Among the Maya
The Exotic Guatemalan Highlands
Text and photography by Hilary Wallace
From the lakeside villages of Atitlán to the austere, windswept valleys of Paquix and the fertile green checkerboard of the milpas (corn fields), the Guatemalan Highlands encompass some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Americas. These exotic lands also harbor Central America’s most extensive Native cultures, descended from the original Maya people.
Step back in time among the reserved villagers of remote Todos Santos Cuchumatán and San Juan Atitán to observe lifeways hardly changed over the centuries. Meet the tourist-savvy residents of Panajachel and Chichicastenango, home of extensive markets filled with textiles and other indigenous arts and crafts. Journey along well-traveled tourist paths or step off into the cool and untrod forests and find your own way into the heart of this ancient, mysterious and captivating land. The welcoming people of the Highlands and the colorful, intricate native traje (traditional dress) make this region irresistible, even though other treasures await—most notably the extensive, sprawling ruins of Tikal in the lowlands.
Antigua
About half an hour west of the international airport in Guatemala City, in the southeastern corner of the Cakchiquel region, is the city of Antigua. With its laid-back colonial charm and abundant hotels, restaurants and shops, it’s a good place to acclimate to the country and familiarize oneself with the variety of textiles and handicrafts available, although prices are generally higher here than in the villages. The city itself is charming, with rows of multicolored storefronts in salmon, brick red, goldenrod and azure. The main plaza, shaded by jacaranda trees, is a Mecca for residents, tourists and vendors. The fairly new Mercado Artesanio—permanent “booths” selling crafts from all over Guatemala—is on the west side next to the bus station. In addition, there are numerous churches and ruins from the colonial period.
Around Antigua, there are a number of interesting day trips, including volcano hikes and indigenous villages such as San Antonio Aguas Calientes, where a small but interesting weavers’ cooperative sits on the main plaza. Vendors work on backstrap looms, weaving as they wait for buyers. If a circuit of the Highlands is not on the menu, day trips can also be made to Chichicastenango, Lake Atitlán and Iximché.
From Antigua, head west along the Pan American Highway to Lake Atitlán. A detour to the quiet Mayan site of Iximché (eesh-im-chay) is well worth the time. Iximché has been partially restored to stave off the rot of the surrounding jungle but retains traces of the original plaster and paint. Shamans continue to practice costumbre (ancient religious rites) here, and it’s common to find fresh offerings and still-smoking ashes.
Lake Atitlán
Proceed to Lake Atitlán, originally a volcanic crater, and the town of Panajachel, (nicknamed “Gringotenango” for its number of foreign residents and tourists). Pana is not a particularly charming town in itself, but textiles and handicrafts from around the country are available from street vendors and at the stalls of Comerciales de Artesanías Típicas Tinamit Maya. Villagers from around the lake congregate in Pana for business. Look for the especially charming huipiles (traditional blouses) of San Lucas Tolimán, featuring animals and geometric designs created with knotted thread; the bold blue, green and purple huipiles of Santa Catarina; and the primarily red huipiles of Pana itself, decorated with stylized animals. A small museum in the Hotel Posada de Don Roderigo displays a collection of Mayan artifacts recovered from the lake. Or visit the indigenous market above the village for fresh plums, bananas and other local produce.
Pana is a convenient base from which to explore other lakeside villages—in particular Santiago Atitlán. Spend a day browsing shops and galleries filled with indigenous paintings along the main road leading from the port to the plaza.
Inevitably, the visitor to Santiago will be accosted by children shouting “Maximón?” (mah-shee-mohn) and offering to guide tourists—for a small fee—through the maze of narrow streets to visit the “evil saint,” Maximón. Also called Alvarado or San Simón, Maximón is prevalent throughout the Highlands in different forms. In Santiago, he is a wooden effigy dressed Western-style. Members of the local cofradía (religious brotherhood) keep cigars and cigarettes constantly burning between his lips and accept offerings of rum, beer, coke, cigarettes and money. Villagers visit the saint continuously, burning copal incense and lighting various-colored candles to request favor in love, health and harvest. Offerings are expected of all visitors.
