Cars are for suckers. So are sidewalks. And umbrellas.

It's a typical Tuesday afternoon in Panajachel. The streets are bustling with pedestrians and bicyclists, cars and motorcycles, and tuk-tuks, the three-wheeled, bright red taxis that can take you anywhere in town for less than 75¢. That's right tourists, don't let them charge you 8 quetzales just because you're not from around here. I have a man on the inside, and he tells me that it's always 5Q - even for us.

Yes the town is alive in the afternoon, and that spirit will not be dampened by the rain that falls every day at about 5pm - just when everyone is on their way home from work. But rainy days are a strange sight in Pana, as behavior seems odd to the foreign eye. There are few cars and many people walking. Umbrellas are scarce among these many wet pedestrians. People trod through opaque puddles in their faux leather dress shoes instead of stepping around. Why, in a place where people expect rain at the same time every day, is everyone so wet?

Take note of the photo below. You may notice the narrowness of the street - this is Calle Principal, the "Main Street" of Pana. I stop at this exact location every day on my way home. Not to grab a bite to eat or to people watch, but because I have to stop to let a car or two pass before taking my turn walking up the hill. Everyone knows the routine. Pedestrians walk in the street because there are no sidewalks around. If a tuk-tuk comes by, you must close your umbrella so that it has room to pass by you. If a car comes, you must close your umbrella, step off the street and into a store, and wait for it to squeeze past, guided by a handful of men motioning and yelling at the driver. When the coast is clear, you may return to walking down the street, although you may have to close your umbrella a few more times to let one of the 107 tuk-tuks in Pana by.

And so, many people choose not to carry an umbrella with them because they know it will only be above their heads for a fraction of their walk home. Most people don't step around the puddles because they would be stepping into the middle of the street, soon to be run down by a tuk-tuk. And almost no one drives a car, because if you do, everyone hates you.

It's the rainy season here in Pana, and we love to get wet!