I have journeyed to Lake Atitlan where I am staying in an acquaintance’s bungalow located in a Maya Kichiquel barrio in Panajachel, the largest town on the Lake. As I write I am oh so grateful for the music on my computer and my earphones! It turns out my temporary accommodations in this “basico” room with bed, chair, toilet and cold water shower share a wall with the community sports field! In fact, it’s almost like being in the game. Last night I could hear the whistles, grunts, shouted names and the thud of the soccer ball against “my” wall until the game shut down at midnight. Today when I got back from wandering Panajachel there was even more noise as the playing field became the stage for a political rally. The art of the portable loudspeaker is something that Guatemalans have really mastered. You don’t even have to attend the rally to hear the political speeches for the upcoming national election in the middle of September. The light coming over the mountains this morning was exquisite though and the relative silence was indeed golden.
Unlike many places in Guatemala where indigenous people have lost their land, my acquaintance, a long time expat in Panajachel, says that many Mayans in this area have been able to get legal title to these lands where the Mayans have lived for thousands of years. The houses here are made of concrete blocks as opposed to some of the poorer and more tentative tin dwellings I passed on my shuttle trip here. The Mayans in this area have a reputation as skilled and mighty builders. It is easy to imagine the ancestors of these peoples constructing the architectural wonders of the ancient Mayan pyramids.
I do not think I could ever tire of watching the Mayan women in their corte skirts, intricate huipils and thin soled sandals. On top of their heads, they carry enormous bundles the size of clothesbaskets, their mysterious contents secured in woven cloth. Their load rests, unsecured, on velvet or woven headbands. It’s as if the bundles float above their heads as they weave through kids, dogs, bikes, tuk tuks and tourists, walking on cobblestone streets and foot paths without tripping or even glancing down at the uneven ground.
There continue to be Mayan calendar “day keepers” in this area and consistent ritual is a part of life for many people . The Mayan shamans are becoming more vocal about their understanding of the 2012 prophesies of the Mayan calendar. Some of these Mayan shamans now offer ceremonies to foreigners as well as education about the Mayan calendar and the living Mayan culture. I will make several visits to Lake Atitlan as I explore contacts for this aspect of the BFGT tours.
I do not think I could ever tire of watching the Mayan women in their corte skirts, intricate huipils and thin soled sandals. On top of their heads, they carry enormous bundles the size of clothesbaskets, their mysterious contents secured in woven cloth. Their load rests, unsecured, on velvet or woven headbands. It’s as if the bundles float above their heads as they weave through kids, dogs, bikes, tuk tuks and tourists, walking on cobblestone streets and foot paths without tripping or even glancing down at the uneven ground.
There continue to be Mayan calendar “day keepers” in this area and consistent ritual is a part of life for many people . The Mayan shamans are becoming more vocal about their understanding of the 2012 prophesies of the Mayan calendar. Some of these Mayan shamans now offer ceremonies to foreigners as well as education about the Mayan calendar and the living Mayan culture. I will make several visits to Lake Atitlan as I explore contacts for this aspect of the BFGT tours.
This afternoon I wandered Panajachel , a center for much of the Mayan artenisia from this area. It was captivating to immerse myself in the truly remarkable handwork of the Mayans: masks with animals and multiple faces, wool soaked in volcanic water made into ponchos and thick blankets, weavings made into jackets, shirts, headbands, table clothes, purses, travel bags and even bookmarks with small Mayan woven dolls attached to them. There has also been a creative explosion in beadwork and jewelry, with very attractive and unusual beaded bracelets and necklaces for sale in several tiendas
The artenisia has both evolved and diversified since I was here in 1995. There is a stronger movement for fair trade here and more opportunities for children to attend school. But still there are children nearly hidden under piles of weavings, their hands full with bookmarks and bracelets, walking up and down the artenisia street all day and late into the night selling.
Also in evidence were Argentinean fire dancers who dance with sinuous grace while swinging lit torches and an all-woman marimba band pwith one of the most accomplished marimba players I have encountered so far playing in one of the many local cafes .
Tomorrow I will get a closer look at Lake Atitlan as I board a local boat across the lake to San Pedro, one of the many pueblos on the shores of this lake which Aldous Huxley called, “the most beautiful lake in the world.”
The artenisia has both evolved and diversified since I was here in 1995. There is a stronger movement for fair trade here and more opportunities for children to attend school. But still there are children nearly hidden under piles of weavings, their hands full with bookmarks and bracelets, walking up and down the artenisia street all day and late into the night selling.
Also in evidence were Argentinean fire dancers who dance with sinuous grace while swinging lit torches and an all-woman marimba band pwith one of the most accomplished marimba players I have encountered so far playing in one of the many local cafes .
Tomorrow I will get a closer look at Lake Atitlan as I board a local boat across the lake to San Pedro, one of the many pueblos on the shores of this lake which Aldous Huxley called, “the most beautiful lake in the world.”
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