Guatemalan road trip

We took Daniel's recommendation and headed to Lake Atitlan for a three-day getaway. There were several options on how to get there but we decided to take the most expensive one ie. rent a driver so we can have stops along the way and see some places. It cost us US$100 (it should have been US$95 but our driver didn't have change), which is equivalent to our 2 nights stay at Posada de Santiago.

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Our first stop was San Andes, the permanent home of San Simon, or also known as Maximon by the locals, a deity that reflects a combination of Maya gods,Pedro de Alvarado (the Spanish conquistador of Guatemala) and Judas in the Bible. And oh man, what a strange looking god he is! He wears a cowboy hat and smokes a cigar while sitting on his altar. The walls were decorated with plagues of worshippers giving thanks to San Simon for answering their prayers and granting their wishes. It's quite an unusual scene for me.

After the strange encounter, we left for Iximche, the Mayan ruins where the indigenous people once lived. The archaeological area features palaces, plazas where people gathered and had various ceremonies, as well as ball courts, where people played their version of football. Apparently, the losing team had to sacrifice (literally) one of their members. Human sacrifices were not uncommon then.

I find it amazing that the places we've been to in Guatemala have always been clean, since not everywhere in Malaysia is considered clean, even in major cities. I'm particularly grateful that public toilets that I've visited so far have been clean and there's always toilet paper (again I'm afraid not common in Malaysia). I'm sort of a clean freak (clutter and messiness makes me queasy) so you can imagine my relief that I didn't have to hold my breath when I visit the toilet.

We had a pretty good start of the day as by the time we finished walking around Iximche, it was not even 11am yet. There's still ample of time before our check-in at 3pm so we headed to Chichicastenango, as it's popular for its market day on Thursday. The town was crowded when we arrived. Roads are narrower than Antigua and less well maintained to a certain extend. Still there's a Guatemalan feel to it - the rustiness, the people, the colour, the sound. We took a quick lunch (it cost Q150 for 3 persons) at a cafe at the edge of the market and started roaming around.

Items at the market are pretty similar; handicrafts in the form of bags, table runners, table mats, scarfs, belts and clothes; pottery, wooden masks and wooden instruments. There are also fruits, vegetables and fisheries on sale. Prices of souvenirs and handicrafts could be slashed by at least 20%. I bought a handmade belt for Q70; the boy had asked for Q90. It was interesting in some ways to negotiate and bargain, and watch how they react.

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There's a famous church called Church of Santo Tomas, which is about 400 years old, in the middle of the marketplace. There are many people at the footsteps of the church, selling flowers, incense and candles. Sort of reminded me of Hindu temple back home. As we walked in, I found worshippers along the stairs burning a strange smell of incense and there were many burnt candles found within the church compound. I read later that K'iche' Maya priests still use the church for their rituals, hence the incense burning and candles. We weren't allowed to take photos of the church but the interior seems darker than any church I've visited before. There was a mother and son walking on their knees on the ground towards the altar. The mother was praying fervently while the son looked a bit bored. The holy place, it seems, is a contradiction between Christian beliefs and pagan worships, and yet it fits the locals just as well.

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After Chichi, we went on our way to Posada de Santiago. The journey wasn't memorable as we fell asleep along the way. We woke up when the view of the huge lake opened up before us and we quickly asked Angel, our driver, if he could stop and let us take a breather (also to take pix!). The lake stood gorgeously before us, even with the misty and clouds, it looked magnificent. The short road trip has been fun and the arrival of the lake is very much welcomed. Think we're all ready for some quiet days ahead.