Las Tiendas

Today I will introduce you to the little stores in the town Bethany lives in.  She does her main shopping in a nearby city that has not only a somewhat 'regular' grocery store, albeit very small, but the streets are filled with farmers selling their beautiful produce, bakers selling their tempting pastries, cooks proffering delicious foods, a variety of clothes, gorgeous material for sewing traje, meat from pigs being roasted in splayed fashion over a roasting contraption (see Bethany's Blog for a photo of this!), and just about anything else one would need for daily living.  Because of the streets packed with vendors, people and gangs (hardly room to squeeze along), I was not able to take any photos of this feast for the eyes.  Too risky for a mugging :-(

 Just a block or so down the street from her house, she frequents this produce stand for all sorts of good things to cook with. 

The women who run this store are so friendly, and try their best to teach Bethany some Kaqchikel.

Here is an interesting fruit, Lychee, that they sell.

If you look closely, to the left and behind this woman are clay pots used in cooking and other purposes.  I bought a big one to cook my beans in at home.  Look closely at the blouses you will see in any photos with ladies or girls in them.  They are part of the traje, and so incredible!  Hand embroidered!  The traje is the dress, or costume, that defines what place one is from.  There are 333 different traje in Guatemala, though a portion of those are no longer worn. 

Look at that beautiful blouse!  This little shop had assorted toiletries, candy and snack items.  Here Bethany is purchasing candy to add to the wrapping job for the birthday gifts we had for Fátima, the little girl who lives in her compound.  Apparently, the wrapping of the gift is just as important as the gift itself!  There was another little shop who wrapped gifts for you, using pretty folds in the paper and adding as many bows as you wished to buy.

This was yet another small store with a variety of everyday items.   I cannot remember what she was buying here, but we only went once while I was there. 

On the back side of the house Bethany lives at is this tiny store.  I think they had very few produce items, I am guessing from what they pick out of their own garden.  I seem to remember big 3 liter bottle of pops (that is the size mostly sold in Guatemala, I think) and a few other sundries.

 One evening we braved the downpour and walked down the street to this pastry shop.  Hard to take discreet photos, especially in the dark!  Bethany know just about everyone in town, it seems!

 I can vaguely remember the pastries have chunks of pineapple in them.  They were tasty!

This big stand, which we never bought from, sold all manner of crud for all to devour.  Candies, popcorn, bready goods, and cheap, cheaply made toys.  It is located down the street from her a few blocks, close to the other end of town and the Municipal Building.

I think this is next to the last stand.  It rained so much while we were there that my head was usually buried inside my hood and looking down toward the road while I walked quickly, so I can't say I ever really got the entire layout of this small town!  Anyhow, more pop and candy and unhealthy 'foods'!