Style Amor

About 3 weeks ago, I decided to pack my bags and leave New York City for my home country Guatemala. Hey after seeing a $250.00 round trip ticket and knowing how amazingly cheap food is (less than $3.00 a day) plus free family accommodations I could not pass up this opportunity!  I had stopped visiting my country 2 years ago after my grandmother’s passing, it was a painful moment but I guess after confronting my pain, I realized it had subtly succumbed and after little thought I bought my ticket and knew it was time to re-visit my grandmother’s grave and first my home.

I have compiled a few pictures of my trip, buys and food to share a tiny bit of my country with you.

Guatemalan Barbie?! I saw this cute doll at El Mercado Central, an artisan and souvenir market in Guatemala City, she was simply adorable and I loved her traditional Mayan outfit, however I have to admit, her skin is too light to reflect reality and she looks more like a mestiza.

I also liked the cute little details on her skirt. Many of you may not know this but nearly 80% of Guatemala’s population is indigenous and is one of the poorest groups in the nation. Many of them are farmers and artisans because they cannot afford to send their children to school . In addition, there is also a strong cultural bias and discrimination, since the colonization of the Spanish the indigenous people of Latin America are seen as second class citizens “Indians” as they are incorrectly called, who are not equal to those of mixed races and light skin. Although, Guatemala is slowly changing, I am hoping this pathetic and ignorant ideology disappears because as all people from Latin America know, the majority of us are a mix of several races including indigenous and African blood  and not purely European.

The doll’s items remind me of a young girl in a typical Guatemalan market who sells farm animals, fruits, wooden utencils and artisan pottery -check out the cute piggy bank 0wls and mugs!

This cute little girl is wearing a traditional outfit from my country, although skirt and blouse patterns vary by region, she exemplifies the indigenous children of Guatemala. By the way, I decided to use a generic web pic since I do not like to take pictures of children when I am in Guatemala, many of the parents find it rude and do not trust foreigners.  I was surprised to see many tourists taking pictures of children, this has led to many serious problems in the past. If you are in Central American or any country in the world, please before taking a picture of a child ask the parent not the child for permission, just an ethical thought.

I always love visiting the city of Antigua although sometimes it feels like a tourist trap, however this 17th century city is magical, among it’s ruins you feel transported back in time , sans the porta-potties ;)

One of my favorite places in Antigua is the Hotel Casa Santo Domingo, it’s a museum and monastery, it has a vast collection of Mayan artifacts, local art and even the remains of 300 year old corpses, I kid you not, I can’t believe the monastery had it’s own catacombs! My boyfriend and I couldn’t resist the photo opt with the beautiful birds roaming around gardens (ahem… do not touch their food or get ready for major bird divaness)

I’ve never been a fan of pools and the idea of swimming in highly chlorinated water is like poison ivy to my skin. However, there is a place at the peak of a huge mountain  called -las Fuentes Georginas where warm water comes from the Zunil volcano and make steamy hot springs that fill several natural pools. The water can range from mild to hot and it does have sulfur but in low quantities. The local indigenous people consider the waters to be medicinal and help with arthritis, asthma and soothe your skin. Hey I’d rather be swimming here any day than hanging at a spa. (Ps: yes that’s my dad waving haha)

One thing that I like about Guatemala is the humid rainforests, the wonderful beaches and the high mountain ranges. I was worried my boyfriend Henry would have a hard time adapting since he has never traveled to Central America but he enjoyed  his Gringo-Korean butt to the max!

These are  a few purchases I made along my journey, I loved the embroidery on this blouse, the smiling children and  bees were adorable, also check out some local jewelry and accessories as well as the colorful patterns and poms from indigenous textiles.

Cacao fruit!!! Yes, people this is where chocolate comes from, the seeds smell amazing! There’s nothing like true chocolate, forget Godiva and all those European Swiss chocolatiers, the Mayan were the authentic makers of chocolate in the world.

image: antiguadailyphoto.com

I love cashews and I love cashew apple juice, in Guatemala we call these jocote maranon. The cashew apple is very rare since it’s highly perishable once the cashew nut has been removed, however the juice made from the fresh fruit tastes like a mix of  slight apple and bitter cranberry.

image: antiguadailyphoto.com

One of my favorite traditional dishes is called hilachas, shredded beef in a tomato curry sauce with potatoes and steamed vegetable rice on the side, warm tortillas and why not a cashew apple drink mmmmm….. I’m so hungry I might make this today.

Before you head out at 5:00 AM to your next sample sale or  designer line extravaganza, consider what your money can do to help others who are less fortunate. I found a great organization, Fotokids- helps poor children who live in the slums and garbage dumps outside Guatemala City who work all day because their families are too poor to send them to school. The organization aims to help kids through photography and art, the story of the children really touched my heart, if you would like to help and learn more about the organization please visit: www.fotokids.org

I hope everyone has been well, I am still recuperating from a bad stomach virus after my arrival :(  but I’m doing fine.

Are any of you planning on traveling this summer?