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Craig and Steph's Easter in Guatemala

Easter in Guatemala
Easter in Guatemala
We explored the enchanting blend of Mayan and Christian traditions surrounding Easter in Antigua and Lake Atitlan, and then visited the intriguing Mayan ruins at Tikal. Text and photos originally published on our web site www.craigandstephsvacations.com
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Arrival in Antigua

Apr 02, 2004
Photo by Stephanie Smith
We started out on this trip with very little sleep. The night before we departed, we had tickets to the symphony. When we got home, we watched some of our guilty pleasure TV shows ("Survivor" and "The Apprentice"), did some last minute packing, and went to bed at around 2:00am. When the alarm woke us up at 5:30, we looked out the window to find the entire back yard flooded due to the massive amounts of rain we had gotten in the past day or so. Craig's brother drove us to the airport at around 9:00. The ride in was slow due to the weather, but once we got to the airport there was absolutely no waiting. We checked right in and ate breakfast at Burger King. We arrived in Miami at 2:45. We ate a meat empanada in the terminal and passed the time by looking at our fellow passengers and trying to guess if any of them might be on our tour. There were three older folks sitting opposite us that looked promising, especially when I saw the title of the book that the woman was reading: Murder with Puffins. Puffins have been an inside joke between us ever since our Alaska trip. We arrived in Guatemala City at around 7:30pm. We had to wait a while for our bags. We cleared immigration and customs and headed out into the throng of people waiting outside near a waterfall and "Welcome to Guatemala" sign. Our driver met up with us and took us to his van. He didn't speak any English, but we were able to communicate the necessary information to one another. There was a lot of traffic getting out of Guatemala City which turned out to be due to an overturned bus which had fallen off of an overpass. A line of hearses waited to take the bodies away. It seemed to be an inauspicious start to the trip. We saw lots of U.S. car dealerships and restaurants (there was a McDonald's shaped like a Happy Meal box). We also saw Merck and Bayer offices. Driving was quite a free-for-all in the city. We saw more carnage (another accident and a dead dog in the road). Eventually we got out of the city and things were a bit more calm. After about an hour, we turned off the main road and our driver announced "Es Antigua." We immediately found ourselves in a grid of narrow cobblestone streets, and the atmosphere was much more quaint and calm than Guatemala City. Antigua was at one time the capital of Guatemala. Its history is interwoven with that of the three surrounding volcanoes: Volcan de Agua, Volcan de Fuego, and Volcan Acatenango. After the founding of a temporary capital near the modern town of Tecpan, the Spanish set up a permanent capital near Ciudad Vieja in 1527. A mudslide from Volcan de Agua destroyed this permanent capital, and Antigua (then known as Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala) was established as the third capital in 1543. It became a very important and influential city, and the third printing press in the Americas was installed in 1660. There was an earthquake in 1717 which destroyed part of the city. Many colonial buildings that still exist to this day were built soon after this earthquake. In 1773, there was a six month period of earthquake tremors. In its wake, damage and disease forced the capital to relocate to Guatemala City. This relocation actually worked to preserve the city. Antigua was not subjected to the industrialization or population explosion that plagued other Latin American capitals. The result is a city that still maintains a colonial feel. Streets are paved with cobblestones, and it is a very pedestrian-friendly city with a population of around 35,000. (Facts courtesy of Insight Guide: Guatemala, Belize, and the Yucatan, edited by Huw Hennessy, Copyright 2000, Apa Publications.) We drove down a series of one way streets past the Parque Central to the Hotel La Sin Ventura. When we tried to check in they didn't seem to have our reservation on file, even though we had a hotel voucher, but our driver straightened it all out. The hotel is a walk-up and has a restaurant and very active bar beneath it. We headed up to our room (302 on the 4th floor) at 9:50. The room was small and somewhat dim, but clean. Like in Peru, you are not allowed to flush toilet paper; it instead needs to go into the wastebasket. The hot water is only available during certain hours of the day but this never seemed to be a problem for us. We perused our tour information packet for a while and then decided to go to bed.

Exploring Antigua and Chichicastenango

Apr 03, 2004
Photo by Stephanie Smith
We officially woke up at 6 o'clock, but we had heard fireworks and birds starting at around 5:30. We took nice hot showers and headed outside at aroung 7:20. We started to meet people from our group on the street in front of the hotel. It turned out that none of the people on our flight to Guatemala City were amongst the 9 other people in our group. First we met Gerry and Judy from Florida (who used to live in the Boston area). We talked to them for a while and soon after our guide Andre appeared. He is originally from Montreal, but has lived in Guatemala for 18 years. We then met David and Beverly from Sunnyvale and Marsha from Berkeley. We walked to a nearby restaurant for breakfast but it wasn't open yet, so Andre took us to La Fuenta, a restaurant with which he is somehow affiliated as a property manager or some such arrangement. The restuarant surrounded a nice courtyard with a fountain in the center. Indigenous women were selling tapestries and traditional embroidered blouses called huipiles ("we-peels"). There were little shops surrounding the courtyard, and paintings of Antiguan scenes adorned the walls. We were served a plate of succulent watermelon and papaya. We ordered huevos rancheros revueltos (scrambled eggs in ranchero sauce), frijoles (beans), queso (cheese), platanitos fritos (fried plantains), pan (bread), jugo de naranja (orange juice), and cafe (coffee). The eggs were spicy and the cheese was tart. The orange juice was very fresh. Three other members of our group (Tracy, Margaret, and Ann from Detroit) met us at the restaurant. Rounding out our group would be their friend Marcia, who had not yet arrived in Antigua. She was supposed to meet up with us later in the day. We headed back to the hotel to check out of our room and place our luggage in a storage room for safekeeping. On the way, we stopped and changed some money at a bank. The exchange rate is 8 quetzales per U.S. dollar. We meandered around the Parque Central (right across the street from the hotel) for a while. There was a fountain in the middle of the park which featured water spurting out of women's breasts. We saw merchants selling "The Passion of the Christ" on bootleg DVD (despite currently running in theatres) and a man offered to sell us a machete, but we declined. We walked down the street passing under a yellow architectural arch called the Arco de Santa Catalina. We went into Nim Po't, which was a neat consignment shop of Guatemalan crafts. We also wandered into a few other shops featuring some very nice artwork and fabrics. We headed to La Merced, a gorgeous yellow and white church not far from the arch. We had hoped to see the alfombra (sawdust carpet) which had been created within La Merced, but the church was closed in preparation for Palm Sunday. We headed to the Convento de Capuchinas and Andre gave us a quick tour. This was a convent (construction was completed in 1736) which housed the Capuchin order of nuns, who were permitted no contact with the outside world. There were some very interesting rooms whose purpose were not fully understood but it was a nice place to look around and enjoy the architecture anyway. One room of interest was located underground and was quite cool despite the heat outside. The room was round with a domed ceiling and seemed to be a perfect shape for voices to travel uniformly. Andre stood in the middle and quietly spoke to us and we could easliy hear everything he said. There were various cooking chambers as well as meeting room where there were little alcoves where conversations could be monitored. We went to lunch with Andre, Beverly, and David at Las Antorchas. I had a lomito sandwich and Craig had churrasquito con frijoles (4 oz of beef served with tortillas and beans). Craig had his first Guatemalan beer, a Gallo, and I got an orange Fanta in a glass bottle. Andre had some business to attend to so after lunch we did some shopping with Beverly and David. We stopped at a very nice store called Casa del Tejidos. I saw a gorgeous huipil with embroidered roses. I tried it on but it wouldn't fit over my big American head. After shopping we headed back to the hotel to meet the group at 2:30. Margaret, Ann, and Tracy's friend Marcia had arrived. We picked up our luggage from the storage room and went downstairs to the restaurant to use the public restroom (near the neon sign for Victoria Beer which was shaped like a large pair of breasts). We brought the luggage outside and loaded it onto a very nice bus. Andre apparently left his laptop unattended on the curb for two seconds, and it was stolen. This made us aware that constant vigilance was necessary. The ride to Chichicastenango ("Chichi") took 2.5 hours, and was harrowing at times (due to a mixture of hairpin turns, steep hills, fog, rain, chicken buses that pass on blind curves, etc). We saw lots of scenery on the ride, including coffee fincas, pigs, cows, goats, political graffiti, etc. We arrived in Chichi at around 5:30pm. There was a lot of traffic coming into town, and a bunch of kids waved to us while we were stuck in traffic. A pair of sisters in a bodega were wrestling with each other, giggling, and waving. When we arrived at the Hotel Santo Tomas, an armed guard with a shotgun watched our luggage while we unloaded it from the bus. We checked in and relaxed in our room until 6:30. The room was gorgeous. It was light and airy, had a king sized bed, a fireplace, gorgeous furniture, some postcards and a bottle of water. The walls were adorned with Guatemalan textiles. An employee came to the door to deliver a second bottle of water, and to shut the curtains and turn down the bed. Although we already had water we knew you could never have too much bottled water and we always kept it with us wherever we went. We met our group in the lobby at 6:30 and walked around town. Andre took us to the marketplace where people were setting up for tomorrow's Palm Sunday market. We wandered through the dark half-constructed stalls, and watched people setting out their vegetables and wares. Families cooked hand-made tortillas and other food that was a delight to the senses. We went into a church and saw floats being prepared for the Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions. People came up to us selling items. I bought three dolls from a little girl for $2 and took her picture. A woman followed us around for quite a while trying to get Craig to buy a tapestry. We bargained, and she didn't want to meet our price. When we started to walk away she agreed, but asked for a pen. Her friend asked for one too, so I gave one to each of them. The second girl immediately tested the pen on her hand to make sure it worked, and we all had a good laugh, including the girl herself. A bunch of kids started asking for pens, but we hadn't brought our supply of pens and notebooks with us tonight. We were amazed by the number of little girls who were caring for their baby siblings. Girls who looked no older than 6 had two-year-olds strapped to their backs, and they took care of the baby's every need while their parents prepared for the market tomorrow. Our group headed to Las Brasas for dinner. Craig and I weren't very hungry so we split a pollo a las brasas (charcoal chicken). It was delicious, and it came with soup and bread. Craig got a Gallo beer. Dinner was a lot of fun. Margaret, Ann, Tracy, and Marcia were lots of laughs. We really enjoyed everyone's company. Then we went back to the hotel and sat in the bar near the fireplace. A band in the courtyard was playing very percussive marimba music that seemed to be straight out of Tom Waits' "Bone Machine" album. Craig got a Moza beer and I had a Bailey's. We pulled our chairs into a circle and chatted until 9:30, at which point we all headed to our rooms.

