Last Shopping Day on the Rio Dulce: Oct. 18

We have been living 'on the River' now for over a month. Fronteras is the small town where we can get fresh produce, some great bread made by a German x-pat living in town and right 'out of the river' fresh fish and shrimp. Market days are on Wednesday and Saturday so on these days we each bring a large shopping bag with us and 'go to market'. Fronteras is a shabby run down town, and there is not much to it. It is a cattle town, there are 'real' cowboys sitting in the local Cantina's and many of them carry guns. Its a tough town, frontier justice is the main law of the land and as gringo's we have been warned not to go into town at night, people get drunk and people get shot. It is true enough, we have heard gunshots on a few occasions.



The only way to travel from one end of Guatemala to the other is via one road that happens to go through the center of the town. Although only a two lane road, the shop keepers and produce markets set up there wears along each side of the road seemingly oblivious to the massive semi trucks that come barreling through. Logging trucks, buses, beer trucks, produce trucks, tractors, and worst of all the cattle trucks come to a stand still as they force their way through the town amidst the market day shoppers.




On our first couple of visits to the market we were harassed by the spewing Diesel fumes, the huge Semis that inch towards you as you attempt to buy a sweet pineapple. The stray dogs that dodge the traffic, thin and scruffy, looking for scraps, and we were warned about standing next to a cattle truck as the defecating cattle show no regard for the shoppers trying to squeeze quickly by the truck. And then, one day, we found we were not bothered anymore. We fit into the scene, bravely walking out in front of a logging truck to quickly cross over to the fresh grapes. We learned to swerve expertly through the crowd heading to our favorite grocer. We picked through the stacked fruits and vegetables taking our time to pick out the best and not feel rushed. On our numerous trips we learned who had the best lettuce and who over charged for their grapes.



Today, Saturday, was our last trip into town and now we are preparing ourselves for our trip up to Guatemala City and then our flight back to the States. Oddly, we both felt we would miss the dirty, noisy, hectic little town. Under the dirt and grime we found a certain beauty. For one thing the fruit is sweet, juicy and delicious, and best of all very inexpensive. The Guatemalan avocados are rich and buttery and we will miss them sorely. Also the town is surrounded by the jungle, it is all encompassing, and humbling. Lastly, it is a community, mothers and children, shop vendors and butchers, old people and young, it's humanness is appealing. A certain baseness of survival reminds us of our existence and our own humanity. The shopkeeper Mariam, who sells green tea, thinks our baby will be a little
girl.