Puerto Quetzal (Porta QuezSal) Guatemala
There is an industrial area all around this picture or plain land as far as the eye can see. It looks to be black sand (volcano) beaches altho there isn't a beach nearby. We stay local today since all excursions are far away; a long bus ride is not our idea of fun. High 80's expected with high humidity as well.
A lot of merchandise all basically the same from tablecloths to napkins to jade jewely to belts, hats, opurse, t-shirts, carry alls etc all supposedly "hand made" People here are very poor and very pushy. Not able to stop to look w/o "Lady, come look, good prices!! I show you!" As they are unfolding and almost touching you with the item. "How much you pay?" They are constantly pushing. "No .. no thank you .. No gracias" gets you NO-where. They don't take 'no' for an answer. You have to be rude and walk off only to be accosted by the next person trying to sell the same items with the same spiel. Very annoying and uncomfortable.
On the other side of 'town' they weren't as pushy. This is a typical stall
Here is child labor or what to do with the kids so they don't fight. Makes one wonder how much of the "hand made" is made by children.
There is a Jade Museum here and it's air conditioned, a welcomed relief from the heat. Whitish purpled lite shades are the most valuable but also the most drab. Nephrite and Jadeite are both white in their pure state. All colors in jade (from light greens to black) are caused by slight inclusions of other minerals. Copper inclusions cause dark spinach green color, Chromium inclusions cause bright emerald green color, Manganese and ferrous iron cause black color, Cobalt inclusions cause blue color.
We set sail at 4:30 pm with groups of ones with their children sitting on the rocks and ground to watch our departure. Sad to realize the children will most likely never be educated enough to ever leave their country. They will remain poor and beg shoppers to buy their overstocked goods.
If you know me, you can see my journal filled with many more pictures and information from this cruise.
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