Guatemala

Guatemala borders are Honduras, Belize, San Salvador, and Mexico where the river Usumacinta stands as a natural border. Its geographical relief offers a great diversity of climates as well as ecosystems. Guatemala, with an area of 108 900 km2 possesses two ranges of mountains, the Sierra Madre del Sur which spreads parallel to the pacific coast lining up around 30 volcanos, the highest reaching 4000 meters. The second on the Cuchumatanes Cordillera crosses the country in its center until it gets to the Caribbean sea. Because of its montainous system, the country has two hydrographyc regions. Several rivers as the Suchiate, Naranjo, Samala, Michatoya, Pas and Los Esclavos, flow into the Pacific and the Polochic, Motagua, Sarstun and Rio Dulce gets to the Caribbean sea.

The 12 millions inhabitants remain living in the fertile plateau area, and Guatemala with 200 inhabitants per km2 is one of the central america country where concentration is the highest. 68 % of the population live in precarious condition, and infant mortality is about 41%, illiteracy rate is of 44 % which is partly due to the oral indian culture which is very strong.

Guatemala is composed with Creole, Ladinos, and Mayas. The Creole people (the white) only represent a dozen thousand of people pretending to be the descendants conquistadors and having never suffer any interbreeding. They are nowadays and for many generation already, the leading elite of the country.

Ladinos (métis or people of mixed race) are only 35% to 50% of the population but are not recognized as there is no real latina culture. However, their income is definitely higher than the Mayas.

Finally then Mayas (amerindians), all coming from the Maya culture represent 50 to 60% or the most important part of the population. Mayas are made up of several ethnic groups as the Yucatheques, kekchi, mopan, lacandon, ixil, chuj, kanjobal, jacalteques, mam, quiche, agualteques, pocomchi, uspanthèques, cakchiquel, tzutujil, pocoman, and chorti.

All these ethnies belong to the same linguistic community and even though they fighted each other in the past, they manage to get together during the sixties guerilla against the army, which turned into a cultural rapprochement as well as linguistic.

One of the port of call of Guatemala is Livingston located at the Rio Dulce mouth on to the Atlantic Ocean. So far, Guatemala has one coast in the Pacific Ocean and the other one stands in the Atlantic.

Obviously, things have really changed since 1524 and the first arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, under the command of Captain Pedro de Alvarado. And if at this time, the Indians tryed in vain to drive back the invaders out of the country, nowadays the tourists-invasion is more than welcome.

When you look at the sea in Livingston, you do not discover a blue caribbean sea but a kind of greenish sea. On the other hand, the sea is no more salty here as it comes straight from the Rio Dulce and from the mountains. Not even brackish! The name of the town do not come from the so famous Doctor Livingstone, but only from the ne doit nullement son nom au Docteur Livingstone, but from Mr Livingston who wrote the Louisiane laws in the 19 century.

Livingston lives under the Rhythm of the Rio. No road arrives or leaves. The lanchas are the only way to move away from the village. We are in Guatemala but Livingston is inhabited with black people descendants from slaves brought there by spanish and english. Here it has a taste of Antilles with ginger bread houses and english speaking people, Creoles and Garifuna. Except you pay in Quetzal, the Guatemala currency, one would forget easily that is Guatemala.

Livingston is just an athmosphere, since there is no real tourism to do... Not much to see or visit. Every person coming along takes a lancha or a pirogue which is one of the best way to move on the Rio. Skilful is the guy able to avoid the lanchas waves as well as the current which is over one knot here.

A tiny marina, offering a single dock stands at Livingston and it because of the strong current we move there for a night. The roof of the Marina is a shelter to the bar, restaurant and lounge and is traditionnaly built up. No nail, nos screw, only bush material and it holds beautifuly and the rain doesn't even go through. The structure is fairly high and has no wall, just a roof. Here we exchange a few books with a french couple Maryvonne and Gerard, sailing on "la Nina del Mar" under a canadian flag. On the river the night is so deep that you can hardly see the pirogue and it is pretty quiet as the lanchas are no more moving.