Xelajú
From Panajachel, head north through Sololá then west to the second-largest city in Guatemala, Quetzaltenango, still generally referred to by its Quiché name of Xelajú (shay-la-hoo) or just Xela (shay-la). There are many hotels and restaurants to choose from, so plan to stay a few days and enjoy the surrounding countryside.
Not to be missed is a day trip from Xela to the natural spa of Fuentes Georginas, fed by hot sulfur springs and surrounded by lush vegetation and cloud forest. On the way back, stop at the Quiché village of Zunil and visit a textile cooperative where backstrap loom weaving demonstrations and instruction are available.
Also close to Xela is Laguna Chicobal, a crater lake on the edge of a cloud forest near the village of San Martín Sacatepéquez, a friendly village well worth a walk-through. Hike up the cone of the extinct volcano, then down steep wooden steps to the misty lake basin. The lakeside trail passes altars, crosses, fresh-cut flowers, candle stubs and other evidence of Mayan religious rites. The site is considered sacred; be especially careful not to disturb any ceremonies taking place.
Another fun side trip is to the town of San Andrés Xecul where a most startling yellow church dominates the plaza. A curious mix of Catholic and Mayan symbols adorns the church, including jaguars, pudgy angels, saints and seemingly-drunk humans, all entwined with fruit-bearing vines.
The Cuchumatanes
Continue north to the town of Huehuetenango—Huehue (way-way) for short—which sits at the foot of the impressive Cuchumatanes mountain range. A few miles from the plaza are the ruins of Zacaleu, the pre-conquest Mam capitol. The manicured grounds and plaster-covered, restored temples and ball court look a bit too pristine for a ruin, but the setting is spectacular and the small museum quite interesting.
From Huehue, the remote town of San Juan Atitán can be reached by ascending a steep road. The mountain views are so spell-binding that the bumps and grinding engine are barely noticeable. San Juan is a very traditional village where most of the men still wear traje of white pants, red-striped shirts embroidered around the cuffs and collar and black, woolen capixays (open-sided coats). The women’s huipiles are also primarily red stripes with embroidery across the front, back and arms, and a simple red headwrap may be worn to hold the hair back.
Todos Santos is another traditional village where men and women both wear traje. Like many mountain towns, Todos Santos serves as a trade and social center for approximately ten times the resident population. For this reason, the town is quiet and peaceful except on market day, when the streets become crowded with mountain dwellers selling their wares, catching up on news and purchasing supplies.
Chichicastenango
The most famous indigenous market in Guatemala is held on Sundays at Chichicastenango—Chichi (chee-chee) for short. The church of Santo Tomás and the Mayan shrine of Pascual Abaj on the edge of town beckon to the faithful as the market fills the plaza and spills into the cobblestone streets. Textiles, clothing, huipiles, wooden masks and reproductions of Mayan artifacts are sold. At the church, the stairs overflow with women selling flowers and men burning incense in thick clouds.
Mayan Traje
Huipiles from different villages, left to right: Chichicastenango, San Lucas Tolimán, Santiago Atitlán, Todos Santos, Cuchumatán, San Juan Cotzal and Sololá.
Even though the pre-conquest tribal language groups remain relatively intact, Mayans align themselves more with their village than with their tribe or country. This is what makes the traje (traditional dress) so fascinating. Each village has a distinct style, including base fabric, color preferences, necklines and embroidery or brocading techniques. Before heading to the Highlands, become familiar with the traje of various villages. Nim Po’t (www.nimpot.com), a weavers’ cooperative in Antigua, is not only an outlet for indigenous textiles, clothing and crafts, but is also an education source. Traje is displayed on the walls by region along with explanations of the various designs.
Mayan women’s traje has changed little since pre-conquest times. The most important item in a woman’s dress is the huipil. The traditional boxy “blouse”—made and decorated by each woman as a show of skill and innovation—is generally worn tucked into a corte (skirt) which is gathered or folded and secured with a faja (sash). Often, the hair is intertwined with fabric in complex styles. Another essential item is the tzute, a piece of woven cloth used to carry babies or goods, worn as a wrap, draped over a shoulder for decoration or folded and worn on the head for protection from the sun.
