| Mar 20, 2006 - Chichicastenango
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 | | show all 7 | | Chichi market day | | The Chichi market | | The Chichi market | | |
| Sunday was shopping day at the Chichicastenango market. Wow. We got to Chichi in the morning, along with every other tourist in Guatemala. The market is based in the town square but snakes its way through most every adjacent street. The narrow aisles are packed with people and goods for sale. Naturally the market is full of textiles but you can find a variety of other crafts, too, including wood carvings, oil paintings, jewelry, and jade products. John was in heaven with all the textiles. As you can imagine, it took all of my strength to keep him from buying every piece of yarn he saw. John, meanwhile, had his hands full keeping me away from the wood carvings.
Next to the town square is a 500 year old Catholic church. The colonial Spaniards gave wide latitude to the indigenous populations here to create a Catholicism that incorporated many traditional Mayan beliefs and practices. Outside of the church, people burn incense and lay flowers, while inside the church shamans are lighting candles and making offerings in order to honor their ancestors. It is all quite interesting to watch, although it was not at all clear if the church also has a traditional mass and/or a parish priest. |
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