Chichi Market and Arrival at Lago Atitlan

Apr 04, 2004
Photo by Stephanie Smith
I woke up at around 5:00 with a rumbling in my stomach. I headed into the bathroom only to find that the power was out, so I quickly had to rummage around in my bag for my flashlight. By the time we got up to take our showers, the power was restored. We met the gang in the dining room for continental breakfast of bread, muffins, and orange juice at 7:00. We (along with Marcia, Margaret, Tracy, and Ann) decided to attend Palm Sunday Mass. Andre led us to the Iglesia de Santo Tomas church. On the steps out front, people were gathering and selling flowers. We gave a Q5 donation and entered the church. This church was a perfect place to attend Palm Sunday mass as it is a very important church for the Maya people. The neighboring building is where the Popol Vuh (K'i che' bible containing the creation story involving the hero twins) was discovered in 1702. The majority of churchgoers were Mayan women and children. They were dressed in traditional clothing and the women had folded tapestries covering their heads. As we had seen the night before, many little girls were charged with taking care of their younger siblings. Even the babies had a certain maturity to them. Very few cried or made any sort of fuss during the long Mass.The air was thick with copal incense. A large float with Jesus on the cross was propped up on the first six rows of pews. There were several slate slabs on the center aisle where people were lighting candles and dropping flower petals. Purple and lavender silk panels were festooned from the ceiling. We were each given a cross made out of palm fronds. The altar, pulpit, etc. were carved of beautiful dark wood. At around 8:15, Mass began. A procession entered the front door of the church. First were the cofrades (members of the cofradia, or religious brotherhood, dedicated to a Christian saint) with their metal staffs, followed by two smaller Jesus floats which were placed on either side of the altar. The mass was in Spanish and there was a lot of singing. It was very interesting to witness a Catholic mass going on in the front of the church while various Maya activities were being performed in the center aisle. We stayed through the gospel and most of the homily, at which time Andre appeared at the side door and motioned for us to leave. We could have spent the day there but we had things to do. After meeting up with the rest of the group we walked downhill from the center of town to a small mask museum that marked the beginning of the trail to the Pascual Abaj Idol. We hiked up a large hill. At the top there were several Mayan families and a shaman making offerings to the idol. The shaman placed candles on their sides into a circle and lit them, and he lit some fires of newspaper and branches as well. He swung an incense burner made out of a tin can while he chanted. Families kneeled in front of the idol and kissed it. There was a great view of a nearby cemetery from the top of the hill. Each crypt was painted in beautiful bright colors and it really caught our eyes as we looked around from the hilltop. A few girls were standing nearby selling souvenirs but we felt it was a very inappropriate location and avoided contact with them. We hiked back down the trail and went into the mask museum. Chichicastenango is known for its mask-making. While we were in the museum admiring the various masks, a group of boys emerged in the courtyard wearing fancy beaded costumes. We had just read about this dance the night before. The boys shook maracas and danced around to music which was playing over a loudspeaker. They wore pink masks which were supposed to represent Spaniards. This is known as the Dance of the Conquest. Soon another boy dressed as a bull emerged. The bull pawed at the ground and the Spaniard acted as a bullfighter. He waved a flag and the bull ran through it several times. The bull was so into his performance that he almost lost his footing and fell down.The bull eventually gored the Spaniard and the Spaniard fell. The boys collected tips at the end of the performance. As we were leaving we saw a small building which at one time was used as a sauna for women when giving birth. On the way back toward the market we stopped at Moreria Santo Tomas, a small mask shop. The front room was full of brightly covered carved wooden masks. The next room contained some older, more rustic masks. Everyone else in the group left to go to the market but we stayed and looked around waiting to find the perfect mask for us. The woman working there told us "Mas" (more) and led us into a third room around the corner off the courtyard. When we still didn't find anything we wanted to buy she said "Mas" again and led us into a fourth, dingy, smoke-stained room. This looked like the room that would contain exactly what we were looking for. There were several small altars and the walls were covered with older masks. We chose one of a jaguar with red glass eyes. She dusted out the mask (although we still noticed a small spider in one of the eyeholes) and wrapped it up in newspaper for us. Happy with our discovery we finally headed back to the market. We saw a woman embroidering beautiful huipiles and noticed she was wearing one similar to the one I had liked in the store yesterday. While admiring it she pointed to one that she had for sale. I tried it on and was very happy that this one actually fit over my head. After a bit of haggling over the price we eventually got the huipile for a price we were willing to pay. After wandering around the market for a little more time, and realizing we had bought all we wanted for today, we went to an internet place and paid Q3 for 20 minutes of access. It turned out to be fruitless, however, as Internet Explorer crashed when we hit "send" on our email. We bought a few postcards, and headed back to the hotel for 12:15, the time we were supposed to meet up with the group. The marimba band was playing on the second floor overlooking the courtyard. There were macaws and parrots on perches in the courtyard. The hotel was packed with people for the lunch buffet. We paid Q93 for the buffet, (expensive by Guatemalan standards, but still cheap when viewed in U.S. terms) which included lots of local dishes made with pork, beef, chicken, etc. We even tried tongue. I didn't eat too much as my stomach was still feeling a bit iffy and we had a bus ride in our future. I did have a piece of chocolate cake from the pastry tray, though. We relaxed in the room for a while and met in the lobby at 2:15. Craig changed some U.S. currency in the lobby, and we boarded the bus. While waiting for the rest of the group to get to the bus, some cute little girls were signalling to us from their family's market stall. They were asking for quetzales but Craig and I don't feel that is appropriate behavior to teach them. Instead we opened the window and passed out some pens and notebooks. When their mother saw the notebooks she became very excited and asked if she could have one as well. We ran out of pens and one little girl didn't get one. We pointed out that another girl (around age 4 or 5) had two, and that she could share. At this suggestion the girl with the two pens smiled and hid both pens behind her back, running to hide. We took a photo of the girls. We rode for about an hour on the bus to Panajachel, also known as "Gringotenango" due to the number of foreigners who reside there. Andre had some business to attend to so we stopped briefly at his office, and then the bus continued on past two very ugly high rises on the shores of Lake Atitlan, a caldera of 50 square miles. We got to the dock and split up into two small boats. As we pulled away we noticed Andre still on the dock. This is where Andre left us for the day, with the promise that he would be back in the morning. The lake was very choppy. Margaret, Marcia. Tracy, and Marsha were on our boat with us. Marcia was afraid she'd be seasick, but she was a very good sport and when she realized she would be fine, she ended up standing at the front of the boat doing a Titanic impression. After 30 minutes, the boats docked at the Hotel Bambu. The grounds were beautiful and very picturesque. We saw hummingbirds and heard many other birds. Our room was #6, on the second floor of the building with a lake view. We got settled in and then headed to the girls' rooms (dubbed the "chicken shack" for its dormitory style and the fact that it was set way back from the lake). We chatted for a while and then headed to the bar for drinks. They seemed to be out of every beer that Craig ordered except Gallo (though later on some Moza would miraculously appear for other guests). I got a glass of white wine and the girls ordered a bottle of red. We sat outside on the patio overlooking the lake and the San Pedro volcano. We had lots of laughs. At various times the other members of our group who were eating inside (Gerry and Judy, Marsha, Beverly and David) stopped by to chat with us and see what all the laughing was about. We never ate dinner but we did have some nachos and guacamole. Craig had a few more beers and I had another glass of wine. Eventually the girls did the chicken dance in honor of the chicken shack. We stayed outside laughing and chatting until 9:30, at which point we headed back to our rooms for some sleep.

