Guatemala is a country located in Central America, a country surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, which three of them are active. Guatemala is full of nature, agriculture and ecological life.…
The Declaration of Independence from Spain was signed on September 15th 1821. It was a meeting of nobles formed by members of the audience, city hall, church officials, the university,…
Guatemala is famous for it’s ancient Mayan Culture and over the years archeologists have made many discoveries about this civilization and still continue to do so. Antigua is a famous…
Vanushka, the gypsy who dead of love.
This legend started in Quetzaltenango and it is the history of a beautiful gypsy called vanushka Cárdenas , this lady arrived to Quetzaltenango with a circus from Hungary.
As says the legend, someday the governor´s son went to see the spectacle in the circus and he, immediately, was fascinated with the beauty of the gypsy and his spectacle where she tamed big animals. Usually this lady needed help from someone in the audience to conclude the act and this guy decide to be brave and he was who help the gypsy. After this strange meeting , he started visiting her many, in secret, and for the result they started and passionate love.
When they was in love, they realized their love was prohibited, that was because the governor and vanushka´s father refused.
Knowing the seriously of the relationship between them, The governor decided to send her son to Spain, and this decision was devastating to the gypsy. As the legend says, she cried and cried until his heart stopped beating. But since then and from his grave she helps people who ask her to find his/her lost love.
His grave is located in the Quetzaltenango´s cemetery and is visited for many people from all the country, usually young people who go to ask for love, all year this grave is full of flower, candles and people write over the grave for their love.
Specially in “Día de los muerto” people from a lot of places come to Quetzaltenango and visit the cemetery to bring her some flowers…
Let me tell you that Chichicastenango has the lucky to have the Guatemala’s largest and most colorful indigenous market. Stalls and blankets are set up on the plaza and around streets; also is easy to find fruits, vegetables,cloth, all kind of textiles and much much more…
Is easy to arrive to Chichicastenango, we are going to leave from Quetzaltenango in the bus, and approximately two and a half hours is going to take us to arrive this wonderful market.
You will see the big difference between other cities to this marvellous mayan town.
Following the history of Guatemala, in Chichicastenango you can see the fusion between mayan religion and catholicism. History says when the conquistadors came to Guatemala, they tried to force indigenas to change their religion, so they destroy their altars to construct a church. But mayan people was convinced to the mayan religion and they, even in a catholic church, they get into the church and trust on their Gods and they ask, inside catholic church, for their familia, agriculture, nature and more.
All things we cannot see in Quetzaltenango, Catholicism is stronger and people forget and stoped believing in mayan culture as was in the past.
Still we recomend you, if you are planing to visit Guatemala, you would contact us to organice all you trip or you should take Spanish Classes to know some Spanish before arriving here.
Just clic on this «Yessika Spanish On-line»
Guatemala is a wonderful country full of various activities, and for that reason is very important to know What are your interests; for example; if you wan to learn Spanish…
If you love nature, spa and hot spring; you are welcome to Quetzaltenango and Travel & Health Guatemala. Because we have an amazing trip where you can enjoy a superb…
Once we arrived to “San Martin Chile Verde” start the adventure, this little town is door to the volcano, we walk around three hour (always depending on the people) now we are traveling with a old man with his daughter and they want to enjoy the nature, forest, birds etc.. So, we decide to walk slowly but people can arrive to the lagoon in two hours.
When you arrive to Chicabal lagoon you will reach the most peaceful place you can reach,. This is important; in the lagoon is not allowed to touch the water, to swim or to take a bath, because this area is sacred, Mayan people comes here to make ceremonies to pray for raining, , nature, peace, agriculture etc… so, if you are in contact with the water of the lagoon something bad is going to happen to you ( is the history) but, is important to respect all beliefs and this religion is carefully with nature.
For sure, this trek is full of unforgettable moments for us and for our friend who are join us at the agency, Travel & Health is located on Quetzaltenango, interior Entremundos Building. Here we have all information about our treks to different places, communities and reserves around Quetzaltenango and all Guatemala.
We try to focus on discover routs or paths that few people know, this is why we want you to join us on our great adventure.
Let´s go shopping!!
Usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday Saturday or Sunday can be “market Day” or like we say en Central America “Día de Mercado”.
Because this way of market is one of the biggest support the national economy has, the Guatemalan people offer a different kind of fruits and vegetables in a really good condition and good price. But, I have to say and explain the traditions into de market because is important to know it to be part of the environment. The traditional markets in Guatemala has variable prices, that´s why you can negotiate with the seller a best price for you. Is common to ask “¿cuánto cuesta?” Which means “how much is it?” for food like vegetables and fruits , things or anything you would like to buy in the street market, the sales man is going to answer «100 Quetzales» (Guatemala money) and then you ask “¿Tiene rebajas? or ¿lo menos? Which means “the discount is? “ and then you start the negotiation because he or she is going to offer you a new price like “85 Quetzales” and the negotiation continuous until both are in agree.
Only I want to advise; don’t do a big negotiation with a really small price because usually this products has a hard history of work because in agriculture people has to work 10-12 hour a day, with rainy, sun or other weather conditions and is necessary to show respect to all this job. Is just a tradition to ask for a less price but is not a big significance in the price. Actually, the prices for frouts is to chip with a really good condition of the fruits.
For example:
There is seasons when you can buy 15 bananas for only 5 Quetzales, in USA dollas is 0.65 for 15 Bananas, can you imagine what the benefit of this people is?
Is amazing how cheap is why fruits in our markets. The most important thing is, to buy fruits or vegetables in the street market is better compared with supermarket, because the productions of the surrounding areas is sold on the street market and in supermarket or moll the majority part of the vegetables and fruits is imported from other countries, so, it is not to fresh as in the street market.
