By Susana Raymundo

Nebaj is one of the towns in the Ixil región of the Quiche department. The Mayan culture continues to be strongly prevalent there, as in years past. The town is surrounded by huge mountains which serve to protect it from natural disasters. The following is a translation of one of the folk stories from this region (originally told in Ixil, the dialect spoken in the area).

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Snoooooow

There’s just something about snow that gives it an uncanny ability to turn even the most mature and responsible of us into excited little children – itching to go out and play, build snowmen with carrots, scarves and buttons, go sledding recklessly down the steepest hills you can find and launch snowballs at unsuspecting passers-by. Those Canadians out there, or others that come from ridiculously cold countries, may laugh at all the newspapers reporting on the “high levels” of snow in San Marcos when it only amounts to an inch or two. But snow in Guatemala is a pretty rare occurrence – 2009 was the last time Guate experienced any snow, and that time it only reached the high points of the volcanoes. So let’s let everyone enjoy it whilst it lasts (which let’s face it, will probably only be a day or two). And to the people of San Marcos: build some snowmen for us here folk here in Xela, who will still be freezing our nuts off at night-time, but without the added prospect of being able to throw snowballs at each other.

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Poor start for Guatemalan football

2013’s Central American sporting season (and by sporting season we mean football season, since that is the only real sport that exists for the majority of people here) got off to a kick this January with the biennial Copa Centroamericana. Well, it got off to a kick for the rest of Central America, but not so much for Guatemala, who performed rather abysmally. Guatemala came second to last in their group, consisting of Costa Rica, Belize and Nicaragua. They didn’t manage to win a single match, but instead drew all of them: 1-1 with Nicaragua and Costa Rica (with Contreras and Espinoza scoring one goal each) and 0-0 with Belize. They then went on to play Panama for fifth place in the tournament, but ended up losing 3-1. So overall Guatemala came 6^th out of 7 in the tournament, outperforming only Nicaragua, which isn’t exactly much of an achievement given they are the only country in Central America where baseball is more popular than football. Come on chaps, you can do better than that!

For travelers new to Xela, or those “savvy” long-termers who stick to the Wal-Mart-owned Dispensa Familiar, the experience of heading up to the Minerva or Democracia markets in Zona 3 can be a bit daunting. Grocery shopping sin your debit card takes a bit more time, sure, but you could save more than the cost of one of those fancy iPhone apps you used to get there (and sometimes you’ll even score a complimentary bunch of parsley or an inexplicable wink, depending on the mood of your preferred veggie vendor). From bartering with the crazy cheese señora, to resisting the hypnotic mating calls of the tortilla ladies, or negotiating the mystifying melee of locals stocked with latest array of household cleaning supplies trying to shove you out of the way, these markets can be challenging but can also one of the best experiences in Xelatown.

The Democracia market, or La Demo, is a sprawling mess of vendors between Parque Benito Juarez and Calle Rodolfo Robles where you can find things from the freshest veggies to a ridiculously large selection of plastic colanders at places such as the aptly-named Plastilandia.  From sunrise to sundown the market rages on, prices dropping with the sunset and heavy rain. Do: be loyal to your veggie lady for customer appreciation discounts. Don’t: forget to bring a re-useable bag.

Despite the misleading rumors peddled by many Spanish school teachers, the Minerva market isn’t all that sketchy and offers low prices and the widest range of goods in town. Located at the main bus terminal, the Minerva market is an experience in itself with a labyrinth of amazing flower shops, mountains of second-hand clothes, and pretty much every kind of nut you can think of. Do: check here before heading across the street to the more expensive Megapaca. Don’t: head up after dark when the area does get a bit dodgy.

The other two honorable market mentions are the Mercado Las Flores and the Mercado Central. Las Flores is a little neighborhood market just up the road from Chocoyos Bridge where you pay a little more but get good deals on veggies and friendly service. Mercado Central doesn’t have the best range of goods but is close to Parque Central and can be handy if you can’t make it up to Zona 3. Do: frequent these markets when you’re in a rush. Don’t: forget to barter with the initial gringo prices.

by Diana Pastor

I’ve said many times and I will continue saying it: I love the diversity of Guatemala; diversity in cultures, diversity in climate, food diversity, diversity in fruits. Who doesn’t like Guatemalan fruit? This country should be declared the fruit mecca of Central America. Although Nicaragua and Honduras have some of the finest tropical fruits, there is so much exotic variety in Guatemala. Still haven’t tried these natural delicacies? Don’t be shy; take the plunge to live a different culinary experience with the following:

Moquillo: Whose real name is Saurauia madrensis. It is a small fruit, similar to a kiwi, whose skin can be peeled back gently by hand, beckoning a sweet, refreshing fruit.

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Cleaning up Xelatown

Recycling! We are all aware of the lack of participation in this practice here in Xela, as most public trash cans (permitting they have a bottom) are overfilled with plastic bottles and paper crumples, serving as vending machines for street dogs rather than alternatives to throwing Styrofoam pupusa plates (see “Street Food” article) into the city sewage grates. But think of this as your chance to do your part! Thankfully, there are places to properly dispose of recyclables, right here in Xelatown. Located just a few hundred meters from the Rotonda heading out of Xela on the way to Las Rosas, is a giant playground-like recycling center- where you can bring pretty much anything, and purchase pretty much anything recyclable! Another great spot is located just near Mercado Las Flores, a bit closer to Parque Central on 8^th calle. This location can only receive specific goods, but happily take what they can and point you in the right direction of responsible places to dispose of your rubbish. They even pay you to take it!