Road to Ruins

The Guatemalan Highlands are famous for their richly detailed handwoven textiles. All textiles are 100% cotton and hand spun. Throughout Guatemala you will see people hand spinning yarn on the sides of the roads. The colors of the nearby roof tops announces which colors are made by that particular pueblo. Most dyes are not natural, and if they are natural, then they cannot be washed. The yarn in the picture above is only a day old.

There are many excellent weaving schools if you are interested. The best one is named the Association of Weavers. It is located in Xela. (502/763-0823)

Diego Rivera worked on the murals inside Mexico City’s National Palace from 1929 until his death in 1951. The murals cover over 1,200 sq. ft. of wall space. With the use of these walls Rivera wished to educated the Mexican people about their past. The fussion of the Spaniard with the indigenous people of Mexico is Rivera’s reoccuring theme. This mural is called Totonac Civilization and it was completed in 1950. In this mural the Aztec chieftan is collecting a tribute from the Totonoc leader who he has defeated.

The National Palace is located on the Zocalo in the middle of Mexico City. From there it is very easy to board the metro subway system and visit Frieda Kahlo’s Blue House in Coyoacan. The house is very similar to the one in the Selma Hayek movie. If your interested in both of these incredible artists then this trip is a must.

Chichicastenango is the unoffical capital of the Quiche Mayan Civilization. The Mashenos, the people of Chichi, have managed to remain faithful to most of their cultural and religious traditions. Thursdays and Saturdays are market days and on these two days there is no place more colorful in the world. Unfortunately, things are beginning to change. The men can no longer be seen in traditional clothing. However, fashion styles for the women have remained the same here for at least the past couple of centuries and show no sign of any immediate change. Indigenous cultures around the world have been hit for years with a steady barage of “Married with Children”, “The Prince of Bel Air”, and “Cops.” Video stores are on every corner and so the pull to the faster pace big city has never been greater. Droves of young people are leaving in search of a more prosperous lifestyle. To make things even worse, military service is mandatory for boys at age 18. In order to encourage enlistment, the check of $140 is sent directly to the parents.

The ruins of Tikal are among the most remote in the entire world. If you want to visit here then you must take a plane from Guatemala City. I strongly sugggest that you spend the night before your departure in Antigua. Tikal is enormous, encompassing more than six square miles. There are more than 3,000 structures. The best place to stay in Tikal is the Jungle Lodge. My favorite thing to do here is to sit on the top steps of Temple of the Giant Jaguar and wait for sunset. At sunset the skies above the Great Plaza fill with green parrots as troops of spider and howler monkeys swing amid the ceiba, zapote, and mahogany trees. Howler monkeys add to the excitement by imitating the sounds of jaguars. The entire plaza comes to life with a broad assortment of jungle inhabitants. There are over 285 known species of birds, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, fox, deer and other rare animals. One word of caution. The hike back to the Jungle Lodge is about a mile and a half.

Those who have seen the movie Apocalypto will remember this pyramid. It’s the one where the heads rolled down the staircase.