Peter and I are finishing off our time in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. It has been very special time because, for me, it was an introduction to a part of the world and its people, as well as a new insight into Peter. For Peter, I suspect, it was a visit to dear friends and closure and perspective on a very impactful part of his life. This morning we came into the capital on a chicken bus and tomorrow we will fly to the western, jungly part of Guatemala to view the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal.
Since I last wrote, we did a day-hike around Nebaj, which was more strenuous than we either wanted or expected, but which left us with new information (from our guide Nicholas) about the Guatemalan civil war and a healthy respect for the Cuchumatanes mountains! It is amazing to see the near-vertical plots of land farmed by the Maya and to think about all of the strength and endurance of the men, women, and children who farm this land. We then went back to Santa Cruz del Quiche to see Maria and Mateo (Peter´s second host family) again. Maria is the indigenous vice-mayor of her region, so they invited us to accompany them to a public mediation, which was as interesting as it was long and drawn out. There were two cases: the first was one of a shooting (with thankfully no victim!), where the accused did not show; the second was a separation of a newly married couple, which ended in separation, despite the exhortations of the community and elders. After the mediation, we repaired back to Maria and Mateo´s house to say goodbye, which was very sad, since we do not know if we will see them again.
Saturday night, we took an overcrammed "minibus" ride to Chichicastenango, which is the largest and oldest market town in Guatemala. The market happens every Sunday and Thursday, so we wanted to be there for all of the action! Some people even say that the market dates back thousands of years to ancient Mayan times, and it is a hub for the selling of handwoven textiles from all over the highlands. Unfortunately, we both woke up on Sunday with some stomach distress, but that did not deter us too much and we mostly spent the day wandering through the vast market, bargaining, fending off over-agressive vendors, and enjoying the scene.
So, that brings us to today! It feels good to be up-to-date! Thanks, to everyone for your comments and opinion poll participation. . .it´s nice to know that people are reading along and thinking about us. . .we miss you, too!
Pictures, above: Peter with our Nebajense guide Nicholas; Peter with Maria our boxboles instructor in Nebaj; Peter with adorable, young Diego--a Chichicastenango street vendor who was trying to convince him to buy a too-small head wrap; Peter and the market; Mayan bishops in Chichicastenango performing a ceremonial rite on the steps of the Catholic church.
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