Part 38 "Lenten Celebration"

Michelle writes:
Greetings! This is my last morning at Lake Atitlan. I do love Santiago and will miss it, but I have another unique experience just around the corner in the Ixcan. Kathy Snider flies into Guatemala today, and my last month will be spent with her in another corner of this beautiful country.

Today, I was wakened from my slumber by festive Latin music at 5 AM. It is now 6:30, and it is still going strong. Vocals were added after 6:00. I called Julie, a member of the symphony  in North Dakota, knowing she'd appreciate this special Central American cultural treat. 

I'm guessing it is connected with Lent. Lent and Easter are very grand celebrations here.  While in Antigua, I watched the procession on Sunday. Churches from the smaller villages around Antigua rotate the privilege of hosting the weekend procession. The grand Easter procession commences from Antigua.

There are floats with Christ carrying the cross, Christ being scourged, the angel appearing to Mary, Mary and other saints, are carried on the shoulders of men dressed in special robes, most often purple. They proceed up and down the streets taking different routes each week. 

Homeowners decorate the street in front of their homes. They first use water to cleanse, and for some that is all they do. Others will scatter a carpet of green pine needles and then various flowers, whole or petals, in beautiful designs.

Banners and men dressed as centurions lead the way.

The orchestra, in black suit and tie, follows, the percussion playing a cadence between the classic dirge and march selections.

The wooden floats are carried on the shoulders of the men, approximately 25 on each side.  The Blessed Virgin is carried by women dressed in black, skirts and mantillas. Each group bears the load for one block before switching. Taller individuals carry the floats earlier in the procession, each group having 2 to 3 rotations. 

Street vendors follow with homemade dolls dressed in purple robes, cotton candy, balloons, plastic toys, etc.  After the procession has passed, the city crew follows, sweeping up the scattered pine needles and flowers.

Santiago, a much smaller Mayan community, has its own twist to the procession. A single bass drum played the cadence followed by a small choir of a dozen women. 

Several women carried candles protected from the wind with a banana leaf shield. 

Men followed, throwing back straight shots of the local moonshine. They celebrate Maximon, the Mayan god of the underworld, who symbolizes male sexual virility and brings rain to fertilize the earth. He's known as the saint of gamblers and drunkards and is thought to give wealth and worldly success to his followers. Santiago is one of the few towns that continues this Maximon tradition. 


Small floats followed, each carried by 4 to 8 men. Some homeowners placed a table  with candles and a framed picture of Christ on the cross, flowers and pine needles, in front of their homes.

Enjoy your day, and listen for the music in your life.

P.S. I just asked Felipa, who told me the music today is due to a Catholic funeral. The music will last until the casket is carried to the cemetery this afternoon.

Part 37 "Building a House"

Michelle writes: 

I recently had the privilege of working with a team of Lutherans from Hazen, North Dakota. We built a new home for a father (not pictured, above) and his three teenagers. The mother of the family died recently. The oldest daughter and her baby live close by. (The two children in front are neighbor kids.) 

 This is their previous home (above), with its outdoor plumbing: sink, toilet, and shower behind the black plastic (below).

 What a view! The new home will be high on a mountain side.

 First, the site must be carved into the mountain.

 The perimeter is almost ready.

 Screening sand for mortar

 The dog makes himself at home.

 Softening the PVC to fit the rain gutter

 Table, chairs, and food purchased by the Lutheran team.

Inside the 12' x16' home, with work crew, family, 

and some neighbors

Part 36 "Mah Jongg Set, Guatemalan Style"

Michelle writes:
The reason for my return to Santiago was to pick up my special request from a local fair trade craftsman: a Mah Jongg set with a Guatemalan theme. If you are not familiar with Mah Jongg, it is a Chinese game, made popular in America by New York Jewish women in the 1920s.

In Pocatello, we were introduced to this fun game by a 95-year-old woman, the mother of a friend of mine. Since then, a couple of Chinese women have taught us the Asian version, which is much more complex and challenging. They say the elders in China don´t suffer from Alzheimer's due to Mah Jongg's keeping one's mind sharp and alert. Mah Jongg is a perfect pastime for the over 50 crowd and for younger people, as well.

To learn more about Mah Jongg and see a tutorial for American Mah Jongg, go to the March 2010 section of Cheryl's blog:
http://myturntodayyourstomorrow-cheryl.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-mah-jongg-madness.html   

I have a beautiful bamboo and bone set, from the 1920s, that I bought in North Dakota last fall.  This new Guatemalan set is made of wood with local characters: the quetzal, tortuga, Mayan calendar symbols, and dragons. It's a new twist on an old game and perhaps a new fair trade product!

Part 35 "Textiles of Guatemala"

Michelle writes: 

Textiles are by far the most common handcraft in Guatemala. They are woven on back strap or floor looms and then sewn together to create width for hammocks, curtains, and bedspreads.

I purchased a shawl with the Santiago pattern. While I was watching the Lenten procession, two people came up to me and stroked my shawl, which was wrapped over my arm. Then, they stroked their own shawls, then mine again. I understood this as a way of exhibiting  a connection to their Mayan culture and their expression of appreciation. This was followed by the cheek-to-cheek embrace so common here. No language was needed in order to connect on this spiritual plane.

Part 34 "Pottery Shop"

Michelle writes:

We visited a pottery shop in San Antonio Palopo. Here, we watched the craftsmen hand paint the designs. Birds and flowers, often in blues, dominate the intricate combinations. This pottery may be an additional product  for "Sharing the Dream."

Part 33 "Getting From Here to There"

Cayuco, a flat-bottomed wooden canoe

One of the many firewood gatherers. Loads can weigh 150 pounds. It's rare to see a dog on a lease, as most are skinny and wandering the streets.

Women frequently carry many pounds of "cargo" on their heads.

An elder appreciates his walker.

Tuk-tuks here are decorated with bold colors.