GUATEMALA-HONDURAS

CHICAS SIN QUETZALES

Guatemala—the enchanted land of enormous volcanoes, colonial cities, and ancient ruins of the Mayan people. The most colorful collection of textiles are seen there, still woven and worn by the descendants of the Maya today.  Two girlfriends of mine, both artists of Hispanic descent, went there to absorb the vibrations of the sacred, pre-Columbian site of Tikal and incorporate them into their work.  I was there to take copious notes in my journal and to photograph all of these wonders.

The charming Asjemenou Hotel in Antigua was our base from which we took several trips around the country.  Antigua's earthquake-damaged churches fascinated me.

Standing each in its majesty, roofless to the world and beset by the elements of time, they possessed a majesty and timelessness.

The town is surrounded by three volcanoes, Aqua being the most prominent. Visible every day if the weather is clear, it appeared above the Arco de Santa Catarina, at the end of our street, Fifth Avenue Norte.

 There are markets galore, courtyards reminescent of New Orleans and a wide selection of good, interesting and inexpensive restaurants.  I remember having the delectable specialite of the house--grilled tenderloin--at the Posada de la Calle Real and being serenaded by three guitarists as we tried to make out the witty Spanish sayings written on the walls.

Frida's was another happy hangout, providing tasty Mexican fare. Posters of artwork by Frida Kahlo or works of her done by her husband, Diego Rivera, decorated the walls.  Van Gogh's Starry Cafe was another enticing place to dine.

Strains of our first marimba bands made our bodies begin to dance as we listened to the national music of Guatemala. This was at a fiesta in San Felipe, right outside of Antigua. Another day I visited the weaving center of San Antonio Aquas Calientes.  The Mayans dressed me like a natural person—a term the Mayans prefer to be called.

We met Rolf from Sweden, who was attending one of the thirty Spanish language schools in Antigua.  You can have one-on-one instruction for five or six hours a day. You live with a Guatemalan host family, sharing three meals a day and practicing your Spanish.  What a total immersion program!

Our first side trip was by air to Tikal. My friend, Teresa, wanted to be sitting on top of Temple No. 4 on her birthday, and she made it.

This building is the tallest structure in the pre-Columbian world. Cynthia made Teresa a birthday cake out of Twinkies. Built in the form of a Tikal pyramid, it supported candles on each layer. I had longed to see the steep, pyramidal shapes topped by temples and elaborate roof combs. I couldn't believe I was actually among them!

 We spent five days in Tikal so were able to see almost everything.  Staying at the Jungle Lodge, we were able to view toucans and parrots in the trees, peccaries and an unusual species of lizard eating outside our door. The howler monkeys, which sounded more like jaguars to me, roared day and night.

We returned to Antigua and its beautiful churches, its pastel-colored architecture and its fascinating people. 

Then it was time to journey once more to the Guatemalan highlands, to see the Mayan people and their famous lake and volcanoes. 

 

Lake Atitlan was the setting of our second trip.  With our base in Panajachel at the Galinda Hotel, we visited the small towns of the area.

Market day at Solola was a crescendo of color as the Mayan women wore the special textile of their village. At San Jorge, we watched a Mayan ceremony taking place in the Catholic Church. We then burned candles in a secret ritual in a Mayan cave.

I hired a boat to tour other towns on the lake, such as San Pedro on the slopes of the volcano of the same name. Then we went to Santiago Atitlan, where I went to the house of Maximon, the Mayan god of smoking and drinking.

  Three Mayan children posed for a photograph near the church.

In San Antonio I climbed the steep streets to the pretty church on the ledge. Small children wound gaily-colored woven strips of cloth through my hair.  From here I could see that what looks like one volcano, Toliman, from Panajachel is actually two, Atitlan behind it.

Wednesday was the day for the famous market in Chichicastenango. The people were friendly and the bargains plentiful.  I took a photo of a man burning copal on the steps of the church

At the beautiful Mayan Inn, we had a delicious lunch and returned happy with all of our native purchases.

The wonders of Copan in Honduras beckoned me so I took a third side trip. I saw the preserved hieroglyphic staircase, the basis for the Mayan language, the beautiful carved figures, the stele.

and the beautiful figures--the stele

and the origen of the ballcourts which were later found all over Meso-America

 Also visited Quirigua with its beautifully-preserved stele. It was an overnight tour with an afternoon spent in Rio Dulce on the Caribbean coast.

It is quite easy and inexpensive to get around Guatemala.  There are shuttles or minibuses, which take you from the airport to your hotel in any of the towns mentioned. 

Wait and buy all your trips inside the country for the best bargains.  Rest before you go, because many of the side trips require you to rise at 4:00 A.M.  Take American money and put it in a money belt. 

We were chicas sin quetzales when the banks were closed for three days to celebrate Army and Bank Days.  But thanks to a friendly travel agent, Christian, who cashed my companions' travelers checks and changed my money into quetzales, we had quetzales once again.  Elated, we bought a bottle of Chilean champagne to celebrate that we were now chicas con quetzales!