Living on Guatemala Time

Today after my Spanish lesson and Isabelle's play session with Alba and Camila and after lunch and our nap, Isabelle and I went for a walk to the Artisan's market with Amanda, Maya, and Aleya. Amanda showed me where she got a large Mayan doll for her girls, so I bought one for Isabelle since she really likes her small Mayan doll already.

Then Isabelle and I went to the Parque Central and just hung out. Somehow today it felt different than other days, more like we were part of the scene rather than people watching it. I'm not sure what the difference was, I can't put my finger on it, but some of it must be being here for 3 months and some of it the gorgeous, sunny day and some of it that today was Children's Day in Guatemala so there were lots of kids around. Anyway, whatever it was, we were on Guatemala time for the day. We ate an orange with salt on it (I skipped the crushed roasted pumpkin seeds this time, although that does add a nice flavor to it), which Isabelle ADORES. She sticks her whole face in the orange and holds onto one of my fingers on the hand holding the orange so I need to pry her away from it.

We sat on a bench on the edge of the park and watched the world go by. The people hurrying from work to the buses. The families hanging out in the park and eating ice cream cones. The girl on a big wheel who kept circling the north end of the park. The tourists wandering by. The Mayan women selling to tourists from their big cloth bundles. The shoe-shine men with their tiny stools and their wooden shoe-shine kits hanging from straps on their shoulders. The school children in their uniforms. We didn't have anyplace we needed to be or anything we needed to do, so we just enjoyed the sunshine and the people.

Isabelle played in my bag and chewed on the plastic bag the doll was in and bounced on my legs and stood on the ground watched everyone that went by. Alba heard her growling today and called her "monstro", monster. It still cracks me up.

Two of the Mayan jewlery sellers came by and loved Isabelle and wanted to hold her. I let them, and they were so good with her. One sat her on her bundle and pointed out the colors on her shirt and Isabelle kept staring at the shirt and feeling it. They had to leave soon after, but the one lady kept waving goodbye to Isabelle as they walked away. A Mayan woman and a girl who sell from their bundles in the park and that I have talked to since I got to Antigua came by and talked for a while. They still make an attempt to sell me something when they come by, but after a moment or two they settle down just to talk for a few minutes about Isabelle and when we're leaving and simple stuff like that. They speak some English, and they're fun to talk to.

Marta sat next to me on the bench and talked about how evil husbands are when they make you wait and how expensive it is to live in Antigua and that there are not enough jobs.

On the way back from the park, an old woman with a hat and blanket around her shoulders and few teeth who was sitting on a step beside the sidewalk said something to me about Isabelle being pretty, so I stopped and said thanks. I love that all the people here just love the children and show it. Then she pointed to Isabelle's hatless head (because I have a heck of a time keeping a hat on her - she wants to pull it off and chew on it before dropping it on the sidewalk) and told me Isabelle was cold. Too sweet. Everyone here thinks she's too cold, except the tourist from Scotland who thought she must be too hot in long sleeves.

Saw Carlos (coffee tour guide and all-around cool guy) in the Market, he had a great vacation in South America and saw whales and penguins and lots of great spots. I told him how much I loved Antigua and he was pleased.

Thoughts on Guatemala: not enough health and dental care, too many people with leg injuries, it's like the US in the 50's. Families on motor cycles, 20 people in the back of a truck, usually laughing. Mothers and daughters holding hands or arms. Everyone saying hello if say it to them.