buy buy buy

Locals burn incense on the steps of the local church

Today, for variety, we caught a bus further into the highlands to visit Chichicastenango and its famous markets. The indigenous culture is supposed to be strongest in the highlands and was definitely on show today. In many areas the locals (the Masheños, in this case) speak a local Mayan dialect as a first language and Spanish second, if at all. The markets largely consist of Mayan traders coming in from the villagers to sell and buy produce and push many many handicrafts on the tourists. The markets are certainly impressive...but then again we've all seen big markets before - and there's a limit to how many wooden masks, festive blankets and peculiar fridge magnets one tourist can buy (although you wouldn´t know it by some of our fellow passengers on the bus ride home). More interesting was watching the ceremonies going on in and around the town's churches. Although nominally Catholic, from what we saw (and read) it seems the churches have largely been coopted by the locals for ceremonies that pre-date the arrival of Catholicism in the area. LP tells us the locals you can see in the photos burning incense on the steps of the church are chuchkajaues ('mother-fathers') - indiginous prayer leaders reciting chants dedicated to various ancestor figures. This is apparently exactly the same use to which the steps of the Mayan pyramids were put, in the days before churches arrived on the scene.

Inside the churches, various shrines have been set up bedecked with flowers, portraits, carpets, etc, again apparently dedicated to all kinds of figures including ancestors, local gods and Catholic saints. Again everyone was in full preparation mode for a huge week of Easter festivities.

Back in the heart of the markets, we had time to locate the locals' (as opposed to the tourists') market - a far more interesting mix of food, small goods and other bits and bods. Notable goods on offer included basket upon basket of dried fish, assorted chillis, beans in a dozen flavours and, perhaps most odd, endless mounds of 'fresh' prawns. Scarily, most of it looked fresher and more appealing than anything the Surry Hills Coles ever had on offer.

Obligatory produce shot. Fish fish fish fish fish.

Smell that serenity

The dock at Isla Verde

Working up to the day we left, long flights and arriving in a city in full

festival mode took it out of us somewhat so we relocated to Lago de Atitlán - a beautiful lake in the Guatemalan highlands - for a few days R&R. The lake, formed in the caldera of an old volcano, is surrounded by a handful of small villages, many accessible only by boat, and not much else. We kicked back at Isla Verde in Santa Cruz(thanks Jack and Nat!) for a couple of days, reading, eating and generally taking it easy. For variety we jumped in the odd boat (usually packed to overflowing with locals and tourists) and pottered off to visit other parts of the lake, or climbed along the sides of the mountains to visit some of the little villages. Pretty sweet.

The village of Santa Cruz. Halfway up the side of a mountain and that was far enough.

Proof that pop culture knows no boundaries. Grafitti from the side of a school building in Santa Cruz.

Angela meets the locals

Parades parades parades

26 hrs (or, in the case of some of our luggage, 78 hrs) later, we arrived in the very cute colonial town of Antigua, an hour or so outside Guatemala city. It´s all beautiful little cobbled streets and old churches (also many tourists), ringed by impressive (and in several cases still active) volcanoes. Arriving on a Sunday in the middle of Lent meant the town was bursting at the seams with Mayan villagers, domestic tourists and foreigners all in town for one or more of the many parades, vigils and other services going on in the lead-up to Easter (Santa Semana).

This Sunday was the parade of (a saint whose name I can´t remember at the moment) - and these are serious parades. This one started at 7am and finished just after midnight, working its way through every main street and church in town in the meantime. We caught it several times through the day in different parts of town. The costumes and carnival atmosphere made it less solemn event and more Easter show, with balloon sellers and ice cream merchants doing a big trade. On the night before the parade many of the streets were barricaded off (to vehicles) as locals worked by arc lamp, torches and headlights to create amazing pictures from sawdust, fruit and flowers over which the parade would pass. The colour of the day is purple, with hundreds of purple robed devotees filling the streets and cars, buildings and streets done up in purple banners.

Men with long tridents help Jesus under the odd power line

Balloons, fairy floss and purple robes were the order of the day

Monday was a calmer day, letting us poke around at leisure and plan our Central American itinerary. No volcano climbing shenanigans just yet, but they are firmly pencilled in as it looks like great fun (except for the odd tourist who apparently gets whacked in the face with an unfortunately timed eruption).

Then, for contrast, Tuesday saw some kind of ´Miss Antigua´parade work through town. Kinda fun but have no idea what it was. Enthusiasm from the locals was equally great though.

Finally, once Angela´s luggage arrived, we upped camp and headed for the highlands.

It´s Miss Antigua. We don´t know why.

More hopefuls fade off into the distance.

Everything's more interesting when you're supposed to be working....

....aka I should stop playing with the computer and start packing.

Still, I promised people a blog so here it is. Absent photos coz my room ain't pretty at the mo. Also, Prash wanted a 'before' photo of us in case we fall off a mountain or come back with an eye-patch or something, which I choose to avoid because it just seems like bad karma. More news when there's news.

Dancing Bec says 'watch this space.'