Lake Atitlan - Solola Market, Panajachel, Horseback Riding

Apr 06, 2004
Photo by Stephanie Smith
We got up a little later this morning and met the group for breakfast at 7:45. I got panqueques (pancakes) with bacon, watermelon, and banana. Craig got scrambled eggs and bacon. The service was very slow but we had a nice conversation with the other members of our group. Andre had been able to arrange horseback riding for this afternoon, so we would need to be back at the hotel for pickup at around 3:30. At 9 we took a boat to Panajachel. Andre had some business to attend to so we stopped in at Andre's office and then hopped into a van. Andre drove us to Solola for market day. The market was so crowded that we couldn't even stop long enough to look at anything. We were the only gringos around, and felt very conspicuous. People were pushing and shoving. Ann had a small amount of quetzales pickpocketed from her. Andre took us into the municipal building, which was built when they were tryng to unify South America. The architecture of the clock tower was gorgeous. It was painted yellow and pink with white trim. He got someone to unlock the clock tower for us and we climbed up three sets of stairs. We had a great view of the market from above; everything was a sea of tarps. The very intricate German clock began to move and suddenly chimed while we were up there. Then we went back down to the market and slowly made our way out. A man who couldn't walk was propelling himself with his hands on a skateboard. If we thought we were having a hard time maneuvering through the throngs of people, we can only imagine how he must have felt! He was whistling to get people's attention to try to get them to make way. We then went indoors to a permanent market where folks were selling meat, intestines, pigs' feet, vegetables, fruits, and chickens. After the market we walked down a big hill to the Cementario General Solola. It was a very festive looking cemetery, with brightly colored crypts decorated with flowers. It was like a small town in and of itself. We wandered around, admiring the care which people had put into these memorials. Afterwards Andre drove us back to Pana. We ate lunch at a restaurant called Orale next to Andre's office. Craig got a beef burrito and a Moza beer. I had a margarita and tacos carnitas (soft shelled tacos with onions). A little boy tried to sell us some of his wares, and we gave him a pen and he came over to the table so that we could take a picture. I showed him the picture of himself on the digital camera and he was very excited. After that we changed some money at the bank and I downloaded my first batch of pictures for Q35 at an internet place. I bought a purse, and we bought some gifts for our nephews. I also bought a head kerchief. We bought a really nice 100% wool bedspread which had a representation of the lake, the sun, and two volcanoes. After some hard-core bargaining we got what we thought was a very good price. At 3:10 we met the group and headed back to the boat. When we arrived back at the hotel, Jim (the horseback guide) was waiting for us. Craig, Margaret, Ann, Tracy, Marcia, and I piled into his SUV and he drove us to his place on the outskirts of Santiago. He promised us a memorable time. As we were driving through Santiago Atitlan two dogs were fighting with each other in the street. Jim stopped his truck, hung his body out the door and yelled very loudly "knock it off" to the dogs. The dogs immediately did as Jim instructed. We were already having a memorable time. We met Jim's wife Nancy. Jim insisted that we leave all of our valuables in his house; he says that he is the only guide in the area who has never been robbed, and he doesn't intend to start now. Jim and Nancy had been living very well in the States, but Jim had lost a large real estate lawsuit. At age 50 they moved to Guatemala. Their land was worth $500,000, but someone had just been killed there in the Guatemalan civil war. Jim made a not-so-serious offer to pay them $5000 for the land and they agreed. They built their house themselves, and it is gorgeous. It looks like it belongs on "Extreme Homes" on HGTV. They have a baby ocelot named Bacchus as a pet (its mother was killed and rather than let it die, the locals brought it to the capable hands of Jim and Nancy). It behaves like a rambunctious kitten and is currently about the size of a normal house cat, though it could grow up to be anywhere from 18-45 pounds depending on what species it turns out to be. Jim had never ridden a horse before coming to Guatemala. Now he has 20 horses, 30 dogs (pit bull rottweiler mixes) and some cats. In addition to the ocelot, he has a coati mundi (which must be kept separate from the ocelot lest the ocelot try to eat it). Jim got us saddled up. Craig's horse was a male named Pancho, and mine was a female named Kahlua. Jim had been riding Kahlua 7 years ago when he was hit by a truck. He broke his leg in 7 places. He didn't have $100,000 for immediate medical treatment, so he ended up being treated in an Indian hospital without antibiotics, etc. He nearly died of infection, and ended up laid up for almost a year. Because Guatemala does not have the insurance issues that the U.S. has, we are allowed much more freedom on the horses than we ever would be in the States. We were able to run on the horses. We rode through fields of coffee plants and cornfields (where it was imperative not to let the horses graze). Kahlua was trying to show me who was boss, and she kept going to the right and smashing my knee into plants, rocks, etc. Several dogs accompanied us for protection. They would sit by the side of the trail until everyone had safely passed, and then they would run ahead to meet up with Jim. We rode past some locals, and Jim scooped up a young boy and let him ride with him for a short time. We rode until it started to get dark, and then we went back to the house. We got a tour of the house. It is gorgeous. Very Frank Lloyd Wright-esque. It was decorated with all sorts of Native American artwork and baskets (Nancy is 100% Native American). There is a guest suite which they use for b&b guests, complete with its own bathroom, waterfall, furniture built into the rock walls, etc. They are gourmet cooks and they grow their own produce. Nancy made daiquiris and absolutely delicious empanadas. We sat around chatting. Bacchus (the baby ocelot) seemed attracted to the cocktail glasses, and he jumped at mine, causing me to spill my drink on the couch. Soon afterwards he almost knocked over another glass. He was clearly a little too worked up and they put him in their room for a while. We were supposed to meet the group at the Posada for dinner at 7:30 (Andre had made the reservation earlier without thinking that we would be getting food and drinks at Jim's after the horse ride). We called the restaurant to let them know we wouldn't be there in time for food. Jim kept us until around 8:30, and then took us to the Posada. We didn't end up eating anything, but got a ride back to the Hotel Bambu in the back of a pickup with Gerry, Judy, Bev, and David. (The girls were staying at the Posada tonight). On the way, the men almost got decapitated as we drove under a really low wire. Fortunately David had a few less drinks and was paying attention and warned us in the nick of time.

