Guatemala Salad

The city of Quetzaltenango (Place of Quetzal) is a surreal initiation to Guatemala. The public architecture is Neo-Classical, or in other words, a copy of Roman buildings. Yet the women walking besides the somber columns of the Temple to Minerva wear vibrantly colorful dresses, not Togas. It is the phosphorescent colors that caught my eye and provided the initial impression of Guatemala. No fashionable pastels here. I believed that the indigenous Traje of Guatemala can be found only on postcards or in remote mountain villages, yet here, in the second largest city, it is the everyday wear of most women. Without repeating the words "Glowing colors" it would be hard to describe the intricate designs of the hand woven skirt, the cloth belt or the embroidered Huipil (blouse), so I won't try. Except for the headdress, the traditional dress is worn by women and girls starting at a very early age. The headdress is reserved for the adults. It is a long cloth ribbon which is wrapped several times around their hair, and then adorned with tussles or pompons. Adding to the city's mixture is the proudly advertised Evangelical presence. It is painted in giant letters on all walls. We had breakfast in Café Shalom, fixed the cell phone in Israel Electronics, and took care of Nemo in Car Wash Elohim.

The cultural clash continued in Momostenango (Place of Peace) a highland town not far the city. Next to the Immanuel Church we visited Don Rigoberto who took upon himself to maintain and promote the Mayan heritage. Using corn grains placed on a home spun wool blanket he explained the basics of the intricate Mayan calendar. Not far from Don Rigoberto's house, we met the powerful San Simon. A chain smoking, rum drinking effigy of a drug lord, San Simon is a not a Catholic saint, but a hybrid of a Mayan deity, Judas, and Alvarado, the vicious conqueror of Guatemala. I purchased and lighted a pine nut (San Simon likes the smell), and asked him to cure my high-altitude headache. He did.

Guatemala is going to be fun.


For more photos, click below to see my Picasa Web Album

http://picasaweb.google.com/isaac.ohel/Guatemala#