In the Market
Posted on August 6, 2009 - Filed Under Guatemala | 6 Comments
One of the places I love to take visitors to see is the Antigua market. No, not the cutesy artisan’s market, the real one. Inside. Where it’s hot and tight and seems like a total maze when you’re new. And I like to move really fast, zigzagging through the narrow tunnels created by the clothing stalls that hang their wares out over the aisle in an effort to gain a bit more presentation space, totally confusing my visitor and giving them a real look at life in the market, past the open aisles of butchers where slabs of meat hang just a few feet above the wagging tails of hungry street dogs, past the mountains of avocados and plantains and past little babies sleeping in fruit crates while their mothers call out, “Que buscas, chula? Naranjas, bien baratas!”
I like to do this because someone did it to me when I first arrived and it was awesome. Terrifying, horrifying and awesome. To someone new to Guatemala, the sights and sounds and the clammy, air that has been breathed too many times is a bit overwhelming, but it is a fascinating experience. I highly recommend it. I’m available for whirlwind tours, if you’re interested. 
Here’s a sneak peek . . .
The clothing section in the market . . . this is a relatively free area, some spots have only about a foot of space between hanging sweaters.
The hardware store where we buy our electrical stuff is buried deep in the bowels of the market, in the middle of the clothing section, oddly enough and looks remarkably like a cave with bits and pieces of every description hanging in every possible space. The family that owns the shop, mother, father and daughter, pull every imaginable item from what appears to be a very limited space, making you wonder if they are really wizards coming out of Harry Potter’s world . . . until you realize they have a maze of their own that channels way back to who knows where and is piled high with pipes and tubes and rolls of wire.
This is one of many meat counters. The smell is . . . unique in this section of the market. I used to rush past, but now I’m mostly used to it.
Comments
6 Responses to “In the Market”
Talk to Me, People!
Hi!
Out of curiosity:
Is crime something to worry about there? &
What would the average price be for the clothes being sold there?
Smiles & Chuckles – Jane
Crime is an issue, to a certain extent. That being said, Antigua tends to be safer than, say, the capital. In the market, you wil find there are pickpockets and occasionally bag slashers, but I actually haven’t had any issues with them in recent years . . . you just need to stay alert.
Price for clothes in the market tends to range from Q100-300, so between $13-40. If you’re a cheapskate like me, you go to the back of the market and buy at the pacas for a few cents.
I need to find this place next time I go!!
I am a paca buyer here in CR
Is this the one next to the artisan market? Or where is it?
This is beside the artisan market . . . if you duck through the cd and dvd vendors on the outside, you will find the tunnels that lead into this area.
The pacas are around the back though, you can just follow the road around.
I love the market in Antigua and am a big paca shopper.
I love the markets in places we visit and live in. I hate to shop usually, but the markets are real life. The view into the culture cannot be compared.