7/5 -- Drive to Guatemala City

Today was mostly driving to cross into Guatemala and arrive at Guatemala City. The border crossing was much faster because we had been there before so Luis only needed to give them a list of our names and passport numbers which he prepared in advance. We again passed many trucks waiting to cross.

We stopped for gas at a town with a huge Sunday market and got a typical 'taxi' ride there -- the back of a pickup. An enterprising young man borrowed money to buy the truck and now helps support the family with taxi work. We shared the road with beasts and tuk-tuks (3-wheel taxis) too.

Boarding our taxi

Competition for the road space....

We started inside a very basic Catholic church that had a black Jesus on the cross. A similar sculpture was commissioned to try to show the indiginous people that Jesus was like every one. However, the Mayans interpreted this as meaning the white one protected them during the day and the black one was for the night.

Outside the church, we met a lady in traditional dress who talked to us and let us take her picture. Most locals do not want to be photographed so we mostly captured the available wares.

This market is aimed at locals because this is not a tourist town. You could buy anything here! We were the oddity and people seemed to enjoy our entertainment value.

Fresh food

Chicken feet and other parts

Stuffed chicken

Utensils and dnnerware

Cookware --  I was kind of tempted by the lovely color, but
had not been able to acquire local currency yet.

We also visited a family famous for their Sunday tomales sales and went to the kitchen to see them at work. They make 400 tamales each Sunday, and if they all sell, the profit is $45.  It is very labor intensive. The worst job is stirring the corn meal mix until it is the right consistency -- about 2 hours for each of 2 batches. Guatemalan tamales are wrapped in banana leaves, not corn husks like back home.

Stirring the corn meal. We asked why they didn't
use a lower stove -- because this is the way it
has always been done.

Pork chunks are soaked in the sauce, then  put on the corn meal
on the banana leaf.

Tying the wrapped tamal with a split reed
before steaming.

We stopped at a mall with a ton of ATMs and local banks -- all open on Sunday-- so that we would have the proper currency. Honduras and Belize are much more accepting of US dollars than Guatemala. We  used the ATM but had brought the wrong ATM card, so the fees were outrageous. At least we had one with cash available.... We wandered around the mall while others got their cash and came to the conclusion that it was aimed at the working class. The best shoes, for example, did not seem as good as what you can get at Payless in the  US.

After lunch we continued our drive. When we got to Guatemala City we mostly worked at catching  up on computer stuff (like this blog) and laundry.