The main languages spoken here are Spanish, and the various Mayan languages that differ in different parts of Guatemala. For example, in Rabinal the Mayan language is "Achí."
The money used here is the Quetzal. Quetzal is a type of bird native to Guatemala, but is also used to refer to Guatemalan money. 1 U.S. dollar is equivalent to about 7 Quetzales. The Quetzal comes in the form of a gold colored coin or a paper bill. The ATM machines in Guatemala only give out 100 Quetzal bills. But people in Guatemala like to use smaller bills, like 20Q. There is also small change in the form of coins.
One plastic bottle of water here costs about $.50, or Q3.50.
The best meal this week was a fried róbalo (sea bass) that I purchased from a fisherman who delivers to Antigua. On Mondays, the fishermen fish in the Gulf of Honduras on the Atlantic coast early in the morning. Then they drive to the town of Antigua to sell their fish and shrimp.