The man’s traje owes much to Spanish colonial influence. In many villages, men have abandoned traje altogether or reserved it for ceremonial use. The male traditional dress usually consists of loose trousers, of varying length by village, folded and secured at the waist with a faja. Shirts are similar to western cut with collar, sleeves and cuffs but are made with special fabrics and may by embroidered or brocaded. Various styles of overgarments are worn, from short fitted jackets to long tunics to the open-sided capixay. A tzute is also carried by the men. HW
A Guatemala History Primer
Guatemala has a long and fascinating history. Mayan civilization dates from as early as 2000 BC, when nomadic hunters began to settle in villages and practice agriculture. By 300 AD, great city-states—including Tikal (in the lowlands of Petén), Kaminaljuyú (near present-day Guatemala City), Quiriguá (to the southeast) and Copán (in present-day Honduras)—began to flourish. Great temples, plazas and ball courts were erected, faced with cut stone and detailed carvings. A complex hieroglyphic writing system was developed and used to create bark books and stone carvings, including stelae which depict historical rulers and carry glyphs recording notable dates and events. For unknown reasons the Maya suddenly deserted their large central cities about 900 A.D. to build new cities in the Yucatán of Mexico and to settle in small, generally peaceful, farming communities in the Guatemala Highlands.
The Spanish, led by the ruthless Pedro de Alvarado, arrived in 1523 and took advantage of intertribal conflicts to conquer all but a few of the more remote tribes in a series of bloody battles. Various orders of the Catholic Church followed and were granted concessions of land and indigenous people. The Catholic Church’s tolerance of syncretism of religious practices—between the old ways and the new, the old gods and the new pantheon of saints—made conversion somewhat more palatable to the indigenous people. Catholic iconography and ideas blended with the ancient religion to form a “folk” Catholicism incorporating costumbre (ancient religious rites still practiced at ruins and other sacred sites to this day). But in general, the Spanish occupation spelled disaster for the Maya. Their population was decimated by armed conflicts, new diseases and intolerable, slave-like working conditions.
In 1821, Guatemala broke free of Spain, but independence did not improve the Mayan’s situation. Exports, particularly coffee, boomed in the late 1800s and into the 20th century. To meet the growing need for land and labor, the government and ladinos (non-Natives) confiscated and sold communally-held and “unused” village land, and established forced labor quotas and a system of debt-servitude leading to generations of virtual enslavement.
In 1944, for a brief ten years, a more liberal government came into power, but their land reform policy—returning unused land to the indigenous people—upset the landholding elite. The government was overthrown by a military dictatorship in 1954 with the covert aid of certain elements of the United States government. The coup embroiled Guatemala in 36 years of civil war, much of which was fought in the Highlands. Thankfully, in 1996, the Peace Accords ended the strife and now a new constitution offers hope for the Maya people. It is a time to heal and once again visitors are drawn to the nation’s magnetic charms. HW
Travel Tips
Throughout the highlands, the Maya people are generally charming and warm, but sensitivity in matters of religion and custom goes a long way. It is considered impolite to photograph individuals and religious rites without permission, more so in the remoter towns and villages. When shopping, bargaining is expected—within reason.
If this is Guat 101 for you, an organized tour might be the best option for getting around. I found that Rutahsa Adventures (out of Nashville, Tennessee; www.rutahsa.com) provided the best of both worlds for the newcomer to Guatemalan travel.
And, when packing for Guatemala, consider taking an extra bag stuffed with school supplies, toothbrushes and small toys—you won’t believe the smile that a pen or a toy can produce. Or, contact The Guatemalan Development Foundation for current needs (www.fundesa.guatemala.org).
Indigenous Markets
Weekly markets are held throughout the Highlands and are the focus of social and economic life, drawing people from the surrounding countryside to trade news, produce and other supplies.
Monday: Antigua, San Juan Atitán, Zunil
Tuesday: San Lucas Tolimán
Wednesday: Huehuetenango, Sacapulas
Thursday: Aguacatán, Antigua, Chichicastenango, Panajachel, San Juan Atitán
Friday: San Lucas Tolimán, Santiago Atitlán, Sololá
Saturday: Antigua, Todos Santos
Sunday: Aguacatán, Chichicastenango, Huehuetenango, Panajachel, Sacapulas
Hilary Wallace is the art director of Native Peoples and an avid traveller.