Maximon Festivities and Return to Antigua

Apr 07, 2004
Photo by Stephanie Smith
We woke up at 6 and packed up our stuff. We met the group (minus the girls) for breakfast. Craig got scrambled eggs and bacon. I got panqueques with bacon. We sat on the patio of the restaurant overlooking the lake and the San Pedro volcano. We left our luggage in the lobby and walked into Santiago to meet up with Andre and the girls. There was a nice path which followed the lake, and brought us past women washing their clothes against the rocks, men farming the fields, etc. We ran into a small boy asking for quetzales. Instead we gave him a pen and a notebook and asked him for a photo. He was very excited with his new present and yelled to his papa while running off to show him his prize. When we arrived in Santiago we went to the Cojolya Association musuem and store. They are a non-profit group who preserves the art of the backstrap loom. They sell handwoven items which are of very good quality. I bought a small red purse for Q80. We went into a few shops and then headed into the square. We saw a shrine to Maximon. People were starting to gather and music was playing over a loudspeaker. We entered the Catholic church and saw lots of religious figures, floats, and wood carvings. There was an interesting altar which was carved in the shape of a mountain, bringing together Mayan and Christian beliefs. Maximon's effigy would be brought here later in the day. We walked around and eventually came upon the Maximon procession. It began with boys and men carrying baskets of fruit and produce on their heads. Next came incense burners, a brass band, and finally Maximon himself, in his newly cleaned clothes. People were lining the streets and even standing on roofs to catch a glimpse of him. As the procession passed, people fell into step behind it and followed it to the square. Vendors were selling ice cream, girls were selling turkeys, and there was an endless sea of people in brightly colored traditional clothing. Maximon entered a building and wouldn't emerge again for several hours. This was all we would get to see of Maximon for the day, so we headed back to the docks and had an Orange Crush near the water. A boat took us to the Posada de Santiago for lunch. Craig got the lomito sandwich with potato salad and a Moza beer. I got French onion soup. We took a quick tour of the grounds and saw the girls' room from the night before. It was a nice stone cottage with a carved wooden door. We all piled into one boat (the girls' luggage included) and limped back to the Hotel Bambu. I was seriously surprised that the small boat made it with all the people and luggage. When we arrived, another boat was waiting for us. Our luggage was loaded onto the boat, and Bev, David, Marsha, Craig, and I got onto the second boat. We disembarked from the boats in Pana and met up with our bus driver. We left at around 3:15 for Antigua. On the outskirts of Antigua we passed through Pastores, where a procession was taking place right in the middle of the only road through town. One float was carried by young boys and the next was carried by young girls. I opened the window to take a picture. The girls all started giggling, waving, and yelling "Hola!" It was so adorable! Needless to say there was a lot of traffic, which brought up the thought "whatever happened to that bathroom break we were promised?" Semana Santa (Holy Week) is characterized by religious processions and the creation of alfombras (carpets) made out of sawdust and flowers in the streets. Once Good Friday rolls around, you can't enter or exit the city because the streets are all blocked off for processions. Parts of the city were already being blocked off, and our bus needed to park a couple of blocks away from our hotel due to road closures. We reached the Hotel La Sin Ventura at around 6:15 pm. We checked in to the hotel. We were all put in rooms next to one another on the fourth floor. We were in room 311. We met with Andre to go over tomorrow's plans (such as they are) and then set out for dinner with Beverly and David. While walking down the street toward the Arco de Santa Catalina, we caught up with a procession. There were adults carrying a lighted float, followed by a brass band, and finally a guy pushing a power generator on bicycle wheels. We got some good photographs of our first night procession. We went looking for Frida's Mexican restaurant, and on the way there we came upon another procession. This one was a big float being shouldered by little tiny kids. Adult chaperones were overseeing and trying to help. This procession was going anticlockwise around Parque Central. A garbage truck and front end loader brought up the rear of the procession, cleaning up as it went. We found Frida's (hadn't gone far enough past the arch the first time around) and got a non-smoking table. Craig got fajitas mixtas and I got nachos. We had frozen margaritas. We had a very nice chat with Beverly and David. While eating we saw two floats go right by the door. At 8:45 we went right next door to Nim Po't and did some shopping. It closed at 9, however, and we made a pact to go back while we were still in town. We relaxed in the room and began to write in the journal for a while and then decided to head out to the park to take photos of the nicely lit cathedral and continue to write outside while sitting on a bench in the fresh air. A family of women and children were packing up their wares from a day of selling in the park. Even the littlest kids had bundles on their backs. We felt very safe in the well-lit park, and at one point there were about 5 policemen patroling near us. At 11:30 we headed back to the room. I finished writing in the journal and we went to bed around midnight. We thought we'd never get to sleep due to the noise (bars, music, etc.) but our earplugs worked out wonderfully and we were asleep before we knew it.

