Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Shopping Guatemala

Well, my Guatemala adventure is over.  I had a great time.  The abundance of fiber talent can be overwhelming at times.  Such a rich tradition!  Of course, shopping is one of my favorite pasttimes when traveling.  Here's a sampling of the markets that I visited.

The market in Solola.





Paolina and Francisca sell fabric and women's traditional cortes, skirts, in the Solola market.

A shop selling the signature pottery of San Antonio.



Embroiderers and shopkeepers in Santiago:




Vendors in Antigua:

This is a vendor at the Santo Domingo, a very old convent that has been converted into a beautiful hotel, museums, shops, gardens, and restaurants.

A market in an Antigua courtyard.

This is Nellie who runs a sewing co-op and sells the products of several families.  Most of the designs are Nellie's, and the other families do the sewing.

This is Petronila, who sells recycled women's traje, traditional dress.  Cortes, or skirts, usually ikat weaves with some embroidered decoration, are stacked to her right.  The photo below shows stacks of huipiles, or blouses.  Petronila has appeared in National Geographic.


This is Petronila's display of huipiles from Colotenango.

Here are some of the markets and vendors of Panajachel:




Francisca sells women's traje in both Panajachel and Chichicastenango.






This shopkeeper is wearing the traditional men's clothing from Solola.



And my favorite, Guatemalan Barbies.