Guatemalan Experience
Hello, everyone!
I just returned from a really wonderful trip to Guatemala and wanted to share some of the regional vocabulary and a few photos. I learned a bunch of new words by playing Monopoly and other games with the children!
Tramposo = Cheater (in a game)
Azafate = Serving Tray
Mosquito = Zancudo
Speed Bump = Tumulo
Police Bribe = Mordida
Sexy / = Coqueta
Peanut Butter = Maní
Pajita = Drinking Straw
Celular = Cell Phone
Socks = Calcetas
Parking = Parqueo
When I wasn't walking through the markets, I traveled mostly by Tuc Tuc, which was a very interesting experience considering that most of Antigua's streets are made of uneven cobblestone!
The markets were wonderful and had a bit of everything, including bootleg DVDs for US$1, avocados for $0.15, and backpacks for $10.
20 Answers
I'm glad you had a good time there Mariana and am looking forward to Skyping with you.
After returning from the historical La Antigua, I actually went back to Guatemala again last week to visit the beautiful Lago Atitlán. This time I went with my husband and we were so impressed that we've decided to make this our annual winter retreat.
You can read more about the lake here, which is comprised of one touristy town, Panajachel, and several remote Mayan villages that surround the lake and volcanos. Most of the villages are only accessible by boat, including Santa Cruz la Laguna where we will be living for six months of the winter.
What you see in the pictures here is actually how the lake is every day-- big, beautiful, and not spoiled by vacationers with dozens of sailboats or jet skis.
Beautiful Marianne, more photos, please. The vocab is interesting to me too, some of those words are new to me, azafate (sounds like a stewardess!) and parque? Wow. A long time ago in Spain they said 'el parking' but now... things evolve. 
Janice asked:
....under what circumstances did you learn the words "mordida" and "coqueta" ..??
Well, as we were driving to our destination from the airport in the dark, early morning hours I expressed surprise that some of the cars were both speeding and had no lights on, which in Massachusetts would get you a huge traffic ticket. The driver, a friend of the family I was staying with, said, "Pero aquí en Guatemala si la policía se detiene solo tiene que pagarle una mordida y todo estará bien." Of course, I asked what "mordida" (a bite) had to do with the police and he explained that it's like taking a bite out of your wallet....a bribe. The "mordida" for speeding is about US$5 or Q50 Quetzales.
As for "coqueta" it's a very common, innocent word meaning "Well-dressed, good-looking, etc." Similar to "guapa." One day, I exited my room after putting on make up and a dress for a dinner we were going to and the whole family said "OOOOOhhhh ¡qué coqueta!" Thereafter, I heard it many times to describe a pair of shoes in a store window, a woman wearing a sparkle shirt, etc.
Marianne, Marianne,.....you explained how you learned a word like "tramposo" (playing Monopoly with children). But, for heaven's sake, ¿¿ under what circumstances did you learn the words "mordida" and "coqueta" ..??
Are there more photos? I would love to visit and take spanish lessons in Guatamala.
Thanks for sharing, Marianne. Please tell us more. And more pictures please...
Antigua is so pretty. I stayed there for 2 weeks a few years ago, immersed at a school that also rented very nice rooms, very inexpensive, San Jose El Viejo. We also visited Lago de Atitlan, which is beautiful, and the great market town of Chichicastenango. Hiked up to Cerro de la Cruz every day,
Great piccys and an interesting post . Please tell me about the language school, what was it like , good for learning , costly, easy to get to, and what about accommodation. 
Marianne, quite a few of your listed words are used in Mexico as well. I am really surprised though that they use Tuc Tucs in Guatemala. I thought they were only used in Thailand!
Thanks for sharing!
Very cool! Sometimes I miss South/Central America, though you couldn't get me back to Caracas at the point of a gun right now. I've never been to Guatemala. It's going on the list of things to do.
And I want more pictures, too!
I am glad to see you, Marianne. I'd like to hear all things about Guatemala, a special country with special history and culture. I'm sure that you have had a great great journey 
Thanks for the vocab list, but you were not consistent with Spanish on the left and English on the right (or vice versa) and that threw me a little.
Is there a Guatemala flash card set coming?
I am glad that you had this experience Marianne. Hopefully, there will be many more pics to follow! 
I love Guatemala.
Are you sure coqueta means sexy and not coquette?
Do they really call mosquitos zancudos? I know mosquitos as moquitos and zancudos as sandflies.
To call a straw a pajita in Colombia would draw laughs, it means a small bout of male onanism
