Travelers, don’t get scurvy.

No, seriously. I’ve had several stretches during my travels when I was eating badly. You know, mostly heavy carbs. (Or as they say in Mexico: vitamin T. Tacos, Tamales, Tortas, Tostadas, Tortillas…)

During these times, I always ended up feeling awful by the end. I was tired and sluggish. Then I would eat something healthy and be amazed at how the body could feel so good and light.

Above all, foods with high concentrations of vitamin C should be a priority. You don’t want to be fighting colds all the time.

The perfect food, then? Papaya.

If you’re traveling anywhere near the tropics, papaya should be in healthy supply. In Mexico and Guatemala, for instance, there are street vendors everywhere selling cups of chopped-up papaya for very reasonable prices if you don’t want to buy a whole one.

Papaya has a ton of vitamin C. It has more vitamin C, in fact, than oranges, melon, mango and most other fruit.

Papaya is also soothing for the stomach. Yesterday morning, when I was feeling a tad “delicate” after a couple of questionable street tacos the night before, I went straight for some papaya. Soon after, the stomach pain died down.

And man, is papaya every delicious. Pleasantly, and not overly sweet. Melt-in-your-mouth texture. For those strange people that can’t stand the taste: I’m sorry. You’re missing out.

(Fresh and cheap papaya is one of those little things I will seriously miss when I get back to Canada on Sunday. Maybe the next destination will have papaya too?)

Unfortunately, it is pouring rain here. In Mexico, they call this month “Febrero Loco,” because it’s so inconsistent. I got to walk around a little bit, but haven’t had the chance to soak up the atmosphere yet. So far, it seems like a fairly nice colonial city.

One thing’s for sure – my friend and I have spotted a few oddities. Maybe there’ll be more tomorrow?

Is it just me, or is Jesus rapping?

My friend besides a random statue of an African American kid:

So many balloons:

Nothing like a fountain that involves dogs vomiting:

Behold, the least tasty meal in all of Mexico. Cheese gorditas and potato taco:

But no chain is as quintessentially Guatemalan as Pollo Campero.

Shhhhh. Don’t tell a Guatemalan this, but Pollo Campero is basically the same thing as Kentucky Fried Chicken. Well, maybe a tiny bit more delicious, but that could be because I associate the taste with being on the road in Guatemala.

Xelawho magazine jokes that Pollo Campero’s chicken comes in two varieties: “greasy ‘n salty and greasier ‘n saltier.”

It’s true. When my brother was visiting, on his last night we ordered Pollo Campero takeout to our Guatemala City hotel.

“Caitlin, there’s oil dripping down my arm,” he said. A few minutes later, he added: “I feel greasy. I gotta go take a shower.”

Nonetheless, the stuff is as delicious as it is disgusting.

So, how is a chain clearly modeled after American fast food quintessentially Guatemalan? Besides being from Guatemala (duh), the fact of the matter is that Guatemalans are crazy about Pollo Campero. Seriously.

At work the other day, I was informed that we would be having a “special lunch” because some important people were visiting. What was for lunch? Pollo Campero. And judging by the sounds coming from our guests it was, uh, finger lickin’ good.

Pollo Campero has expanded to other countries. There’s a sizable number in the United States, partly due to the large number of Guatemalan immigrants. I’ve been told that when the first US Pollo Campero (in L.A., I believe) the lineup was blocks long, full of people wanting that familiar taste of home.

Anyways, this morning I had breakfast at Pollo Campero. This wouldn’t be my normal choice, mind you. But today, I had to get up super early to go do some blood and urine tests (just making sure my kidneys are fine before leaving for Mexico where healthcare is more expensive) and I couldn’t eat beforehand. Now, I can’t think straight in the mornings if I don’t eat right away, so when I finished the test around 8am, all I could think was “Ughnnnnn neeeeed fooooood.” Pollo Campero was the only close place open, so in I went.

