Guatemala 2018

Monday5November

On this late afternoon of our seventh day, we arrive in Chichicastenango, a town whose name's origin means "City of Nettles"...  But no stinging foliage in our field of vision, at least not in the city, and even less so in our hotel "Giron".

A short walk in the city. The Gucumatz arch, rebuilt in 1932.

A bakery and its traditional ultra-colorful cakes.

The covered market extends into the street.

Here we are in front of one of the most important buildings in the country. Until the 16th century, a Mayan temple stood here, but the Spanish conquistadors frowned upon it and built this church in its place. Only the steps of the Mayan temple have been preserved. There are 18 of them, corresponding to the number of months in the Mayan calendar.

Inside, the Mayan/Catholic blend (syncretism  ) is very palpable. One quickly understands that this is a sacred place and discretion is required. Worshippers walk on their knees down the central aisle and place offerings and candles on the flagstones.

A door provides access to the cloister.

Back in front of the church where sacred rituals are underway. The incense handlers smoke the church entrance on the sacred steps.

Just opposite is the market. Very renowned and also one of the largest in the country, merchants mainly come on Thursdays and Sundays. Alas, it's Monday, so we have the reduced version and won't enjoy the entertainment that sometimes takes place there, especially traditional dances with masks.

Nothing easier to get fresh tortillas, just look for the large metal plate, there's usually always someone behind it flattening the ball into a future disc of dough...

The sacred place is also a place of pilgrimage, bringing in its wake its share of candle merchants and other accessories... We will notice the exclusively Catholic imagery, erasing the undoubtedly more spiritual Mayan one...   

The market extends to the foot of the sacred steps.

Mayans can come here to burn offerings. Animal sacrifices may even take place.

A little further on, the Rossbach Regional Archaeological Museum displays large frescoes on its exterior walls depicting slices of life from local Mayan history.

Below, the representation of Guatemala's dark hours during the dictatorship led by Ríos Montt.
In 1982, General Ríos Montt orchestrated a coup d'état. Shortly after coming to power, he established the Civil Self-Defense Patrols (PAC), formed by militiamen forcibly recruited by the army with the objective of eradicating the guerrilla. The general implemented his "scorched earth" policy: thus, 440 villages were completely razed, nearly 200,000 Mayans were massacred or thrown from helicopters into the Pacific Ocean. 40,000 refugees fled to Mexico. [...] Efraín Ríos Montt was overthrown by another military officer, Oscar Mejía Víctores, in 1983.
© Wikipedia
From 1960 to 1996, Guatemala was in civil war between dictatorships and guerrillas. Ríos Montt himself maintained a prominent political role until 2012 when his genocide trial began. This year 2018 marks the end of an era with his death on April 1st.

Another style, this time illustrating the famous folk dances that can be seen here.

On the other side of the market, opposite Santo Tomás Cathedral, is the Chapel of El Calvario.

Panoramic view of the market and the cathedral from the steps of the chapel.

End of evening at "Las Brasas" restaurant.

Tuesday6thNovember

7:30 AM. Chichicastenango slowly wakes up. Shoeshiners shake hands with colleagues while waiting for the first customers.

While waiting for the city to come alive, breakfast with not-so-traditional honey pancakes... The frijoles will have to wait this time.

Back to the Gucumatz arch. Legend has it that here, following the drying up of a river, a man came to seek the reason for this curious desiccation. Great was his surprise when he found a giant serpent that hastened to swallow him...  During the renovation in 1985, the legend was represented on the arch.

The man swallowed by the serpent...

The risk of being swallowed by an animal has been perfectly solved since then, at least for this goat...  

A little facelift for the Chapel of El Calvario.

The local butcher doesn't seem to lack raw material. Overly sensitive vegetarians, avoid Calle 7a!  

Ah, there it is! The first customer has arrived!

The market can fully start!

It's 9 o'clock, and there are already people.

Florists are allowed on the last steps of the ancient Mayan temple.

At the top of the steps, Mayan shamans called chuchkajaus are allowed to spread incense in front of the church. I don't know if they are shamans or "lay people" but in any case, the "tin can censers" are working at full capacity!

The Chapel of El Calvario finds a second youth.

The chapel is also the place for ritual offerings. On the forecourt, a candle finishes burning, surrounded by petals and colored powder...

Cowboy hats and huipiles, tradition still has a bright future in Chichicastenango.

A must-see in Chichicastenango: the general cemetery. In Santiago Sacatepéquez, we had already had a glimpse of the Guatemalans' ability to break away from the usual austerity of this place of eternal rest... but it is true that the giant kites contributed a lot... Here, no kites, but only colors and flowers to make the cemetery a pleasant stroll, especially for photo enthusiasts!

National Geographic has named the Chichicastenango cemetery as one of the most colorful in the world! What's more, a week before, it had been repainted for All Saints' Day.

At the bottom of the cemetery is "Baktun" square, reserved for Mayan prayers and rituals.

Syncretism (the coexistence of different religions) here also with this vault in the shape of a Mayan pyramid...

It becomes easy to mix the colors of the dozens of tombs that add up in the background of my lens...

This morning comes to an end and we hit the road again to reach our next stop: the city of Cobán.