http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Guatemala , Todos Santos Cuchmatin en-us Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:52:42 UTC Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:52:42 UTC As I mentioned in our Semuc Champey entry we wanted to take a couple more roadtrips before we depart this lovely country. Our final item on the list was a trip out to Todos Santos way out northwest in the highlands. It's considered fairly remote and isloated so doesn't get a lot of visitors. We decided to time the trip with the visit of our friends Carlos and Djuna who were visiting us from http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-281494.html And how do you like your chicken busToday was foggy enough for me to finally leave Huehuetenango for San Mateo Ixtatan the mountain town in which Ill be spending the next eleven months. All morning I prepared myself for this ascent. For breakfast I ate the best piece of dulce de leche cake had my last double cappuccino and bought the two best bottles of alcohol I could find. Of course bes http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-233280.html Who in the hell would put a village at the top of a mountain I thought. As I reluctantly trudged along switchbacks ascending 3500 feet to the top of the lush green mountain I began to dislike my longwinded recently befriended guide Brian. Two hours uphill isnt such a big deal but Id had barely a wink of sleep in nearly two daysa bout of a stomach illness had set me back a few days and http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-212957.html I write from the onlycomputer here in the small mayan villge of Todos Santos Guatemala population 800 where the villagers still where the traditional dress and exist with little to no mordern influences. Overall the people are gracious slow and friendly. had an amazing photo shoot today.just to ease your mind never to worry about me down here there is absolutely no shortage of male fellow http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-124143.html Places Visited Nebaj Todos SantosThe next hike was a 7 day hike from Nebaj to Todos Santos. The main reason to go was to watch the day of the dead festival and the famous horse race. The day of the dead is a huge festival in Latin America and they celebrate it on the 1 2 of November. They take this time to remember past friends and family and visit the local cemetery with loads of different http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-107851.html Ive been away for almost a week on a trip with the quetzaltrekkers through the villages of the Cuchumatane mountains which less than 20 years was the scene of many devastating massacres during the civil war between the rightwing government army and the socialist Guerillas. Many young men were conscripted by force into the army only to have to kill their neighbouring villagers. Horrific happening http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-75817.html 0545 Get up to take a hike up a mountain before breakfast. I'm tired and hungry. One hour later I'm halfway up and I get what the Rough Guide calls Acute Mountain Sickness breathlessness dizziness and nausea. Juan Carlos our guide is great and manages to gets me to control my breathing till I feel well enough to continue. He refuses to let me stay there. I eventually make it to the top http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-64543.html 0600 Leave Antigua for the long trip into the northwestern highlands of Guatemala a very remote region and difficult to do in a weekend so we take a tour. There are 9 in our group Me Kiyomi Eric Carlos who works at the school Ninke his Dutch girlfriend Sigrid and Lindia two Icelandic girls and Melissa who's from the States. We pick up a lady called Patricia on the way. The western hi http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-64539.html Semana Santa Das bedeutet hier in vielen Teilen Guatemalas den Ausnahmezustand. Plakate werden ausgehaengt wie man Staus vermeidet oder aushaelt das Haus sicher hinterlaesst und wie man sich im Meer zu verhalten hat schaetz mal ist das gleiche wie hier auch Seepferdchen nur bis zur Markierung danach muss man mindestens den Freischwimmer haben.... und natuerlich nicht direkt nach dem Essen in http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-53603.html Ah yes back to Guate after two months away. I am now in Todos Santos. It is a mountain town and very cold The people are mostly Mayan and all wear traditional dress. Red trousers with white and grey stripes are the most striking. The countryside is very beautiful around here but unfortunately i have not been well the last few days and it rains by early afternoon so will have to give hiking a http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-13348.html Up in the highlands near the Mexican border is the village of Todos Santos. The village is famous for the traditional dress of the locals mam a Mayan language the use of a 260 day Mayan calandar and the murder of a Japanese tourist in 1998 for taking photographs. So armed with my digital camera I boarded a bus bound for Huehuetenango where I could change bus for Todos Santos.Sharron and Ann fr http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Todos-Santos-Cuchmatin/blog-53.html