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Star Date: March 2013 |
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Hello Dear Family & Friends!
"Que ondas?" "Suave" or "Tranquilo"
"What you do speaks
so loud that I cannot hear what you say."
Confessions of market Junkies. 'Mercados' or markets are the heart and soul, the pulse of a country or culture. And Guatemala is home to some of the liveliest and most colorful markets in Central America, or the world for that matter. Specializing in hand woven textiles, combining a rainbow of hues in every item, markets explode with color. Adding frosting on the cake is the fact that most locals still weave, sew and wear traditional outfits on a daily basis; unlike the rest of Central America where striving to be modern has wiped out culture after culture. This includes both men and women, and miniature little outfits on kids. In many countries the men have modernized but still prefer their women in traditional skirts and blouses. The color, the design of the fabric, the pattern woven in the cloth, the symbols in the embroidery, the way a cloth or hat is worn on the head, all distinguish one region or village from another. Like in western China the people are usually proud of their costumes and will accept compliments or pose for a photo once you get to know them. It was beyond us to differentiate one group from another except to enjoy the ever present blur of colors. Each community 'mercado' has piles of fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes, corners teeming with fresh flowers and squawking animals all competing for attention. Every table, blanket or stall emitting colors, smells and sounds is tended by a man or woman dressed in an equally vibrant costume. How can we ever go back to shopping at a sterile, plastic wrapped, chemical laden supermarket; mind numbing elevator music playing in the background. Will that be paper or plastic? Antigua was full of music, colonial buildings, cobblestone streets, and parks. Even the church was a hub of activity with purple satin clad devotees carrying heavy wooden religious statues in processions through the streets. They are famous for their mutihued street murals or mandalas made from sawdust and endless processions during Easter's Holy Week. We listened to music in the park, walked the streets, ate at our favorite little stall in the hodgepodge market, then on the opposite extreme indulged in fresh berry pie at a fancy tourist restaurant and a few nights later stopped by the local vegetarian venue for folk music and fresh limonada. Putting our lives in the hands of Evil Kinevil chicken bus drivers we traveled the country. Used to maneuvering the small winding mountain roads we soon turned white knuckled as the crazy young bus driver entered the 4 lane new superhighway. As if his brakes weren't working he just gunned it and when an inevitable corner approached he hung on his side window as we squealed around the bend. You know it's bad if the driver is hanging on for dear life! When we realized that the first couple of turns weren't a mistake but part of a death wish, Joseph yelled for the driver to slow down. Usually they do. When he refused we yelled for him to stop, the first time in 10 years. As we jumped off I announced loudly that he was a terrible driver and this bus was dangerous . Be shy and die! Getting on the next passing bus we resumed our trip and arrived safely. We are having too much fun to end up over a cliff at the hands of a speed demon. Trying to further satisfy our
market addiction we headed for the Sunday market in Chichicastenango.
World famous for the color and quality of textiles we once again
spent the whole day wandering around soaking up the sights and
sounds. We were interested in following a local procession to
the Church of Santo Tomas that allows the fires and offering of
flowers in Maya tradition on the steps. It was here that
Spanish priest Father Ximenez was the first foreigner in the early
18th century, to be shown the Mayan manuscript, the "Popol Vuh".
This poem with over 9,000 lines details the cosmology, mythology,
creation and traditional history of the early Kiche Mayans.
Inside the traditional but poor Catholic church, just aside of the
alter, was a large Mayan rock alter to finish the pre-Columbian ceremony started
outside. Quite remarkable to have both traditions together,
both honoring the Sun. If you can't beat them, join em! THE CREATION - Popol Vuh Here is the story of the
beginning,
Joseph headed back to our
little local hotel on the side of the hill while I continued soaking
up the ambience of the day. Usually he says when we part, "
Don't get into any trouble!" Unfortunately he forgot to say it
this day. Passing an inviting looking Hostel I dropped by to
have a look. After seeing the rooms I stopped by the bathroom
before heading back to the market, continuing my motto: "Never Pass
a Good Bathroom." When I tried to leave the bathroom the door
was locked/jammed/whatever! Finding myself in a real oh sh-t
situation I first recounted some of the horrible bathrooms I had
visited while traveling and this one was 'not so bad'. For
this I was thankful - trust me. Breathe! I fussed with
the door, banged it, kicked it. Then I yelled for help! My
pleas fell on deaf ears. I crawled up on the rickety toilet
and stuck my head out the little window - yelling, "Could some one
help me - 'ayudame'?" in English and Spanish. To my surprise
the formerly empty courtyard was now full of over 20 French
tourists. I kept yelling and someone finally went to get the
manager. He came to my rescue saying, "Oh this door, it sticks
all the time." The usual, "Sorry!" but tough luck scenario.
