The little things you start noticing after a few days in Guatemala

Have you ever stopped to think about those little things that become the signature of a place? Like when you think about somewhere you visited and you even laugh remembering certain things because they felt so specific to that destination.

In Guate, this happens a lot… travelers come here and after spending a few days in the country, they begin noticing small details that become essential to truly immerse themselves in our culture and that, even if they may feel a little shocking at first, end up becoming part of the chapín charm.

Guatemala is known for having huge amounts of traffic in the city and in many parts of the country. You never really know if your trip will take 1 hour or 3 hours. And yes… 3 hours is already crazy. But if we add the fact that chapines also tend to be a little late sometimes, you’ll quickly notice that many times we give a specific hour when deep down we know the real hour is actually 30 minutes later hahaha.

So if you make plans to meet someone at 6:30 pm, you’ll probably learn very fast that the real strategy is saying 6:00 pm instead.

You also get used to the constant sound of car horns in the city and to seeing motorcycles passing between cars like ants finding impossible little paths. Eventually, even you start crossing streets with a confidence you never imagined having.

And if there’s one thing you’ll hear constantly in Guate, it’s cuetes (fireworks). It doesn’t matter if it’s a celebration, a procession, a birthday, a town fair or simply someone excited for no reason hahaha. There will always be some cuete exploding somewhere in the distance and eventually it simply becomes part of the everyday soundtrack of the country.

Anywhere you go in Guate, you’ll probably notice something curious: when people ask for something in a store, they say “me regala un pan?” or “me regala un agua?”. And no, it doesn’t literally mean they’re giving it to us for free. It’s simply a very common and polite expression we use when buying something.

You’ll also notice that almost every neighborhood or street has a small tiendita. And even though they may look tiny, you can find almost everything there: tortillas, sweet bread, drinks, eggs, phone recharges or simply a quick conversation with the person working there. Many times these little tienditas also become gathering spots for local people.

It only takes a few days here to realize that Guatemala’s weather is completely crazy. Most of the time it’s warm, but you never know when a strong rainstorm will suddenly appear, so it’s best to come prepared for both situations. You can go from beautiful sunshine to heavy rain in just a few minutes.

And when it rains… it really rains. The streets change completely, the smell of wet earth appears immediately and many times Antigua fills with fog, rooftops echoing from the rain and people running around trying to cover themselves however they can.

And if you visit places like Atitlán, Xela or certain mountain areas, you’ll probably also discover how cold the country can actually feel, especially during mornings and nights.

In Antigua, you’ll quickly notice that the lives of street vendors begin very early in the morning. Many people set up breakfast stands in parks and streets where they sell very simple but delicious chapín breakfasts. A panito con frijol, some fried plantains, eggs and a little cafecito can easily become part of your daily routine.

And speaking of cafecito… without a doubt, after a few days here you’ll begin drinking coffee all the time. Coffee is extremely important to us and honestly very good, so it won’t surprise you that people constantly invite you for coffee. And the funniest part is that coffee rarely lasts only the amount of time it takes to drink the coffee. Somehow it always turns into long conversations, stories, laughter and people staying at the table much longer than expected.

Because if there’s one thing you’ll notice quickly, it’s that chapines love talking.

You’ll also notice that we are very talkative people and we love giving long explanations and details to stories. We rarely answer things in a completely direct way and at some point you may even get a little desperate when you don’t receive the exact answer you expected hahaha, but it’s because we love adding flavor to conversations.

And yes… we use our hands and facial expressions a lot when we speak.

Eventually, you’ll have to become an expert in chapinismos: words like muchá, mano (which we use to refer to friends or brothers), calidad, qué onda and many other expressions or bad words that you’ll inevitably hear in almost every conversation.

Little by little, without realizing it, you’ll probably start sounding pretty chapín too.

And whenever someone tells you “ahorita”, never take it literally. Because ahorita can mean exactly right now… or several hours later. Everything depends on the context, the traffic and probably the mood of the person hahaha.

You’ll also realize that Guate has incredible views almost everywhere. Our flora and fauna are incredibly rich and volcanoes appear even while you’re stuck in traffic or simply walking through the city as if they were a completely normal part of everyday life.

After a few days, even you will begin normalizing seeing volcanoes from a terrace, the road or while drinking coffee, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

And if you decide to move around in a camioneta, you’ll discover another very everyday part of the country. The buses are full of colors, music, people constantly getting on and off and helpers shouting destinations out loud. For many Guatemalans, this is simply part of daily life.

Women, especially those who deeply preserve cultural traditions, often wear their traditional textiles with a completely natural and beautiful elegance. And yes… even if it’s cold, raining or extremely hot, you’ll probably still see them walking in chanclas as if absolutely nothing is happening.

And if you decide to shop at the market, you’ll have to become an expert at bargaining and trying to blend in… because if you look too foreign, there’s a very high chance they’ll immediately give you prices in dollars hahaha.

But you’ll also discover something very beautiful about markets: the colors, the movement, the stacked fruits, women preparing food, people speaking loudly, bags full of fresh vegetables and that feeling that a big part of Guatemala is still deeply connected to the land and to what it produces.

And something that will probably surprise you is the way people coexist here. Families are usually big, conversations after meals last forever and many times people simply stay outside their homes, stores or on the sidewalks just talking. There’s always someone greeting you, someone helping or someone willing to tell you a very long story even if they barely know you.

Because if there’s one thing you should never doubt, it’s the kindness of a chapín. Once someone here cares about you, it’s usually someone you can count on for life. Guatemalans are incredibly warm, welcoming and willing to help you even if they don’t know you very well.

And just like that, it only takes a few days in Guate to realize that it’s exactly these little everyday things that slowly become the purest essence of the country.

Because at the end of the day, the funniest thing about Guatemala is that many times the things you’ll remember the most won’t necessarily be the volcanoes, landscapes or tourist attractions.

You’ll remember the long conversations.

The sound of the camionetas.

The cuetes exploding unexpectedly.

The vendors greeting you after a few days.

The smell of freshly made tortillas.

The cafecitos that lasted longer than expected.

The unexpected rainstorms.

The people telling you “ahorita”.

And that feeling that, little by little, you stopped feeling like a visitor.

And maybe that’s when you truly begin understanding Guate. 🤍