Hola Guatemala!

In November / December 2023 we visited our suppliers in Central America. As our many Mexican suppliers are spread over the vast country, and our sole Guatemalan supplier is in one place, we only had one week to visit Guatemala. 

We arrived in Guatemala City and headed straight for our supplier’s location of Panajachel on Lake Atitlan, supposedly a 3-4 hour journey. The traffic chaos of Guatemala had other ideas and the journey took nearly 8 hours and we arrived late at night. However, next morning the beauty of Lake Atitlan was stunning, making the long journey worthwhile.

It's a Family Business

We paid the first of many visits to our supplier with whom we have traded for well over 20 years. It was good to meet a similar family business with the second generation slowly taking over the business – just like Siesta. 

Our suppliers, who are of indigenous Mayan origin, have been producing textile handicrafts made using traditional methods for nearly 50 years. During that time the work they have created for other Mayan families has been vital especially during the many years of government brutality towards the indigenous peoples of Guatemala. 

There are no Fair Trade organisations in Guatemala and although we are happy with our supplier we expressed an interest in meeting the people who make our products, so that we could show people back home how things are made.

Friendship Bracelets

One product we have bought from Guatemala ever since Siesta began in the 1980’s is friendship bracelets and recently we have been selling even more. These are made by women in their homes when they have the opportunity, so fulfilling orders can take some time. The threads are given by our supplier so the women have no extra costs.    

We were taken up to a village overlooking the lake and visited several homes where the bracelets are made. The speed, skill and dexterity of the women who knot the bracelets was breathtaking. Several women met in one home to simultaneously work and chat and the over-riding memory of our visit there is of laughter and happiness with a panoramic view across the lake. Sadly, the lake was obscured by clouds that day, but the volcano could be seen above the clouds.  

Traditional Huipil Dress

Guatemalan women wear intricately hand embroidered tops which take months to make. These tops are called huipils and each village has its own design, so it is possible to see where somebody is from by looking at their clothing. When hupils are old or no longer worn, they are sold as collectors items, or damaged ones are often cut up and used to make patchwork bags and purses. Siesta has a small selection of old huipils and other unique hand embroidered textiles. 

Some of these unique items were found in the open-air market in the Mayan cultural centre of Chichicastenango which holds a craft market twice a week. All sorts can be found here from herbal remedies, machetes, wood carvings, copal incense and a mass of brightly coloured textiles.  

Mayan Chocoloatiers

Historically, the Mayans were the first to use chocolate and in the villages around Lake Atitlan several artisan chocolate producers can be found. Traditional practices are still used to produce the chocolate including the grinding of the cacao paste on a metate – which is a volcanic “table” which has been used for centuries to help produce food, most notably to grind maize to make the flour for tortillas.   

After many years of oppression, it is nice to see that finally the historical importance of the indigenous Mayans is beginning to be appreciated and several beautiful wall murals reflect this.  

We did get a little time away from work. A boat trip to another village took us to visit Maximon – a bizarre and revered folk-saint whose pastimes include drinking and smoking. One of our group also found time to get a very cheap and very good haircut.

Finally, to avoid another long journey back to Guatemala City we spent the last nights in the old capital, Antigua, where we sourced a few more unique items and also managed to watch the local football team play in what must be one of the best settings for arriving at a football ground.