Panama Canal 2015 2 Mar. Day 11

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Our third port of call in as many days finds us in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. Most of the organized tours involve a visit to Antigua, another well preserved Spanish colonial town that I am sure is beautiful. But we have selected a tour called Mayan Cosmology and Ancient Ruins, which will take us to the ancient Mayan site of Iximche. For this, we have to get up at 5 am!

It's another perfect day, weather wise. Only wisps of clouds in a brilliant blue sky. It's already quite warm when we board the bus at 7 am.

Our guide is Alfredo, a personable young man with an engaging trick to keep our interest. He poses questions, lets us think about them for a while, then later gives us the answer. Example: The ancient Mayans practised simple surgery; what did they use for sutures? Eventual answer: corn silk and leaf-cutter ants, the latter by having soldier ants bite down on the wound, then pulling their bodies off.

Guatemala has 29 volcanoes, about 5 of which are considered active. Fuego, which we drive right by, has been erupting since early 2014 and we can readily discern small clouds of ash wafting from its summit. Our bus is continually climbing, following the Pan-American highway.

Alfredo has been telling us about the "Mayan world." By this, he means the communities of Mayan descendants that have maintained their traditional culture, language and way of life in a particular area. We enter this world when we reach Chimaltenango (quite a mouthful). The faces and clothing are instantly different. Intriguingly, the highway is lined with Toyota 4x4s for sale, most with various U.S. state licence plates. Alfredo explains that used Toyota trucks from the southern states are in high demand here. That's because the suspensions can take the abuse inflicted by the back roads, plus the brakes still work if the power fails.

On the highway are "chicken buses." These are old school buses, typically importd from North America, that have been fixed up and garishly painted. They now serve as a major mode of transport between villages. Why chicken bus? Passengers bring everything they need with them, and that often includes chickens.

We turn off the Pan-American highway to enter the Mayan town of Tecpán. The streets are narrow and quite a challenge for our big bus, but it is the only route to Iximche. In these narrow confines, we can clearly sense the cultural differences that set the Mayans apart. Alfredo tells us that the Mayans have some degree of judicial independence for less serious crimes like theft, which are dealt with through community shaming and retribution rather than fines or incarceration.

After some very difficult navigation through the narrow streets, our bus reaches Iximche. The entrance area is an expansive park, lined by majestic pines that are the dominant tree species at this altitude of 4500 ft. At the far end is the entrance to the site itself, which must be entered on foot.

Iximche was founded in 1470 by the Kaqchikel people and abandoned in 1524. That makes it part of the post-classic Mayan era and contemporaneous with the arrival of the Spaniards. The name means "corn tree," referring to an indigenous species. The site is on a hill surrounded on two sides by deep ravines, so extremely defensible. The actual inhabitants of the complex were a small group of wealthy noble families who held sway over the surrounding area. The Kaqchikel were in almost constant warfare with neighbouring tribes. As is true for most of the Americas, smallpox brought by the Spanish swept through the area long before the Spaniards physically arrived. The Kaqchikel initially cooperated with the Spanish then entered into conflict with them. After handing the conquistadors one of their rare defeats, they were eventually conquered and left the area. The Spaniards founded their own settlement nearby and gave it the name Guatemala meaning "forested land" in the Nahuatl language. Eventually this name was applied to the entire country.

The Iximche ruins are not impressive in terms of stature. The frequent earthquakes in this area dictate the construction of shorter structures with strong foundations. The complex consists of several temples (the larger structures) and other buildings whose purpose is unknown. The most interesting structures may be the two ball courts. As is well known, the Mayan ball game held a central place in Mayan life, sometimes deciding life and death. Another intriguing though gruesome structure is a raised circular stone dais that bears ample evidence of ritual human sacrifice. Most often the victims would be captured prisoners, but sometimes members of the community, even children, would be sacrificed when the gods demanded. The remains of hundreds of ritual victims have been found on site.

Alfredo explains the significance of the placement of the various structures relative to astronomical events, which were very important to the Maya. I have to admit that I suspect he's making some of this stuff up, as I'm not always convinced it make sense from as astronomical and/or historical perspective. But he delivers it persuasively.

At the far end of the excavations is a special area set aside for contemporary Mayans to make sacrifices to the gods. Obviously, humans are no longer offered up, thank goodness. It is most often food or manufactured goods, although apparently chickens sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice. Whatever the offering, it is burned to ash in order to have it pass into the next world. A local priest is always involved, who decides what must be offered and at what date and time.

And indeed, there is a group engaged in making an offering to the gods. We are not allowed to approach but can take photographs from afar. My 50mm lens comes in handy here.

Returning to the main entrance, we have a chance to visit the small museum, which features a scale model of Iximche as it was in its heyday. There are also artifacts recovered the site, including some human skulls.

During the long haul back to the coast, Alfredo keeps us entertained with vignettes of life in Gualemala. Corruption is a huge problem. Alfredo tells us that automobiles do not have to have insurance. So when there is an accident, according to Alfredo, the police give those involved 30 minutes to reach an agreement on who is paying for what. If no agreement, the vehicles are impounded. This is not what you want, because the paperwork to get your vehicle back takes at least a month to process, and when your vehicle is finally returned to you, it will likely be short some valuable parts that mysteriously disappeared during the impounding. Nothing you can do about it.

Crime is another endemic problem in Guatemala. We were specifically warned in a letter to our cabins to stick to the arranged tours and to not strike out on our own. Crime is, of course, rooted in the great disparities between rich and poor in the country, aggravated by institutional corruption at all levels. Another thing that suffers in such circumstances is the environment. Almost all vehicles we see on the road are emitting black clouds of noxious gases, and garbage and discarded tires are everywhere. Guatemala presents a striking contrast with a country like Costa Rica, both rich in history and natural resources, but on different paths in terms of their governments and their environmental stewardship.

The entertainment tonight is a presentation by the ship's regular cast of singers, dancers and musicians called Noches Calientes. It's terrific. I am amazed at how good the musical entertainment is on this cruise ship. Early to bed for us; it's been a long day.

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