First we walked the short distance past the pinata stores and bakeries to the main square where the National Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral stand. We had plans to visit the museum housed in the palace, but we were disappointed to learn that the next tour didn't leave until later in the day, when we would be otherwise occupied.
We walked out into the main square to look at the fountain and the children chasing pigeons. We came upon a man with several parakeets and canaries in cages. My friend's mother explained that you paid the man, and then the bird of your choice would pull a fortune from a bowl. This I had to see. I chose the little yellow canary, and he quickly pulled a paper from the bowl. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that there are many people out to get me, but with divine help, I'll make it through somehow. The fortune was actually much longer and as dramatic as a Spanish soap opera.
After we had our fortunes told, we walked down into the underground market near the square. I was immediately struck by row after row of brightly colored material and leather goods hanging from every available surface. After wandering for a little while, we stepped further down into the food section. Piles of brightly colored fruits were on every stand tempting me. We pushed through another section with stall after stall of open eateries, run by small families, each serving something different. It all looked delicious, but I knew I didn't dare eat any of it.
After sniffing all the lovely smells in the market, I wanted a little something to eat. We decided to try Pollo Campero, the local fried chicken chain. It seems to be on every corner in the city. As we waited for our box, I looked around at the other customers. The woman ahead of me was indigenous, with a baby in blankets soundly strapped to her back. It seemed so out of place in a fast food store.We chose to take our box home to eat since it was getting close to the time we would be picked up to go to another part of the city. We managed to each try a piece before the taxi rang to pick us up. It was spicy, but I still think KFC is better. The drive to my friend's relatives' house took us through the city and up into the hills, where I occasionally glimpsed the city in the valley below. It's too bad there weren't any turnoffs to take a shot. Plus, who knew if it was safe. We also got pulled over by the local police who wanted to inspect our driver's papers. Eventually we were waved on our way.
After we had met everyone in the extended family (there were so many people, I can't even remember how many I met), we were pulled into the dining room for the meal. We were served a delicious beef stew with rice and fresh avocado. The family members patiently tried to communicate with me through my friend, the translator.
After lunch I had to use the internet, but when my friend took over and I came back downstairs, I was on my own. The group was having a type of poundcake for dessert, and they offered me a piece with coffee. They tried to ask me questions, using relatives that had taken some English classes, and we managed just fine, with a nice dose of hand signals and the few Spanish words I had managed to pick up. The biggest laugh came when I realized that the stuffed rooster on top of the china cabinet made noises in response to clapping (and I had been hearing it all day thinking I was crazy). The "gallo" was crowing. They loved the surprise on my face.
Then came time to pass out presents. Everyone got something, and my friend and her mother had also brought a load of clothes for the relatives. One little boy got a basketball handheld game, and we realized we needed batteries to make it work. My friend and I volunteered to go with her uncle to the store to grab some. I thought, simple, we're just getting batteries. But it was much more difficult.
The first store we went to was a WalMart, and we found the batteries. Group consensus decided that they were much too expensive, so we decided to walk to a small mall further on in the hopes of finding some. We had to cross a major street by climbing up and over a pedestrian overpass, and my legs were killing me (curse you, Tikal!). We pushed through the crowds loitering around the stands close on the edge of the sidewalks. One stand had batteries for a cheap price, and I soon learned they were fake dead batteries. Interesting. We finally pushed into the mall, and we found another large store with the batteries. Time invested? At least half an hour. Leg cramps? Lots. Should we have just gotten the damn batteries at the first store? Yes.
We started making our way back to the house where everyone was waiting, but this time we didn't use the pedestrian overpass. We crossed Guatemala-style. We ran across the street in front of speeding cars. And when we reached the other side, we were rewarded by a bus spewing the most noxious cloud of black smoke I had ever seen right in our faces. I probably got lung cancer from just that.
We got a ride home from my friend's uncle through the unbelievable traffic. It reminded me of New York City traffic during rush hour. And everyone's car was idling black smoke into the limited oxygen of the area. I am definitely starting a charity to buy Guatemala some catalytic converters.
Dinner was in preparatory stages when we got back, and I gratefully watched as the plantains in mole was being cooked, furiously scribbling in my book and estimating amounts (how much really is a half a plastic baggy??). In addition to the plantains, we got a scrumptious sour cream chicken, two ways, and I also got to meet even more of my friend's family. This time it was her godmother and family. They were very nice, but really, by this point I was starting to lose count. I don't know how she keeps track.
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