guatemala city thrift chaos: where the humidity hides the good stuff
i landed in guatemala city with eyes gritty from the red-eye and a mind buzzing for polyester finds. the second i stepped out, the air clamped onto me-20.88 degrees they said, but feels like 20.93 with humidity at 73%, like breathing through a damp sock. i just checked and it’s...sticky, hope you dig that kind of thing.
my mission? score some 70s guayaberas before the tourists swarm. i heard from a bartender at the airport that the mercado central is the spot, but someone else warned me about pickpockets wearing fake vintage band tees. the local board at guatemalavintage.org has a thread about it-apparently, stall 42 has real deals if you pretend to be a collector, not a gringo. check out the gossip here
speaking of neighbors, if you get bored of this concrete maze, antigua’s just a chicken bus ride away with its cobblestone chaos and more thrift holes. panajachel’s by the lake, perfect for when your feet ache from haggling-just an hour down the road if you dare the traffic.
i’ve been poring over tripadvisor reviews for 'ropa vintage' joints. one user raved about a place called 'el ropero' but another said it’s all 90s fast fashion now. see the photos on yelp shows a leather jacket from the 80s that looks legit, but i’m skeptical. drunk advice from a guy at a bar: 'check the seams, baby, if it’s serged, it’s post-85.' solid tip?
the map below’s got my usual circuit. i pinched it from a local who drew it on a napkin with coffee stains.
now, images. i snapped these on my phone-grainy, yes, but they capture the mess. first, the chaos of mercado central:
then, a hidden stall i found down an alley:
and finally, my score today-a 1979 guatemalan tourism shirt with those numbers 3598119 and 1320020813 printed on the tag. weird, right?
those numbers? 3598119 and 1320020813. i think they’re batch codes from some old factory. found another tag with 1320020813 on a pair of canvas pants. maybe it’s a thing. someone on a forum said it’s from the 80s textile union. who knows.
anyway, if you come here, pack light for the humidity, bring cash for haggling, and ignore anyone who says ‘vibrant’-it’s just hot and loud. check the local boards for latest gossip, and if you find a jacket with 3598119, dm me. i’m still chasing that ghost.
more links: tripadvisor on mercado central, my sleepy blog for more rambles for when you’re this sleep-deprived too.