A long time ago, I tried the local Guatemalan queso fresco (fresh cheese) and I decided I wasn't a fan. But I thought I might give it a second chance seeing as how we're trying to save money and buy more things from our local tiendas rather than the big chain grocery stores. I think I paid Q15 for this block of cheese, which is about $2.75 Canadian or $1.95 U.S.
Fresh cheese is sold wrapped in a banana leaf. It is very soft. It barely holds its brick shape and when you cut it, it is almost like cottage cheese that has been pressed together, or maybe ricotta. It is very wet! The flavour is mild, tangy, but with a bit of pungency at the end. It's not bad really but to me, it almost tastes like cottage cheese that has gone a bit off. Not moldy but maybe vinegary? You will have to try it for yourself to know for sure!
Queso fresco de Guatemala
Sliced fresh cheese of Guatemala
Cheese is also sold as seco (dry) where it is pressed into a circle shape, is very hard, and you shave it off like Parmesan. I've sometimes seen the fresh cheese with loroco in it, which is a flower bud (I think) that tastes a bit like asparagus. I've never seen anything but pure white cheese. No orange cheese here!
I found this interesting video about making fresh cheese in Guatemala. It's quite long -- 16 minutes -- and rambles quite a bit. They seem to be having fun! I don't understand most of what they're saying cuz their Spanish is so fast! But it is worth watching, especially for any readers who don't know much about Guatemala.
The part that will interest you is not making the cheese, but the environment. They are working in their kitchen, which is just a dirt floor with tin walls. Their stove is propped on cinder blocks. They wash dishes in their pila (stone sink) and spill the water on the floor. When they need a banana leaf for the cheese, they walk down their dirt road to their neighbour's house and just cut one from a tree. (And their neighbour has a squirrel in a cage???) It is a fascinating look into the life of a family in rural Guatemala.
It appears that they do use rennet to make their cheese but I have also seen people do it just with lemon juice or vinegar.
If you would like to try making fresh cheese at home, it is very easy! Here is a recipe I found:
Nothing is higher in everyone's minds right now than COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, that is infecting people all over the world.
As of today, Guatemala has 16 people infected with coronavirus and 1 person who has died from it. So on the timeline of the infection spread, we are very early.
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The president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, has acted swiftly and decisively to put measures in place to protect the people. However, not all his decisions have been happily accepted by Guatemalans and expats.
All borders are closed to foreigners. Guatemalans and legal residents can enter, but no one else.
The airport is closed to commercial flights.
Markets are only open from 7am to noon, and now closed completely on Sunday.
Non-essential stores, factories, and other workplaces are all closed.
As of yesterday, there is a nation-wide curfew. Everyone must be off the streets by 4pm.
Yeah, kinda crazy, right?
These restrictions were announced on a televised broadcast, as well as on the radio. But as many people here are poor and don't have TVs, internet, or radio, trucks with loudspeakers were sent out to all towns to announce it. I filmed a bit of the one that passed our house.
So how are we dealing with this coronavirus madness?
CLOSED BORDERS
Many tourists and even some expats took advantage of the very short window of opportunity to get out of the country before the borders closed. Some people who were a bit slow to understand the seriousness of the lockdown scrambled at the last minute to find a way to get to the border by land and cross into Mexico. They were allowed out of Guate but will not be allowed back in. Many then flew home from Tapachula airport. (Mexico has not enacted any restrictions.)
The Canadian Embassy arranged for a bus from the city to the Mexican border. The American Embassy, I believe, hired a charter plane to take citizens out. (I think they had to pay quite a hefty sum though!)
As for Bert and I, we never had any plans to leave Guatemala. Our home is here. Our pets are here. Our lives are here. So closing the borders hasn't really affected us personally, although if they are still closed in a few more weeks, I may have some trouble getting my tourist visa renewed.
The only minor way this has affected us is that I was supposed to pet sit for my friend until the 29th of March while she was traveling. Well, now she can't get back! So I am continuing to pet sit for her indefinitely. No big deal. I enjoy visiting her cats every two days, and her dog is staying at our house and having a load of fun.
CLOSED MARKETS AND STORES
This is really just an inconvenience for us as we have to get out and do our shopping earlier in the day now. It's annoying that the 3Q store is closed (dollar store) because we love to buy cheap stuff there. The grocery stores haven't really run out of many things but I've been doing more of my shopping at our local tiendas (corner stores) because I want to support my neighbours.
