April 2005 Travelogue Continued...

Sent: Wednesday, April 6, 2005 11:35:23 PM

Subject: Hola de Lago Atitlan, Gautemala

During the schoolweek we were entertained by the school's guide ronaldo.  an ex guerilla who had to change his name for security purposes.  he shares many war stories, a lot of which i don't understand.  a very stoic man, rigid in the face and almost puppet like when he speaks.  at times he can muster up a smile though.  i love ronaldo.  we all do.  we visited a local cooperative where they recycle glass to produce exported glasses, vases, and knick knacks.   in a large warehouse, i watched the men blow glass.  it was fascinating.   (http://www.copavic.com/default.htm)

Waiting to be sold at the market.

I´ve hiked a grueling hike to a sacred crater lake, Chicabal, revered by evangelists and catholics alike as ceremonial grounds.  in may the lake is off limits to visitors as this is the month the more important ceremonies are performed.  swimming is off limits b/c the waters are sacred, but boats are off limits as well.  there is somewhat of a whirlpool at the center of the lake that makes it very dangerous.  and since the lake is "connected to the ocean by a tunnel beneath the earth", the locals are able to read the ocean tides from this inland and elevated lake. 

On the road to Chicabal.

Offerings crater lake-side.

The agricultural countryside is quite a landscape with it´s crops gracing the steeply inclined mountainsides like quilt patchwork.  its a wonder the land and crops don´t simply slide down the mountain. 

Patchwork Countryside.

evangelical churches are ubiquitous here.  in one town, santiago atitlan, there were 43, one at every turn of the corner.  the town is small.  catholicism is not as we know it in the US.  it is less conservative here, acknowledging the mayan practice of their traditional customs.  whereas the evangelicals try to strip the mayans of their cultural identity by forcing them to wear modern clothes, doing away with the beautifully weaved "traje indigena".  one of the most well known evangelists in guatemala is Rios Mont, an infamous political figure responsible for Mayan genocide in the 1980´s, when nearly 75% of the indigenous population were decimated.  his name is synonymous with the devil.  he is still awaiting trial for his involvement.

i´ve met many wonderful people.  danes.  germans.  dutch.  canadians.  americans.  all going to the school.  and the locals that still look at me curiously in the streets.  i think that they come to terms with the fact that i´m not "una guatemalteca" when they acknowledge that i´m a whole head´s height taller than them.  when i stand at crosswalks, i´m amazed to find that though i´m standing in the back of the crowd, i´m still able to see the street.  it´s nice to feel so tall.

there is far more to tell, but this has already dragged on,,,,i´ll try for shorter anecdotes next time.   i hope you enjoy the story as i have enjoyed experiencing it all.  

Semanta Santa