Blogs from Chichicastenango, Western Highlands, Guatemala, Central America Caribbean - page 3

Tim Version: * Took the beautiful trip to Chichicastenango from my lakeside paradise, set for some party time. * Experienced the festival of Saint Thomas in all its incredible fireworked and fine food glory! The version that should have lost an eye with all those fireworks going off: After my delicious very early Pancake breakfast in San Marcos, I hopped an early morning Lancha to Panajachel. The views from the boat early in the morning with the mist on the lake is picturesce (I can't spell that...) beyond belief. Its just awesome. The water is all calm, people are quieter and the world is just waking up. I could see the 3 volcano tips, all in a row, in enough shadow just ti give their silhouettes. The 3 blues of the lake, mountains and sky blending, ... read more

Oh my, my, what a day! I guess it was just typical of the interesting things I get myself into. Well, Alexis's roommate Gg is a mayan priestess(not what you would think-white ex-dancer lesbian photographer from NYC) and invited us to go to Chichicastenango with her and another Mayan priestess friend of hers, Cahlixta. Cahli was performing a ceremony, and we thought it would be really interesting to go. We had to be ready to go at 7am, but what a surprise, we were late! When we left the house, it was probably going to be a 15 minute walk to the market to catch the chicken bus. Since we were late, Gg flagged down a pick up truck, and they gave us a ride in the bed. The chicken bus wasn't too exciting to Chemaltenango, ... read more

So far, Guatemala has been our favourite country in Central America. It has so much culture and traditions and feels really different to it's neighbouring countries. Everything seems to be so colourful, from people's traditional clothes to the chicken buses! Taking a trip on the chicken buses (old retired american schoolbuses used as regular buses in Guatemala and other countries in central america) is fun for about 10 minutes, then it's just terrifying. It's like the rollercoaster that lasts for 3 hours. The drivers here are absolutely crazy, buses and huge trucks are constantly overtaking each other (on corners at 80mph on the side of a mountain), but everyone is so used to it that I was the only one on the bus screaming. They're called chicken buses because people take absolutely everything onboard with them ... read more

Over these days it is possible to begin to build the programme for our visit to Guatemala and El Salvador in 2010. The Plgrimage will, as usual, begin in Melbourne and travel directly to the Hermitage in Southern France, then to Paris and to Rome. Thursday 8th April - Fly from Rome to Madrid and then from Madrid to Guatemala City (10 hours by day) Friday 9th April - Visit schools in Guatemala City and the Little Sisters of Champagnat Saturday 10th April - Visit Antigua and travel to Chichicastenango and stay the evening. Sunday 11th April - Study the Marist mission in Chichicastenango and then visit the extensive markets; return to Guatemala City for 7.00 pm Mass at the Salesian Church near the Retreat Centre. Monday 12th April - Travel by bus to San Salvador ... read more

La Zona Librada, west of Chichicastenango, 13 abril 1990. The old and wrinkled yellowish face beams a big toothless smile at me when I give her a 100 quetzales for the rent of her hut, small feathers stick to her black worn-out dress. Small surprise there, she's been living with her chicken in the chicken-house while we occupied her hut these last few days. Taking the dusty unpaved road that leads out of the city in a western direction we soon come upon the first roadblock which is manned by some bored looking teenage indio boys armed with wooden clubs. I explain our intentions, the two day hike we wanna make in this so-called zona librada. A heavy discussion in waht I bellieve is cachikel breaks out among them untill eventually they want to know "son ... read more