Chichicastenango at an angle.

This web page is being written at an angle of 15 degrees. That may not seem like a lot but I assure that when you are parked in a very narrow street facing downhill at 15 degrees it is not comfortable. Mog has the parking brake on and is in gear, but even so I have rocks under the wheels to reassure those in front. We are likely to be here for several hours.

We most certainly did not intend to park here. We are visiting Chichicastenango to see its famous Sunday market. We planned to arrive last night (Saturday) but part of the road was closed till 18:00. As a result when we entered the town this morning the market was in full swing and our attempts to find a Shell garage where we have been told we can park ended up with us driving down narrow one way streets (in the wrong direction at least once) in ever decreasing circles. Then, at last, nearing our elusive garage we rounded a corner to find a broken down bus blocking the road, and beyond that the market! We are trapped here till the market closes and the bus is fixed.

The market is a combination of farm produce for the locals and tasteful authentic craftsmen-made souvenirs for the tourists.

Mixed in with the market and on the steps of the Iglesia de Santo Tomads are various Christian and pre-Christian processions going on. One such procession, accompanied by a band and two religious "floats" has just passed by. Note K-Nine half blocking the road.

We came to Chichicastenango from Coban in two groups. K-Nine and Mog took the shorter slow route via Santa Cruze del Quiche and Bodo took the longer but faster route via Guatemala City. Unfortunately Bodo suffered from partial brake failure just before Chichicastenango and was forced to park in a nearby hotel. Mog has also suffered from mechanical problems with an oil leak from one wheel hub, this may necessitate a trip into Guatemala city.