Adios, Guatemala… hasta nos encontramos otra vez

Today is my last day in Guatemala and I have been trying to soak up everything so that I can take a little of the flavor of the country home with me. Where Ecuador charmed me with its music, Thailand with its tastes, Guatemala has done the same with its colors and the friendly smiles and open laughter of its indigenous women. I’ve been working hard to contribute my last quetzals to the local economy and in doing so have accumulated a few gifts for friends and family back home, as well as a little piece of Guatemala to take home with me as well. Yesterday, I was in the market so long that some of the vendors started smiling immediately when they saw me because they knew I was lost again. Word soon got out of the things I was looking for and I was constantly being approached by someone who would take me to exactly what I was looking for. Once I walked back that way, I would be asked if I found what it was I had wanted and would proceed to show my purchases off to the approving nods and smiles of all around. My favourite purchases were those that took some time and involved a memorable friendly exchange.

I spent today in a smaller market, sitting on a bench in the park and taking in the sites of Antigua for the last time. I remember coming to Guatemala and reading on a post somewhere someone’s desire to return to Guatemala after having spent three months in the country the year before and thinking to myself, “will I want to return after three months here?” Three months later, I can reply affirmatively. Guatemala - its culture, its people, its sights, its sounds, its music - has found a secure place in my heart and I am grateful.