And that's the big problem with this decision to close all non-essential workplaces. The people are suffering. The town is shut down. Santander, a street normally packed end to end with vendors, is EMPTY. Clothing stores, stationery stores, shoe stores, everything is closed. Restaurants can only do takeout or delivery.
And all of those people are not getting paid. They have no money coming in at all. How will they buy food for themselves? Buy gas or firewood to cook? Pay their electric bill? Even buy water to drink? (We can't drink from the tap.)
The decision to close all business was a bad one. I think the politicians in the city don't truly understand the level of poverty that exists in most of Guatemala. Many indigenous families are already living hand to mouth, eking out a living on meager wages and inconsistent income. Which brings us to...
CURFEW
Yes, there is now a nation-wide curfew for all people, with the minor exception of anyone delivering food and medicine. Why enforce a curfew? Crime, that's why. I can't think of any other reason to make people stay in their homes at night. And not even really night...at 4pm there is still 2 hours of daylight left.
Yesterday was the first day this went into effect and police and firetrucks went around with sirens on to remind people. I even got a text message on my phone to remind me. Weird.
I'm irritated by how early the curfew is as my favorite time to go out is 5pm so I can run errands and see the sunset on my way home. I am NOT a morning person! I imagine the curfew is probably really bothering extroverts who enjoy going out to socialize, but I'm pretty much a hermit so I feel happier (and safer) inside my home. Besides that, we have a big enclosed yard that I can relax in, so it's not like I'm trapped indoors.
Speaking of the yard, we're starting a vegetable garden! Bert worked really hard to prepare a nice section of earth for planting. He even went out with a wheelbarrow to get sawdust and straw for mulching and big green leaves to add to our compost pile.
Working in the yard to create a place to plant veggies.
All of this coronavirus panic has reminded us that we are not all that self-sufficient. We always intend to stockpile dry goods and water in case of an earthquake, and we always talk about growing veggies cuz the climate is so great here, but we've never really been motivated until now. It's a good way to keep busy and feel productive, plus we will get food in the end -- yum! 😋
Anyway, the coronavirus pandemic is a scary thing and will probably get scarier here in Guatemala over the next few weeks as the number of infected people increases, but I think it's important for all of us to stay calm, positive, and hopeful. Lots of folks are panicking but I am trying to channel any nervousness I have into productive pursuits, like gardening, cleaning, organizing, learning new things on the Internet, or designing tshirts. I am lucky that I make money online and we have a source of income, even if things are tight right now.
I want to share one last picture. A resourceful person in Panajachel is making masks out of the local patterned cloth and selling them on the street for Q5. Smart!
Cloth masks in Panajachel, Guatemala.
Stay healthy and safe, everyone! And wash your hands!! 😁
Bert has finally finished this amazing commission art piece for a friend! It is spectacular!
The final piece!
There are gems that sparkle in the light.
He bought the gems from the local sewing and fabric stores. The local ladies sew them on to their traditional clothing.
The 8 ball is particularly impressive! Very difficult to make such small pieces.
I really like how he shaped the white tiles to outline the bones in the face, like the eye sockets. Here you can also see how the black grout highlights the contours.
The details are amazing. That's a spade, diamond, heart, and club.
In the picture above, you can see more detail of the background pattern. I told him he should have just done a scattered broken tile background for a quick, easy finish, but he insisted on making this complex pattern. He took a picture of a cobblestone road in town as his template.
Three highlighted pieces -- a green and two white.
In the photo above, I've highlighted three pieces that explain why it took so long for Bert to finish this. He carves out the tiles to the exact shapes he needs to fit in the space. This is no ordinary mosaic where the artist just breaks pieces and fits them in willy-nilly! Bert is a perfectionist! He told me sometimes it takes him 45 minutes to make one piece. 😲
This is the Volcano of Fire near Antigua. You can book trips to hike up Acatenango volcano and camp overnight in tents. (Intense! Get it? 😆)
My friends over at Trekking Duo did this hike and give great tips here -- HIKING UP ACATENANGO
Here is another personal account of hiking Acatenango so you can be prepared if you decide to do this challenging adventure! HIKING ACATENANGO IN GUATEMALA