Antigua - Alfombras (Carpets) and Processions

Apr 08, 2004
Photo by Stephanie Smith
We woke up at 6 am. Craig took a shower and we found that it barely drained. I waited for about half an hour for the water level to go down enough so I could take my shower. We went to La Fuenta for breakfast, dropping some laundry at the hotel's front desk on the way. I had panqueques with honey and Craig had huevos rancheros with black beans and cheese. We also had succulent pineapple, cantaloupe, and orange juice. After breakfast, Craig and I walked around town hoping to find a place that would ship home the rather large and heavy wool bedspread we had bought in Panajachel. We found a FedEx but it didn't open until noon. We met everyone back at La Fuenta and headed to San Francisco church. There was a gorgeous, intricate sawdust carpet in the center aisle. There were also lots of floats which would be used in a procession later today. We donated a quetzal to light a candle. There were lots of gorgeous paintings adorning the walls and stained glass windows beautifully capturing the daylight. There was a metal track on the floor at the entrance of the church because the floats are too tall to be carried on people's shoulders out the front doors. Instead they are placed on the rails and slid through the doorway, with participants lifting them to their shoulders once they are outside of the building. There were paintings on the ceiling of Catholic saints and their Mayan counterparts (animals). We found this to be particularly interesting and really indicative of the way the churches needed to embrace both the Catholic and Mayan faiths. In a far corner of the church there was a wall of plaques giving thanks to Hermano Pedro de Betancourt. He was a friar most noted for his work with the sick and the poor and credited with performing many healing miracles. As we continued by his tomb and shrine a few people were gathered around making their own pleas for help so we respectfully moved along. Once back outside we noticed more than a dozen floats depicting the stations of the cross parked across the street. They were very detailed making some of them very creepy to look at. Unlike the hand carried ones, these floats were on wheels that seemed to be more of a train. Each station latched to the next and it seemed the whole string of them would be pulled through the streets. The final one consisted of a skeleton holding the earth which was rather unsettling to see. We wandered around them taking pictures from all angles in the daylight since we didn't know if we would see them "in action" and if so, under what conditions? Due to the crowds and the fact that these procession go on all day and night you just can't really count on seeing anything more than once. After that we went to Casa de Artes, a highly recommended store which sold lots of quality handicrafts. There were church-quality religious icons, huipiles, furniture, masks, antique hand-crank sewing machines, etc. tucked into every corner. It was practically a museum in its own right. Craig immediately fell in love with a white cotton hand-made huipil which was embroidered with colorful animals and birds. Desiree, the woman who runs the shop, had commissioned it from a woman in San Andres Xecul back in January, and it took the woman three months to complete it. Most huipiles in that town are now machine-made, but she found a woman who still does it by hand. We decided to think about it, but as soon as we were out of the shop we decided that we needed to buy it so we went back. We asked if there was any way we could get a discount, but Desiree said she had checked her paperwork and it actually costs her more than the price she had originally quoted us, but she was going to honor her word and sell it to us for that price anyway. We met Gerry, Judy, Beverly, and David in the park and had sodas with them at Cafe Jardin. Then we went back to the hotel and got our bedspread and Craig's fleece (which he wouldn't need in 80 degree temperatures), so that we could hopefully ship them home. We went to the FedEx but were told it wouldn't be open until Monday due to the Easter holiday. Craig remembered that Desiree had said that Casa de Artes ships things, and he had the brilliant idea to bring it to her and ask if she could ship it for us. She was a real sweetie about it and quickly packaged it up in a box only charging us the post office rate. We were so relieved not to have to lug it around for the remainder of the trip. Desiree saw our last name and said that it was the same as her great-grandfather's, who had moved to Guatemala from Oklahoma and had started the shop. She noticed Craig's hat and asked how much we had paid for them in the States. She is doing a craft fair in Puerto Rico and planned to sell tipica hats, and wondered how much she should ask for them. She showed us the fine quality hats and asked if we thought $10 would be fair, which we did. We rushed back to La Fuenta, where we were supposed to meet everyone at 12:30. We were about 10 minutes late, but they weren't ready to leave yet, so we got to relax in the courtyard for a while. Then we all walked down the street and saw some beautiful carpets. Some of them were made of colored sawdust. Others were made with pine needles, flowers, fruits, and other natural materials. We stood on the side of the road and waited for the San Francisco procession to begin. A truck was trying to get through, but its way was blocked by a carpet. It had to just sit and wait. Such is Antigua at Easter. Babies, children, and men were dressed in bright purple robes and hoods. Women were wearing more solemn clothes (black veils, etc.). Some men were dressed as Roman soldiers, with nylon broom heads as plumes on their helms. A boy was handing out flyers announcing the 450th anniversary of the founding of San Francsico. Kids came by swinging incense burners and there was a brass band playing the now familiar mournful music that accompanied the other processions we saw. Floats were carried by either all men or all women. Men had tall metal poles with wooden tops that they used to prop up the electrical and telephone wires so that the floats could pass underneath. About every block or so, the people carrying the float would change up and take each others' places. Up to 4000 people pay between Q50 and Q100 for the opportunity to participate in each procession. Those who wish to carry the floats are all measured and placed into groups based on height. Once the procession passed, we moved to another street corner where we ended up in just the right place at the right time. There were people dressed as Roman soldiers on horseback and in chariots reading from scrolls and parading a man dressed as Jesus through the streets. They were acting out the sentencing of Jesus. The crowd was tight, and we noticed some men and women trying to pick people's pockets. It was very sad to see a couple of women standing right next to us looking for unwary tourists that would make easy targets. They were very easy to see amongst the crowd. Every so often a few men would walk by and the women would point out the ones they felt were most vulnerable. Our group even witnessed one person's bag getting slit open. We had to be very cautious and vigilant at all times as the crowds are really all encompassing. It was a very uncomfortable feeling at times but well worth the risk. It really makes you think about how much money (actual cash as well as clothing and equipment) that an average tourist has in their posession compared to the residents of the city and neighboring towns. Unfortunately there are many folks that come from the nearby villages not only to sell their wares, but also to prey on unsuspecting folks. We felt safest when our backs were up against the wall even though we really didn't have anything of interest on our person. Suddenly we felt like the camera in our hands was like holding up a bar of gold. After the processions (around 3 pm) we headed to the Cafe Sky (which is owned by Via Venture, the subcontractors for whom Andre works) for drinks. There was a really nice rooftop bar overlooking the city. We went up quickly to take a look but we decided to sit with David and Beverly on the second floor in the Bambu Bar. Craig got a chicken quesadilla and I got a cheese quesadilla. We headed back to the hotel and picked up our laundry. At Q5 per pound, it cost us Q45, slightly over $5 U.S. We felt it was a great deal to have all our dirty clothes washed, dried and folded ready for the rest of the trip. While there a very nice Mexican girl who was staying in the same hotel wanted to practice her English with us. She asked us where we were from, etc. This is always one of our favorite things about travelling, meeting other people and taking the time to interact with others and learn more about how they live. Of course we envied her desire to learn English and her ability to actually do it well as we still have such a hard time truly communicating in Spanish. The employees of the hotel were getting stencils ready for the evening's carpet-making, and there were large sacks of colored sawdust waiting to be utilized. We went back to the room to journal and look through our digital photos. We met the group at 7:30 in front of the hotel just as the hotel was starting its carpet. They had laid out the frame with 2x4's on the cobblestones and were laying down coarse sawdust in a rectangle to create a smooth pallette. We were very excited to see this but knew it was going to be a long night, so we walked a few blocks away to the Beijing restaurant for Chinese food. We ended up in a separate little room. It was a little hot and stuffy but having our own area was nice in such a large group as Craig sometimes doesn't hear so well with lots of different conversations and people. The gang split a few liters of Gallo, and I had a Coke and soon the conversations were flowing freely. Craig and I weren't super hungry so we decided to just split a sweet and sour chicken rather than join in the larger food ordering. It wasn't breaded like we are used to at home. It consisted of little tenderloins served with white rice and we proudly ate using chopsticks. Unfortunately we weren't served until pretty much everyone else had already finished eating but it was well worth the wait and disappeared rather quickly. When we got back to the hotel, the carpet was well underway. Craig and Gerry had a beer while we sat on the curb watching the creation unfold. Once the coarse layer of sawdust was down, they flattened it with a board to make it level and lightly sprayed it with a little water to keep it down. Next came the first color: red. They used a sifting box to sprinkle the very fine red sawdust on top of the coarse layer. They laid out a green border around the edges using boards to keep it straight. They put plastic Pepsi pallettes on each side of the carpet, and laid planks of wood across them. That way they could stand on the planks above the carpet to work on it without damaging it. One man (Marco Antonio) was clearly the foreman. He took all measurements, placed all stencils and handled any questions or issues that arose. Once stencils were placed on the red sawdust, people used plastic spoons to put colored sawdust into each section of the stencils. A little boy was in charge of filling the sifting box and emptying the chafe. Everyone was working in harmony. There was an electric light suspended from a ladder, and a worklight on the balcony illuminating the work area. We finally went to bed at around 1 am thinking we would wake up early to watch some more.

