I took a perfect picture today in the last 30 minutes of my visit to Thursday’s market in Chichicastenango (gallery), the last real 30 minutes of my vacation. It was of a young woman–maybe 15, though she could have been a few years younger and maybe even 10 years older–wearing a huipile of dark, almost iridescent blue. She was one of many women in traditional dress wandering the market with textiles and jewelry for sale.
Most were much older, though, and many had young children–maybe three or four–in tow selling little trinkets for a quetzal or two. Most of the women were also more confident, outgoing, like the ones in Antigua who now know me by name, ask how my day was, and touch my forearm or knee when leaving or after a joke.
No, she was shy, albeit persistent. She wouldn’t interrupt or block your path, but instead would wait quietly until you turned her way. She caught my eye within 30 minutes of our late, 10:30 a.m. arrival (damn micro bus driver said he just needed to go to the bathroom–we found him 30 minutes later eating breakfast). Somehow, though, she was always facing the other way, or my line of sight was blocked by someone taller (didn’t take much to do that). Either that, or she was inches away, trying to get my attention.
When she found me at 2 p.m., she tried to sell me a small bracelet for five quetzales. I countered, five quetzales for a picture. She agreed. The shy almost smile, the tilt of her head, the brilliant colors… well, you can see for yourself. Best picture I’ve taken in years, in my opinion.
