| When old and new marketplaces collide |
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We visited a cultural universal, the market places in Guatemala with their specific culturally accepted ways and means of conducting business. It was a splendid sight, leaving indelible picturesque images in my mind of bright colors and creative culturally crafted artifacts sold by beautiful brown people whose respect for the customer is above reproach.
Many women and men dressed in indigenous cultural apparel, the smell of Guatemalan food, and the sounds of the Spanish language mixed with the Indigenous dialect known as Quiche as well as other dialects constitute the marketplace a la Guatemalteco. Some sellers apparently have the luxury of being located in designated spaces, similar to an outside market, with plastic rooftops. For others, only the sun with its sparkling and glorious brightness bringing forth another day of survival constitutes protection from el sol.
As in other places in Las Américas that I have visited, fresh fruit is displayed on counters for purchase and consumption. Some sellers can be seen pulling broken down carts piled high with fruit and vegetables, whose wheels lack grease, making rumbling noises down cobblestone streets. The goal is to make an honest day’s wages. My guess is that whatever is not purchased is consumed as nothing seems to go to waste in a country where many children suffer from malnutrition.
Streets are transformed into a hodgepodge of goods for sale at a price that is negotiable. Small tables are lined on the streets in orderly fashion with goods placed on top of them constructed with whatever material is available. Sellers organize their goods in such a fashion to attract the interest of customers strolling down the streets.
The Guatemalan marketplaces resemble the flea markets in the American economy. One of the fundamental differences is that what is sold in the marketplaces by Guatemaltecos is about economic survival. The wrangling that takes place in interactions between buyers and sellers is an exercise in cultural economics that is in diametric opposition to the price setting in the American economy that, in theory, is determined by supply and demand. Each separate interaction wherein their asking price is lowered by a quetzal (Guatemalan dollars) translates into an opportunity cost for la familia.
Small children carrying unique artifacts, small jewelry, and clothing have become extremely perceptive when they literally have eye contact with potential buyers as they pass each other on crowded streets. A single look at an item displayed in the open market places or by someone carrying goods is an open invitation to be approached to take a look at the merchandise. I recollect on many occasions sellers saying to me in Spanish, ¿Como le puede ayudar?
Once the seller recognizes that you have displayed even a minute of interest, the process begins. The experienced buyer asks the seller about the price. The price is given and the buyer generally states es muy caro. The seller responds, ¿Que me ofreces? Este es el mercado, ofrece me algo.
Small children carrying an assortment of hand crafted artifacts across their backs or in both hands will walk with you and attempt to convince you of your need to buy an item.
Their selling skills are tempered with years of experience even at such young ages. On many occasions, a sale means that the child will have money to purchase food for the day.
In conversations with sellers in a marketplace in Chichicastenango, I was informed that residents of the many mountain communities make the long sojourn to this marketplace twice a week. In this particular market, located close to San Tomas, I attended a Catholic mass, blended with Mayan rituals and where the priest recited the homily in two languages, Spanish and Quiche. The church, a remnant of the Conquest, has been transformed into a sanctuary for Indios suffering from the long-term ramifications of colonialism.
Outside, copal and other incense were being burned on the church steps as los indigenos meditate and pray to their gods. Fatalism, with its treacherous claws wrapped around the consciousness of the people, seems to have lost the battle of complete religious acculturation as Mayans continue practicing ancient rituals that bring peace and harmony to their hearts.
As we traveled in the mountains, ancianos referred to as human mules were carrying enormous packs of wooden stakes on their backs. The endurance that they possess is remarkable as they trek up and down the mountainsides carrying these heavy loads. Failing to make it to the top of the mountain is not an option.
The handmade textiles that were purchased in Sacala, an indigenous community located high in the mountains whose resistance against the oppressive forces of assimilation has withstood time, were positioned for purchase. The story is that when vecinos heard about los Americanos coming to visit, prized possessions became available for sale, perhaps a sign of the economic stress that engulfed this community.
The hustle and bustle of the marketplace mixed with remnants of the old bartering system and contemporary economics was an interesting photograph of the old world and the new world coming together as human beings attempt to survive.
Ramón Del Castillo, Ph.D. is an Independent Journalist.
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