Antigua - Good Friday

Apr 09, 2004
Photo by Stephanie Smith
At 4 am we were awoken by the pounding of drums. We thought that maybe it was in celebration of the finishing of the carpet so we threw on some clothes and went outside. It turns out that the carpet wasn't yet complete, but it was well underway. Lots had been done but a few stencils still needed to be placed. Marco saw us and smiled. He asked in Spanish if we slept much as he noticed us there til very late and then again so early in the morning. We laughed and said no. He asked how long we were in town, etc. He then asked if we wanted to help make the carpet! We couldn't believe it. Craig got set up with a plastic spoon and some purple sawdust. When he was done with the purple, he asked if I could help, and Marco said yes. So I did some red triangles. We were so excited that we got to participate!! The carpet was finished at around 5:15 am. It was rather anticlimactic since we had expected some type of fanfare. But people just seemed tired and relieved to have finished. We headed to La Merced for the 6 am procession. On the way there we passed many other newly-finished or nearly-finished carpets. One little boy was asleep in a wheelbarrow while his family completed their sawdust carpet. We arrived outside the church entrance just before the float emerged. It was a huge float being carried by 80 people, with 50 different change-ups throughout the day. There was an adorable little girl sitting on her parents' shoulders, watching the procession in wide-eyed wonder. After the procession passed by, we walked back for breakfast at La Fuenta. Craig had huevos rancheros again and I had the the Americano (scrambled eggs and bacon). I was exhausted and we went back to the hotel for a nap. It was only 9 o'clock in the morning and yet it felt like late night. On the way back to the hotel we were accosted by a little girl who called us names for not buying something from her. We took an hour nap and were awoken by the sound of a brass band at around 10:30 am. We rushed downstairs to the balcony, smelling incense all the way. We were hoping that the procession hadn't passed in front of the hotel yet. We got to the balcony just in time. We had a great vantage point as the procession approached the hotel. It's hard to describe, but I felt close to tears as the procession trampled the carpet. The fact that everyone had worked so hard on the carpet itself, and that the penitents were carrying such heavy floats really moved me. We ran into our young friend from yesterday, and we had a nice conversation. Her name is Maria Jose and she is from Merida, Yucatan. She is 14 years old. She was visiting Antigua with her grandmother for Easter. She invited us to Merida and said that her house was our house. She was so sweet and genuinely enjoyed practicing speaking English with us. She was very good at translating ideas even when she didn't know the proper words. Then we saw Marco and he smiled and shook our hand. He formally introduced himself to us while pulling out a set of keys. He then invited us through a secret door up to the roof for a fantastic view of the city. Maria and her grandmother came up to the roof with us as well. We had a great chat with them and then went back downstairs and met up with Gerry and Judy. We went with Gerry and Judy to Quesos y Vino for lunch. Craig and I split a lasagna. It was very good. Then Gerry went back to the hotel and we went with Judy to Nim Po't for some shopping. We bought a little Maximon statue, a hacky sack for our nephew, some little dolls, a head kerchief, etc. We went back to the hotel and showered, getting ready to meet everyone at 3:00 for a procession. No one met us at the planned time, but luckily we ran into Beverly and David who told us that everyone else had decided not to go to the procession after all. It was kind of a shame, because it was Good Friday and after 3 pm all of the people in the processions would change their robes from purple to black. Fortunately we did see some of these processions from a distance but we didn't bother getting too close and into the crowds. We looked for a place to download our photos in case of a camera disaster but had no luck at the photo places. But we went to the Funky Monkey expat internet cafe (literally right next door to our hotel) where they served beer, etc. We sent and received email, and it turned out that they could download our pictures for us. It was kind of comforting to be in there at that time. They were playing everything from Ray Charles to old Black Sabbath music. We went back to the hotel and met up with the group at 7 o'clock. The stations of the cross were lit up and they were processing around the Parque Central. We walked to a very nice hotel named The Elton and were about to be seated indoors. It was quite stuffy and hot inside so they brought us out by the gorgeous pool with floating candles and flower petals. The drinks were very expensive here. A single drink cost more than some of our meals so we decided not to stay here for a night of dinner and drinks. Here we met up with one of Andre's friends who was very nice but unfortunately we couldn't recall his name later that evening and it never made it into our journal. From there the whole group headed to a strange combination of Argentinean steak house and Chinese restaurant, which was called Taurito Pinto/Lai Chi. The waiters only spoke Spanish and we were having a rather difficult time trying to communicate with them. I ordered white wine and they told us they didn't have any. Frustrated trying to get wine I simply ordered bottled water. They told me they didn't have any of that either(?!) So they brought me a small expensive bottle of red wine instead. Craig and I each got beef shish kebab. It was delicious, and there was a ton of food. We headed back to the hotel and sat up talking by candle light with our new Maximon statue set up like a little table-top shrine.

