“The largest market in the Western Hemisphere”….( and some say, the world)….these words in a travel brochure definitely pop out at you, more so from a photojournalistic perspective than even from a female traveler perspective. I looked up photos of this craft phenomenon and initially pictured it as a “sea of vendors”…..a large, open lot of craft booths or tents. This would be my most colorful stop on our Guatemalan itinerary, I imagined.  

Chichicastenango was scheduled for the end of our week long trip and definitely something we’d build up to in regards to the energy and excitement of all of the excursions planned for us. After some time in Antigua, some voluntourism in Xela and a dip in the hot sulphur springs of Fuentes Georginas, the craft market and Lake Atitlan were going to be the grand finale of our adventure. After a roadtrip of winding roads and traffic, we reached Chichicastenango. I had a list in my mind of items I wanted to procure for myself and for souvenirs; blankets, table runners, tablecloths, jewelry, etc…..but mostly I was anticipating just absorbing the colorful visuals and taking photos. The market is open two days a week, Thursdays and Saturdays. We were given time to explore and shop and then meet up together for lunch at the beautiful Santo Tomas Hotel near the famous church.The vendors’ items ranged from jewelry, textiles, wheelbarrows full of peanuts, watermelon spears, hackey sacks, tortillas, aprons and much more. We were followed by aggressive salesgirls determined to sell their lovely tablecloths and occasionally we could tuck away into a calmer booth to look at the jewelry. The labrynthine market was overwhelming and stimulating, all in one. I tried to pay attention to our “path” so we could figure out how to get back to our meeting point at the Santo Tomas Hotel for our lunch buffet. My friend and I luckily found some teenage boy vendors who were more interested in their cell phones and not as aggressive. Perfect! We ended up buying most of our shopping list items there where it was calm. Mission accomplished! We enjoyed the visuals of the food market but waited for lunch to eat.As we found our path somewhat, we lingered on some placemats with matching napkins and aprons. The ceviche looked good, but again, we were not going to try street food since we had lunch plans. Just as we found a way back to the hotel (having to ask a few people for directions), we heard haunting music and commotion. There on the steps of the Santo Tomas Church, a crowd formed on every step of the historic white church. Incense, florals and chanting filled the landscape. Fireworks went off. Outside of all the chaos of the market, this spiritual ceremony and historic church balanced the energy of Chichicastenango in the most symbolic way.Before getting into the lunch buffet dining area of the beautiful Santo Tomas Hotel, we had to bypass some more vendors. Vibrant and intricate textiles as far as the eye could see.Lunch and live marimba music was a nice retreat from this hyperactive experience. It was different from what we expected but part of the Guatemalan journey a tourist should experience. The van ride on the way to Lake Atitlan would transport us to the calmest stop on our itinerary—the  magical Mayan lake and its sleepy San Juan village. We experienced Chichicastenango and its chromatic culture, crafts and chaos. When I don my apron from there, I’l recapture some of its energy and smile.photos by Gina Kingsley

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