Lessons from Guatemala, Part II

Part I can be found here.

11. Whenever possible, eat market food.

12. Traffic lights here have three colors, but four signals per cycle:

Green: Go ahead, barrel through the intersection.
Flashing Green: Hurry up, the light is about to turn yellow.
Yellow: Last chance to gun it before the light turns red.
Red: Sucker! Wait impatiently for the next green.

13. If you're lucky enough to get a hot shower, avoid touching the showerhead while the water is running... unless you enjoy mild electric shocks.

14. The difference between a minibus and a microbus is that in a minibus there's just enough room for extra passengers to stand between your knees and the seat in front of you,and in the microbus they all pile into the space behind the front seat and along the side. Both can still "seat" up to 25 passengers.

15. Saying "no" to a trio of winsome young girls trying their hardest to sell you beautiful scarves is possible, but very, very difficult.

16. Always carry diarrhea-combating medicine in your first aid kit, because if you really need it, you won't be able to make it to a pharmacy to buy it.

17. Wear a good, supportive bra when traveling by chicken bus (or lancha).

18. If you absolutely must jaywalk across a large, busy highway, try to make it at least halfway across before you have to pause.

19. Mobile ice cream stands in Guatemala play the same music as ice cream trucks in the states.

20. A young Guatemalan boy standing up in a wildly careening minibus can make change faster and more accurately than a college graduate with a cash register back home.