Exploring the Outskirts of Antigua

Apr 10, 2004
Photo by Stephanie Smith
We woke up at 6:30 am and headed to La Fuenta for breakfast. Marcia had left for home bright and early this morning. Craig got an omelette and I got panqueques again. We also had a nice side dish of cantaloupe and papaya. As always the fruits here were incredible. After breakfast we briefly stopped at the hotel where Andre picked us up. Margaret and Tracy rented mountain bikes and went with a group to the surrounding hillsides but we had planned to go to a coffee finca, a music museum, and a butterfly farm, but when we arrived we discovered they were closed for the holiday weekend. So instead we continued down the road to see some of the villages on the outskirts of Antigua. As we climbed higher and higher up the road we ended up in Santa Maria de Jesus, a small Mayan town on the mountainside above Antigua. We went inside a nice church that was festooned with brightly colored banners. The tile flooring was very ornate and once again we were reminded of how nice many of the churches are even when in a town where many of the buildings look a bit worse for wear. There was a small Ferris wheel and a Teletubby amusement ride in the center of the town. It was very interesting to see such a mix of Maya folks in traditional clothing surrounded by big amusement rides. After a short visit we then went to Ciudad Vieja where there was a big white church with yellow trim and some men playing basketball in a court across the street. In the distance was a clothes washing pavillion where a few women had gathered doing thier laundry. Suddenly a large bus pulled up making it the perfect time for us to move along. Next we went to Valhalla Experimental Station, a macadamia nut farm that is run totally organically. To reduce dust they cover the parking lot with macadamia nut shells, which do not decompose. Although the ground here is very dry, a layer of mulch retains the moisture. Macadamia agriculture absorbs a lot of carbon dioxide. Lorenzo ("Larry"), the man who runs the place, gave us a tour. The size of macadamia nuts can vary widely, so they had created a contraption which used a flat tire to husk the nuts. It looked like something straight out of "Junkyard Wars". Then the nuts are placed on a metal grate and rolled downhill. Depending on the size of the nut, they fall into sorted bags. Larry showed us how all of the organic waste is eaten by worms. He then let us taste some of his macadamia nuts. They were very rich and we were already wondering when we could buy some for ourselves. He then let us try macadamia nut oil on the back of one of our hands and macadamia nut cream on our palms. The scented cream is very nice and not filled with all the chemicals that you find at home so I bought a little to bring back with me. We also bought a package of unsalted nuts, we couldn't resist. Larry did a little makeover on Ann with the macadamia nut products and we were joking about how Ann was glad to be here instead of on the back of a mountain bike as it was a little bit hot in the sun today. Just after we said that Tracy and Margaret appeared on their mountain bikes. Apparently we were in a rather popular stop afterall. It was pretty funny and the timing of it all made us laugh. Then we continued on to San Antonio Aguas Calientes where locals were working on floats for the upcoming processions in the church. We saw a fountain in the center of town as well as a large church that seemed to be under a bit of construction. As we arrived the church bells were attempting to ring but were somehow disabled so it simply kept making a loud clicking and banging sound. It was sort of amusing at first but it seemed like it would never stop. We proceeded into a little textile co-op but by this time Craig and I had bought all we planned to so we would have preferred spending a bit more time in one of the little towns meeting the people rather than being hustled to buy more things we would have to carry with us on the second half of our journey. On the way back to the city we stopped at a gated community in Antigua where Andre's friend owns a house and where Andre is currently staying. We kept hearing about the place so we were all curious to see what it was like. On the way there we came very close to hitting a motorcyle with a man and his son on the back. It was very scary and way too close for comfort. Fortunately Andre was able to miss the bike and after a brief pause, we continued to our destination. Once we arrived at the house we could see that they are doing a lot of construction and hope to rent the house out to tourists when the owner isn't using it. It was a gorgeous house with cathedral ceilings, fireplace, wooden religious icons, a pool, and beautiful grounds. It is clear that there must be a pretty large group of people working on the property to keep it looking so beautiful. The owner also purchased the lot of land next door so there is a large yard with nice grass making the whole place very large and like a little oasis just outside the city itself. We got back to the hotel at around 1:15 pm. Gerry, Judy, and Ann went with Andre for cebiche but Craig had a little bit of a headache and didn't want to spend a lot of time in the van again so we rested in the room for a short while. We then headed to Frida's for fajitas and margaritas and spent some time discussing the trip and how much we had already done in the past few days and how much we still had left to go. We walked to La Merced and got some pictures as the sun was starting to get low in the sky. On the way back to the hotel we went to the Funky Monkey for a quick email check as we figured this would be our last chance to see if anyone had replied to our email postcard. Once at the hotel Craig showered first and I ended up having to bail out the shower so that it wouldn't overflow before I took a shower. By this time the shower drain was getting a bit old and we were happy to be moving along and yet sad at the same time. We packed up our stuff, collected our second batch of laundry, and met the group at 7. We went to the Antigua Vineria for drinks and supper. They had a really neat candle-lit ambiance, and the walls and ceilings were completely covered with photographs of patrons. We were going to sit inside but it was way too stuffy and warm. So we ended up going out to the deck where we were the only party. It was very nice being up here as we felt like it was our own backyard party on the rooftop. This was the first bar we had been to where I could get a malt beverage (Bacardi Silver). Craig had Gallo beer we all had a lot of laughs. It was a very nice way for the group to spend their last night together. Andre told us the legend of Maam and finally at around 9 o'clock we ordered a blanco quatro quesos pizza. It had somewhat funky crust but really good cheese. After a few drinks we broke up at 10:45, said our goodbyes to Andre on the street in front of the restaurant, and headed back to the hotel.

