THE BUSINESS OF AGRICULTURE 



127 



San Lucas market was never patronized by Pana- 

 jachelenos (until recently when the canoes were 

 purchased) except when they passed through on 

 longer trips to the coast. Therefore it is not 

 traditionally a market for other than men. The 

 trip to San Lucas and back is a full day by canoe, 

 from early dawn to afternoon. None of the 

 present-day vendors go on from there to the coast 

 markets, even though two of them are full-fledged 

 middlemen who buy produce both in Panajachel 

 and San Lucas. 



The chief "coast" markets patronized by Pana- 

 jachelenos are Patulul and Chicacao, in the 

 plantation country. After crossing the lake in 

 canoes or launches early Saturday, the merchants 

 stop at towns and plantations along the way and 

 sell in the Sunday market of either Patulul or 

 Chicacao. They stop at plantations on Saturday 

 and Sunday evenings when the laborers are at 

 home, and retm-n Monday afternoon to Pana- 

 jachel. On the coast, they travel at night by 

 kerosene lamp, candles, or pitch-wood torches. 

 Panajachel onions, garlic, green beans, cabbages, 

 beets, etc. are in considerable demand, but in 

 recent years much trade of Panajachel merchants 

 has been taken away by the people of Solola, 

 Concepci6n, Atitlan^ Santa Catarina Palapo, and 

 San Antonio, who either grow vegetables also or 

 make a business of buying them in Solola and 

 selling them on the coast. 



To Tecpin also only men regularly go, leaving 

 at noon or early in the afternoon of Wednesday to 

 arrive in the evening or more usually early Thurs- 

 day morning and have the whole day Thursday 

 (which is the big market day there) in which to 

 sell. Then they often retimi late Thursday (if 

 they leave Tecpan at noon) or very early Friday 

 morning, reaching home in time to go up to the 

 Solold market. Many went to Tecpdn, especially 

 during Lent to sell vegetables, for Holy Week, 

 before other towns (especially Solold) began to 

 grow and sell so many of the same vegetables. 

 A great deal of fruit, especially oranges and limas, 

 is also taken to Tecpdn. 



Fewer men (and some of the same ones) go to 

 Patziin than to Tecpdn, taking the same produce. 

 Here again competition has reduced the numbers. 

 The big market day at Patziin is on Sunday. 

 Vendors go late on Saturday and return early 

 Monday. Although truck-bus lines pass directly 

 from Panajachel to Patztin, they are not patronized 



because (since they do not run on Sundays) the 

 merchants would have to leave Panajachel early 

 Saturday. Furthermore, they often stop in God- 

 ines on the way to sell for awhUe, and the trucks 

 do not pass through at the right time. Women do 

 not go to Patziin, partly because they can sell in 

 the local market on Simday while their husbands 

 are away. 



The truck-bus service to Guatemala City takes 

 half a day each way.'°* Before it was available, 

 fully 8 days were often necessary, 6 for travel and 2 

 for selling. Now the round trip takes no more 

 than 3 days, for the merchant can sell even on the 

 afternoon of the day on which he leaves Panajachel. 

 Yet less people go now than formerly, because 

 with the quick and easy service, people from all 

 over bring onions and vegetables, and prices are 

 sometimes very low. Few Panajachelenos take 

 even pepinos to the capital despite the great 

 demand in season and the virtual growing monop- 

 oly enjoyed by Panajachel. The reason (or 

 result) is that Indians of other towns make a 

 business of buying them in Panajachel to sell in 

 the city. Although onions, garlic, pepinos, and 

 other fruit of less importance are the principal 

 Panajachel products taken to the Capital, one 

 local Indian has worked up a seasonal trade 

 (wholesale) in onion seed. He buys the seed in 

 Panajachel to sell to customers in Guatemala City 

 and Mixco. 



In only one case does a man take his wife with 

 him regularly on such long trips. A progressive 

 young Indian takes his ^vife to Guatemala City 

 (on the bus), probably more because she wants to 

 go than because it is especially good business. 



The best market days in both Guatemala City 

 and Quezaltenango are Monday, Thursdaj', and 

 Saturday. To Quezaltenango the Panajachel 

 vendors go on foot, requiring 4 days for the whole 

 trip. The usual route passes through Nahuala, 

 where vendors often stop on Sunday, on the way 

 up or back, to sell. The principal products taken 

 are onions, green beans, avocados, oranges, jocotes, 

 and clntula. Again, competition by others, chiefly 

 Sololatecos, has reduced the number of Pana- 

 jachelenos on this route.'"' 



)M The fare for Indians on the bus was as low as 76 cents one way, with 

 cargo, during the period of study. Later, competition brought it as low aa 

 40 or 60 cents. 



lOT Of course both Guatemala City and Quezaltenango have sources of 

 supply other than the region of Panajachel. McBryde, 1947, discusses 

 sotirces and trade routes at length. 



