Well,
it’s been a little over 2 weeks that I have been in Guatemala.
It has certainly been an eye opening experience so far.
One of the striking differences is that the colors in the streets are
very bright compared to the US (I would guess owing to the indigenous Mayan
influences). Everywhere I go I see
bright reds, greens, yellows, oranges, blues, and pinks.
The clothes of the indigenous people and the busses are the two most
striking examples of the color displays. The
indigenous weavers of Guatemala are famous the world over for both the bright
colors and the high quality of their cloth.
The buses are painted all kinds of different colors and most of them have
a name also. My favorite bus is
“Norma”.
In
contrast to the colors I have just described, the houses are often quite drab.
The primary construction materials here are concrete, block and
corrugated sheet metal. Wood is
only used for doors because it doesn’t stand up to the rigors of this
environment. So the walls of Antigua are gray, but beautiful homes with
courtyards filled with greenery and flowers often lie hidden behind the doors.
Photos:
This
is a photo of some coffee drying in the sun in the village of Xojola.
Coffee is a major agricultural crop in Guatemala along with sugar
cane. In this area, many households
own plots of land about 100 meters square and grow coffee on the land.
This is another typical house in Xojola. Recently, there was an election for president of Guatemala. Political signage is everywhere. This aldea (village) has maybe 200 people.
This
is a wood stove in one of the houses from Xojola. Most poor Guatemalans cook with wood.
This is Ramon. He is a good guy and I liked his shirt. He is one of the many people who are patient and help me learn Spanish. Since so many service teams come down every year from North Dakota, I see many walking advertisements for North Dakota among the kids in the program.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to visit Elise DuBord and her husband Pepo who live in San Andreas Iztapa. They live about 45 minutes away by public bus. The bus ride itself was quite an adventure. The bus was so packed with people, that the fare collector had to climb over people packed into the aisle. I was fortunate to get a seat, but since they are converted school buses, three adults in a seat is not exactly comfortable. Also, you need to know where you want to get off, because the bus only stops for seconds at each stop before the end of the route.
I had a great time with Elise and Pepo. They are here in Guatemala with the Peace Corps. We sat around the fire on their veranda talking and drinking Gallo (the national beer) until we were too sleepy. The next day we went to the market and to visit Moximon; both very interesting places.
Moximon ( Guatemalans refer to him as San Simon ) is a mixture or Mayan traditions and Catholicism. He is not a saint. In fact, much of the information about him is unclear. Some say he was a Spaniard. Some say he is not a real person. At any rate, a shrine exists in San Andreas Iztapa to Moximon (pronounced ma-shee-MONE). People come from all over Latin America to visit the shrine and petition Moximon for help. Many people come wanting things like improved family relations or improved financial circumstances, but Moximon can also be petition to hurt an enemy. Many interesting rites were performed while we were at the shrine. Elise and Pepo say that when the local people are asked about Moximon, they are quick to say that they don't go to the shrine, as if they are afraid of it.
I believe I have most of the problems fixed with my webpage now, however I am sure more will come up. If you cannot access the pictures, just return another day.
Photos:
This is a photo of Elise and Pepo on their balconey in San Andreas Iztapa.
Here is Elise, Pepo, a local vender, and myself in the market.
This picture shows the inside of the shrine of Moximon. This is a very, very smoky place. Many of the priests and priestesses are smoking cigars in addition to the candles you see here. The altar in the center has a likeness of Moximon sitting under the lights.
This is some sort of purification ritual using some sort of herb to sweep all parts of the body.
This is a pack animal on the street in San Andreas.