Exploring Tikal

Apr 11, 2004
Photo by Stephanie Smith
We woke up at 3:45 am and met our driver in front of La Sin Ventura at 4:30. We needed two vans to fit all of us but we travelled together the whole way. The ride was enjoyable and it seemed to go by very quickly. It was sad saying goodbye to Antigua but it was time for us to move on and we were very excited about going to Tikal. There were very few people on the roads at this time but there were still a few locals along the road waiting to begin their day of work. We arrived at the airport shortly after 5. We checked in for our Tikal Jets flight and then proceeded straight to the gate. Once there we had to pass through a metal detector, but the carry-on luggage was not scanned at all. A security employee looked vaguely into our carry-on bags and then let us through. It was open seating, and Craig and I were easily able to sit together near the front of the plane. Even though it was only a 40 minute flight, we got more refreshments than we had on our flights to Guatemala from the U.S. They gave us "American doughnuts" and Hi-C juice, which was quite the sugar rush. The "American doughnut" turned out to be a small glazed doughnut in an individually wrapped plastic package. It was surprisingly effective at waking us right up. We arrived in Flores, in the Peten region of Guatemala at around 7:15. Josue, our guide for the morning, met us at the airport, and we rode to the Tikal Inn in a private van. Along the way we stopped and picked up a few locals giving them a much-appreciated ride further down the road. We rode past Lake Peten Itza, and we saw a coati mundi crossing the road. It was only about an hour drive, and we arrived at the Tikal Inn at around 8:30. It was too early to check in to our rooms, so we stored our luggage in a locker in the lobby. We changed into shorts (it was the first time on the entire trip, despite the heat, because shorts are not considered appropriate attire in Antigua and surrounding areas, especially during Semana Santa). We ate a big breakfast at the hotel (scrambled eggs, beans, biscuit, jelly, and plantains), put on our sunscreen and deet and then walked over to the park. First we made a quick stop at the little entrance building selling various items as a few people in the group needed hats. While waiting we were able to admire a large display showing the entire park and we could see where all the temples were in relation to each other without all the trees shielding our view. Our $10 entrance fee for the day was included in our trip cost, so Josue handed us our tickets and we entered the park. First we saw a small reservoir. The Mayans had created drainage aqueducts across the entire city to collect rainwater for storage in the reservoir. Near the reservoir there was an army of leaf-cutter ants carrying pink petals down the trunk of a tree and into a hole in the ground. It was amazing to see how industrious they are. You got the feeling they could completely strip a tree of its precious leaves in no time at all. As we walked further into the park, we saw a giant ceiba tree (Guatemala's national tree). It has wall-like roots and horizontal branches. We heard a jaguar in the distance. Josue thought that it was at least 3 km away. We also heard howler monkeys, though we never saw them in the surrounding trees. It was extremely hot and humid and we would only have Josue for a short time so we headed straight to Temple IV. At the time of Tikal's heydey, the Mayans had totally cleared the land. In the intervening years, the jungle has really encroached upon the ruins. Archaeologists have restored some of the structures but are waiting for future technology for others. There were steep wooden ladder-type steps (with handrails) and we climbed these to the top of Temple IV. At 210 feet, Temple IV shares the title (along with El Tyre Temple at the ruins of El Mirador) of highest pre-Colombian structure ever constructed. From the top there were beautiful views of the roof combs of other temples (Temples I, II, and III) peeking out above the jungle canopy. Once you reached the top of the wooden steps you could climb a flight of stone steps up to a little chamber at the top of the temple in which swallows were flying around. We got some photos and enjoyed the view for about 20 minutes before descending the stairs. Next we headed to the Gran Plaza, flanked by the grandiose Temples I and II, and the North Acropolis. Tikal consists of various complexes of buildings that were constructed in various time periods. It was inhabited between 500 B.C. and 900 A.D. At its height, the population reached around 100,000. People of a high social status lived within the city, and those of lower classes lived on the outskirts. In the North Acropolis there are giant stucco masks in the stone steps which are now protected by little thatched-roofed structures. After 20 minutes of exploring the plaza, we were sitting with Josue when we heard, "Craig!" It was Maria Jose, our young friend from Antigua. She had told us that she was heading to Tikal and then onto Belize, but we never expected to run into her. We only got to talk for a minute because her guide was leading her group away, but it was very nice to see her again. There are many stelae around Tikal (stone tablets with carvings on them). However, most have been moved to protected locations (museums, etc.) and the ones within the park are mostly replicas. We saw a ball court near Temple I. The ball game was very important to Mayan society. It was played with a large rubber ball. Players were not allowed to use their hands. They wore leather yokes around their waist and on one leg and forearm to protect them from the ball. The object of the game was to propel the ball through a vertical hoop (although no hoops had been recovered at Tikal). The ball game was seen as a reenactment of the ball game that the Hero Twins played against the lords of Xibalba (the underworld), as recounted in the Popol Vuh. The ball games often ended in human sacrifice, though it is debatable whether the winners or the losers were the ones sacrificed. There are 9 deities of the underworld (Xibalba) and 13 deities of the heavens. The Mayans have a cyclical calendar, and have been known as great astronomers. As a result of their calculations, they believe that the world is going to come to an end on December 21, 2012. Josue has a more upbeat interpretation, however. He believes that date will be the start of world peace. There was a tree in the middle of the plaza in which black birds with bright yellow tails were sitting amongst their sack-like nests. The birds are called Montezuma Oropendula. Apparently the females build these nests and the males come along and crash into them making sure they are sufficiently durable and to their liking. It was quite a sight to see so many of these nests hanging from a single tree and swaying in the light breeze. We also saw a lot of butterflies, and trees which bore pairs of fruit known as "cajones de caballos" (horse balls). On our way out of the park we passed the ruins of a Mayan sweat house. These were used for purification of mind and spirit, much like saunas are used today. They were thought to open channels of communication to the supernatural. We headed back to the hotel at 1:30, and checked into our rooms. Ours was B8, a little private thatched-roofed bungalow right next to the pool. Lunch was included in our package, and we ate "bistek" (steak), with broccoli, carrots, rice, and tortillas. Then we decided to go for a swim in the pool. The pool looked a little questionable as it was very cloudy and the water level was too low to be properly skimming and filtering but it was just too tempting to ignore in the overwhelming heat and humidity. It was very refreshing and we spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting by the pool reading, writing in the journal, and chatting with Gerry, Judy, Tracy, Margaret, and Ann. As the sun got lower in the sky we saw green parrots with yellow and orange heads, as well as a host of other birds flying around the property. We thought how it would likely be a beautiful sunset in the park but we were very tired and quite content with our current situation as well. Unfortunately it wasn't all perfect as there were also black flies and a few mosquitoes, so we were continually refreshing our deet and making the most of the remaining time outside. We took showers which turned out to be too hot and we were wishing for nice cool ones. In this humidity it seemed we would never be dry again. When it was dark, we headed to dinner at the nearby Jaguar Inn with Gerry, Judy, Ann, Tracy, and Margaret. Craig and I each had a frozen lemonade with soda water and vodka, which was very refreshing. We had chicken cordon bleu. At 9:00, just as we were about to leave, the generator shut off. We were just about to pay the bill using a credit card, but once the whole place was lit by candlelight, we had no other option except to pay cash. At 9:15 we walked back to the Tikal Inn. We sat on the patio and played hearts with Tracy, Ann, Gerry, and Judy and by 10:00 the Tikal Inn's generator had also shut off. Although we had candles, and were quite prepared to continue playing our game, the bugs became too much, and we all decided to turn in. This was the last night that we would be with the rest of the group but we were excited about continuing on to Belize the next day and we knew we would soon be on the next leg of our exciting journey.

Tikal and On to Belize...

Apr 12, 2004
Photo by Stephanie Smith
We woke up at 5 am and pretty much headed straight to the park. On the way we saw ocellated turkeys walking around in the parking lot. We admired how large they looked and commented on how different they look in the wild. We were happy to see one of them spread out its tail in the morning light but we wanted to proceed to the gate hoping to see a nice sunrise from Temple IV. Fotunately the morning felt cool in comparison to yesterday although it was still humid. We paid Q50 per person for re-entrance to the park, and we spent Q5 on a map of the ruins. We had to wait until the gates opened, which wouldn't happen until 6. While waiting we met Jennifer and John (both American, he lives in Antigua and she was visiting him). We walked with them to Temple IV and had a nice chat along the way. Temple IV is supposed to have a spectacular view of the sunrise. This morning was rather foggy, so we didn't really see the sunrise, but there was still a beautiful pale yellow glow in the sky, reflecting off the fog. We saw some toucans from the top of the temple and although very tranquil and peaceful we decided that we only had a few hours remaining in the park and that we should use the time to see a bit more of what we were unable to see yesterday. We descended the temple and proceeded to Mundo Perdido, Temple Siete, and Temple V. Temple V is climbable but is also very steep, and we didn't attempt it because we wanted to try to cover more ground. We had been hearing howler monkeys all morning, and when we arrived at the Gran Plaza, we finally saw some. There were five of them in the tree, eating, climbing, and jumping from branch to branch. You could see their tails wrapping around branches and it was so amazing to finally see these animals in their natural surroundings. We were very happy that we got to see them before leaving the park and we were also able to show them to a few other small groups of people that wandered along but hadn't noticed them. Feeling rather satisfied, but out of time, we headed back to the hotel. Tikal really is an extraordinary place and we were very happy to be there for an overnight. This gave us a chance to experience the park in the heat of the day, when there are so many other tourists, but also allowed us to enjoy an overnight and see the park in the tranquility of the morning light. It was amazing how few people had been in the park this morning. Quite a difference from mid-day yesterday. We could have easily stayed at the park for at least another day and found plenty of interesting things to see but as always we needed to keep moving along. After a hearty breakfast of eggs, beans, fruit, biscuit, and plantains with Gerry and Judy, we got everything packed. This was the end of the Guatemala Easter trip for us but unfortunately we didn't see many of the folks in our group to say goodbye. We knew that we were to be picked up by a representative from Pook's Hill at around 10:00 so we needed to be ready. The front desk knew nothing of our plans but we were confident all would be fine. Soon after 10, Ben Cruz, our Pook's Hill guide, arrived. Roberto was our driver to the Guatemalan border. On our way out of Tikal we stopped at the visitor's center and converted our remaining 60 quetzales into 6 bottles of Gatorade. Making sure we were properly hydrated was very important after visiting Tikal and we were amused at the way we chose to convert our money before heading to another country with a different currency.

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