(For the record, breakfast at Pollo Campero is not delicious. I would use them only for your fried chicken needs.)

I was astounded at how many people were in there! Whole families, businessmen grabbing breakfast before work, and tons of others. Apparently it’s packed at all hours of the day.

The man at the next table from me ate two breakfasts. 1) A croissant with ham and egg plus a hashbrown. 2) A tipico breakfast: eggs, beans, plantains, sausage and tortillas.

I was already astounded as his ability to inhale Pollo Campero when the waitress brought his lunch in a to-go bag. Looks like this man was going to be eating fried chicken, french fries, coleslaw and a bun for lunch.

After that, there’s always dinner too.

Still, though, Caye Caulker is a wonderful place and probably shouldn’t be missed on a trip through Central America. People traveling on a budget can probably splurge for a couple days of island life.

That said, I bet most “budget” packpackers spent tons more money than I did. I wouldn’t be surprised if most were spending at least 50 dollars a day. Here’s what you can do to reduce costs:

Don’t stay right on the beach. Everything is literally a one minute walk from the beach – do you really need to be RIGHT on it? On the beach, the best 10 US dollars will get you is a bedbug-ridden dorm bed. Off the beach in the wonderful Sandy Lane Hotel, 10 US dollars a night (well, 20 for two people) will get you a private cabin with your own washroom, fridge, complete kitchen and TV. And there’s a place to barbeque! Staying here saves money because of good cooking facilities. The same kind of cabin would be double the price on the beach.

Don’t drink that much! Jeez… a beer in bar costs about 4 US$, a cocktail about 7 US$. Do you really need to get wasted while you are here? If you want to drink, go to one of the liquor stores off the beach and buy some beer or coconut rum. Much cheaper (about 1.50 US$ for a bottle of beer or 10US$ for a big bottle of rum.)

Cook! My brother and I bought a box of cornflakes and milk for breakfast, and barbequed fresh fish for dinner.

When eating out, don’t eat right on the beach. It’s pretty easy to get a big delicious lunch for 5 US$ (cheap for Caye Caulker) if you eat off the beach at a place like Sea Garden Cafe (hope I have that name right.)

Anyways, I think Belize and Caye Caulker would make a great first stop in Central America for those new to the region. It’s super easy to travel there, and coming from North America or Europe the prices will seem cheap! Then you can move further south and be pleasantly surprised as the prices get better.

But in developed countries, people think it’s weird to see such a diverse, “globalized” selection of products.

“Why is there shawarma in Ouagadougou?”

“What’s the deal with all the Chinese restaurants in Panama City?”

“Isn’t it silly to go get Indian food in Quetzaltenango?”

But really, why shouldn’t there be all these choices in poorer countries? Why does it offend some people’s sensibilities to see “unauthentic” things in other countries?

The real question is: Is the stuff good, or is it gross?

And so, let me review some of the “foreign” food available here in Quetzaltenango (Xela):

Indian Food: Sabor de la India, unfortunately one of the most expensive restaurants in Xela (best for an occasional treat) is perhaps the city’s most delicious place to eat. Sure, it’s not exactly like it tastes back home, but the ingredients are fresh, the portions huge, and the flavours incredible.

Chinese food: know how Chinese food in North America is a greasy, fake approximation of real Chinese food? Well, Chinese food in Guatemala is a greasy, fake approximation of our greasy, fake approximation.

Bubble tea: One of my absolute favourite places to have a coffee or lunch in Quetzaltenango (which shall remain nameless) is now offering Bubble Tea. I have a feeling someone brought back a big box of the stuff on their last trip to the states, and now thought it would be a good idea to sell the stuff. Bad idea. I had to order bubble tea in Guatemala, just because it is one of my favourite things in the world. But seriously, a milky drink with black things floating at the bottom do not a good bubble tea make.

Now, don’t even get me started on the poutine I found in West Africa.

Next entry on Yelkaye.net:

“Aiding and Abetting Adultery in Guatemala.”