, we went to the zoo. The Aurora Zoo is located in Guatemala City and is a large zoo housing animals from Asia, America and Africa. The Aurora Zoo was founded in 1924 and is named one the best zoos in Latin America. We were able to visit a couple animals like the apes, the reptiles, the birds, hippos and the giraffes and other safari animals before feeling ill again. Honestly, I can't remember too much of my visit, since my main focus was not to collapse under the heat. I hope I am able to enjoy the zoo properly next time. There is so much to see at the park, and I would recommend spending the whole day. Towards the end of our visit my grandma decided to get granizadas, which is a shaved ice snack topped with many toppings. Unfortunately, the zoo’s granizadas are more like slushies and they serve it with a spoon.
Antigua
We had a little less than two weeks to travel and sightsee along with visiting other family members, so an uncle of mine took us to visit Antigua. Another very beautiful city with lots to see with a stone road as well, but this city was heavily influenced by the Baroque style. It's surrounded by 3 volcanoes, Volcan de Fuego, Volcan de Agua and Volcan Acatenango. Before going to Antigua’s Central Plaza, we had breakfast at a restaurant called Tribu. A very resort-like restaurant where you get to see all three volcanoes all lined up together. Apparently, the volcanoes are hikeable and my family members were telling me all about their experiences. Amidst the clouds I was able to see one of the volcanoes shoot up a puff of smoke. It was a very interesting sight. The restaurant had a ton of lawn games and activities to do as well. After eating I got to enjoy some lawn games with my cousin, then we sat around and heard stories that my grandmother was telling from her younger days. My grandmother is full of stories, and it would be nice if I could record them one day.
After breakfast we headed to the central plaza and there we visited two ruins, The Antigua Cathedral and Iglesia de San Francisco el Grande. I've included many photos. Iglesia de San Francisco was more kept together than the other. It is a much larger church than the Antigua cathedral, which had various other stuff like a school, infirmary, a garden, and much more. There were also many Catholic artifacts in this one compared to the other. These buildings and others alike were destroyed in an earthquake in the 1700’s severely destroying them. Then we also visited some local outdoor vendors to see if this time I could find some gifts for my family but unfortunately according to my grandmother they were way too expensive. The key to getting good prices on items is to haggle, since they bump up the prices for people who are tourists. I've never been one to haggle and I didn't really mind spending, but if my grandma says they are expensive then so be it. After all the sightseeing we went to eat at a well known restaurant that was called El Adobe. They served authentic Guatemalan food. It was delicious. I ordered the pollo en crema, the sauce was so creamy. Then after we went home and on our way home it began to pour so hard that we decided to stop at a local cafe and sit the rain out. The rain soon let up a bit and we were able to leave to get back home. A very adventurous day. I should say so myself.
El Cerrito de Carmen
The fifth place I visited was El Cerrito del Carmen. A park in the historic center of Guatemala. The name comes from Virgin el Carmen or Santa Maria del Monte Carmelo, one of the avocations of the Virgin Mary. The park has a small chapel on the top of the hill overlooking the whole park. My visit there was fun, as I got to walk around the park and enjoy the scenery. A family member of mine told me they just recently fixed up the park because not so long ago the park was riddled with thieves and men who had nothing to do but laze around. It wasn’t really safe for women to visit this park, but the city decided to revamp the place making it a safer and more enjoyable spot. El Cerrito de carmen also has interesting lore. The legend of Pie de Lana. Pie de Lana was a thief that stole from people's homes in the Historic Center of Guatemala and distributed the wealth with the poor. He would creep on the roof tops with multiple pairs of socks to limit the noise he would make. Oral legend says that he soon paid for his crimes by being hanged on a tree located in El Cerrito de Carmen by the authorities. The tree is known as Pie de Lana Tree and is located just behind the cathedral. The residents in the area say you can still hear him pacing the rooftops during the night.
References
“Plaza de la Constitución (Ciudad de Guatemala).” Wikipedia, 4 Oct, 2024, es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_de_la_Constitución_(Ciudad_de_Guatemala)
“Ciudad Cayalá (Guatemala).” Wikipedia, 4 Oct. 2024, es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciudad_Cayalá_(Guatemala)
“Antigua Guatemala.” Wikipedia, 21 Sep. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua_Guatemala
“Virgen del Carmen.” Wikipedia, 7 Oct. 2024, es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgen_del_Carmen
“Guatemala.” Wikipedia, 26 Sep. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala
“Leyenda de Pie de Lana.” Guatemala.com, 5 July 2019, https://aprende.guatemala.com/cultura-guatemalteca/leyendas/leyenda-de-pie-de-lana/
“Cerrito del Carmen.” Wikipedia, es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerrito_del_Carmen
Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed. If you have the chance, I recommend checking out Guatemala. There was one more place I've visited that I wasn't able to add to the blog. This already took a long time to put together and didn't find it necessary to add.
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