Chichicastenago

Chichicastenago: Funny name, ain't it? 
Chichicastenago, or Chi Chi as the cool kids say, is a town about 1 hour north of Panajachel, Guatemala. Near Lake Atitlan. There is a sprawling, elaborate market that comes to life every Thursday and Sunday . It's not to be missed.

The weaving drive up the mountain to this market is an experience in itself. We passed through numerous small villages. Locals were doing, oh.... what locals do. The road hugs Lake Atitlan for some time, giving us breathtaking picture-perfect views from above. 
Chichicastenago was the perfect place to get my Christmas shopping done (and practice my Spanish!).  
The locals set up stands and sell the handicrafts they worked so hard to make. They also sell things like flowers, incense, pigs, etc.....
You name it, they probably have it.

There are also small food stalls called comedores in the center of all the action, because we all know how much of an appetite we can work up while shopping. 
Since boys don't like to shop, Dinh did his own thang while I went shoooppppping!!! 
Of course, there are no prices on anything, so I got to practice my bartering skills. Like I needed practice on that, pffff.
I spent an entire day bouncing from stall to stall. There are similar items at each stall, so I would ask what the price is at a few places to get an idea, then I made my move and bartered with them after making friends with them. I'm sneaky like that. They're always more willing to lower the price for their "amiga". Hehe. 

Scored a sweet Xmas present from this amiga

Since Dinh wasn't with me, I was forced to use my own Spanish skills. At first I was a little shy . I took a deep breath, let go of all inhibitions, and the Spanish words just rolled off my tongue like butter over hot bread. I have to say , I impressed myself. I was making jokes with the Guatemalans in Spanish. They were laughing.
It was a gay ol' time. I couldn't have dreamt of a better experience. Finally I was able to communicate with the locals. I smiled from ear to ear. I had so many frustrating moments while learning Spanish, and look at me now. All that hard work had paid off. 

It's things like that. Traveling increases your self confidence by 10 fold. If I can do this, I can do a lot more than I thought too!
When Dinh and I met at the end of the day, I asked him what he did. He described how he hiked up a mountain with a guide and watched a special ceremony . I was bummed I missed out on the opportunity, but he had some pretty cool pictures to show me. 

Before departing Chichi, we stumbled upon an old church. There were people burning incense around the entrance. 

Suddenly, a mass of people poured out, along with 6 men carrying a casket. As soon as they exited the church, they spun around harmoniously about 5 times. I was perplexed, but later found out this was to confuse the evil spirits so they didn't follow the deceased person to the other side.

 I watched as the large crowd creeped closer, heading straight towards me. I stepped aside and the coffin whizzed by my ears while the mourning family and friends followed. Such a moving moment to be in such proximity of. 

I'm really starting to love Guatemalans. Chichicastenago was such a rich experience to mingle with these friendly folks. 
At the end of day, I was extremely satisfied with my purchases. I'm so excited to give them all to my family and friends!!