Heading to the infamous lake we spent a couple of nights in Solola. Seeing zero tourists in two days we were treated to an authentic look at weekly market life in Guatemala minus clicking shutters.
Lake Atitlan is the jewel of the Guatemalan highlands. "It floats
in the sky, a mile above sea level, relying on 3 majestic volcanoes
to hold gravity at bay". Atitlan is a Mayan word that translates as "the
place where the rainbow gets its colors". Were the bright
traditional Guatemalan costumes inspired by the lovely, vibrant natural
surroundings? Lake Atitlan draws you in and holds you in a
trance, forgetting time and space. Very different tiny communities
dot the shore, many accessible only by boat.
Panajachel
is the large tourist town, a 750 year old pueblo of about 13,000,
mostly Cakchiquel,
Tz'utujil , Mayas and a
community of foreigners from every corner of the globe, living
inside the Mayan rainbow. With everyone speaking different
languages or dialects the Mayans have learned to get along and
communicate with different cultures beyond words for thousands of
years. Friendly,
quick to laugh, these accepting yet shy folks make everyone feel
welcome, especially if you buy a small item they have made to sell.
This isn't a prosperous country and walking into many of the
villages is taking a step back in time. Fields are full of
corn, women are preparing tortillas from hand ground 'maiz' over a
wood fire, and the town square is a buzz with people sharing
stories.
We chose
to go to 2 villages only accessible by boat. There is a charm
that remains before the onslaught of cars and buses belching black
smoke. Santa Cruz La Laguna consists of 2 small 'hospedajes' or
hostels along the lake shore and a steep winding road to the upper
poor but lively town on the hill. Staying along the shore we
had the hotel to ourselves, relaxing in the private garden and
walking along the lake. All the backpackers piled in next door
in a buzz of activity, making us glad we could afford the extra $5 a
night for serenity. We found a local family home/cafe around the
corner and cooked our curries and pastas, teaching Mama how to
prepare items for her newly inspired vegetarian menu. Catching a morning boat before the waves got bigger, we arrived 40 minutes later in San Marcos. What a 'trip'! This village was hippy haven. Every sort, shape, and age of man, woman, and child donning tie-dye and dread-locks, from the world over, did yoga, ate and socialized in the pleasant surroundings. Living side by side with the locals it was fun to see mingling of cultures and to see a deja vu of young newly freed spirits. I wonder what the locals think of the hippie 'uniforms'? When in a situation like San Marcos it is important to get out and actually get to know the local people. Just hanging in pods of friends and other travelers isn't what traveling is all about. You can do that at home. We spent one day going to Santiago by boat to take in their Sunday market. Breathtaking embroidery and traditional costumes lined the market and town square.
The Magnum Opus! The market downtown next to the plaza was nothing less that spectacular and it makes my mouth water to think of the variety of food we found in the little stalls. Mountains of vegetables, miles of textiles and sweet fruits tempt you at every turn. After tasting as many vegan delicacies as we could find we would walk back down the 6th Ave walking mall to see what entertainment was playing that day. Food, music and fun. Simple pleasures are life's treasures on the road.
And so it goes.........................................Next flying off to our last continent this time around: South America. Well short of Antarctica that is. We love penguins but for now it's not worth getting sea sick on rough seas, freezing what butt I have off and paying exorbitant prices. Maybe some day. Until next month Keep Smiling and remember our actions speak louder than our words. We are glad you stopped by. Thanks for dropping us a note once in a while! Take care!
Love, Light &
Laughter,
xoxoox Nancy & Joseph
Travel notes: $1.00US = 7.8 Quetzels We had problems at the border crossing from El Salvador into Guatemala. Trying to get money out of us by pointing out a technicality that we had fixed in Honduras at the immigration office. (Never try to overstay your Central American 4-country/ 3 month visa) The Immigration officials backed down when Joseph declared, "We changed all our money. WE HAVE NO MONEY!" Seeing they were barking up the wrong tree they said, "Just Go!"
If you have trouble
at borders it is often just someone trying to get their hand in your
pocket. Be patient, polite, and hold your ground. Always
works. Writing down their badge number or politely taking a
photo immediately turns things around. Also asking to speak
with their supervisor.
Guatemala City: Guatemala Dentist 23352354 Dr Carlos Gonzalo Sueiras Ave 0-60 Centro Comercial II,
Don't miss walking down the 6th Ave mall on the weekends for
Antigua:
Land Royal - Hector or Linda
helped us find the lowest priced flight to S America
Chichicastenango:
Solola:
Panajachel:
Atilan Music School
www.atilanmusicschool.org
Stop by to see Steve's great project spreading music to the
world and to Lake Atilan. See how you can help.
Plenty of vegetarian options. The best we found were on the main path, right side, Fe. Excellent Indian curry! Has live music twice a week.
Rio Dulce:
You just never know what you will
see in the
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