Early in the morning and after enjoying the fresh water shower at the marina, we hardly afford the luxury of showering with fresh water onboard! here fresh water is free and comes straight from the river! and especially since the watermaker is out of order. Then it is time to sail up the Rio Dulce.

Rio Dulce is quite steep-sided in between high cliffs covered with tropical rain forest. The rainy season has just started and gives such a lush aspect to the river banks. The humidity is so high it smells of soil and moss, smell we had forgotten. Sometimes one feels like being transported into a chinese engraving.

Along the river silent pirogues sail up or down, overpassed by the very noisy lanchas overloaded with tourists. Iritis keeps going on the river at a very slow speed as the 18 hp engine is and the current do not help us much. Lovely houses stands on the bank, built on stilts, with palm tree leaves roof, and a pirogue garage.

White herons and pelicans are perched high in the trees observing us. The swallows fly close to Iritis and land to try to find out the best place for a cosy nest.

The pirogue guys are fishing with cast nest and Jean-Luc observes them to try to understand how they do, as he is not satisfied with the way he does it. Some other pirogues drop little buoys with lines and if you are not aware it is lines it looks like a real huge net!! Life on the river is going on quietly as far as we keep on.

The area is so beautiful and luxury houses have been built, with high mega power boats garages! Guatemala's business men seems to be pretty wealthy regarding their houses!!

The closer we get to Fronteras, the more we see marinas and considering the great number there are they are not too big either, but it is quite inexpected to see so many marinas in that lost river. So it is not rare to see a dock with a couple of sail boat and a big board with "marina" written on it.

Right after we underpassed the high bridge crossing the river, and only road in the surrounding, going to Flores on one way and to Guatemala city on the other way. We find the little quiet Suzanna Marina hidden in the mangrove onto the advices of La Nina del Mar. A super quiet place away from the lanchas. Here it is safe enough to let Iritis a few days and travel in the country.

The prices of the marinas are pretty good compared to the american standard and quite a lot sailors drop their boats in Fronteras during the Hurricane Season. The deal we get with te owner is good as usualy rates are monthly based and not per week. As we are not sure to stay a month we pay 70 usd for 2 weeks and if we stay longer it will be 130 usd. Water and Electricity, showers, restaurant bar, book exchange, there is also a lounge with tv if you wish. A good place to remember in case of hurricane season ...

Fronteras is a good departure point to travel and discover the country. This is where most of the excursions are departing. A large road is crossing the village with plenty bus stations on each side and all along the road vendors are selling colorful vegetables and fruits. Difficult to know where to look at after sailing in so many islands where nothing grows. Carnicera shops are offering fresh meat. A huge super market is open daily! Here you can find almost everything you need to face a 6 months hurricane season! and a a real low cost!

We eat in a local kiosk for 24 quetzalsl, just to give you an idea, a dollar is 8 quetzals. Tortillas and so one all is very good, but local time for the service!!! As soon as we find the right bus station we book our trip to Guatemala city for the next morning, for 80 quetzals, departure is at 7.45!!!

Back to the boat we try to eat, empty the fridge and get organized to be taken to town early in the morning as there is no road linking the marina to the land. Pick up is scheduled at 6H45! During the night it is pouring! The rainy season is really on . Just before leaving the marina we try to bring in what is still dry before jumping in the marina's dinghy rushing to town.

Fronteras is waking up and the indians are already installing their stands in the street and some have their breakfast seated on stools drinking fresh fruit juices , yoghurt, etc... They often come from far away with heavy loads of stuff to sale and after long buses trips, but eventhough tired they always smile to you.

Fronteras is only 273 km away from Guatémala ciudad, but it takes quite a while with all the inexpected stops! First stop take us to Morales and the bus crosses the market installed all along the streets, offering a great number of colourful vegetables, some fresh meet and fishes, and also everykind of other necessary hardware. You can also find a great deal of leather saddles, as well as a lot of clothes. The indians wear their traditionnal clothes, walk around, buy but mainly sale their agricultural product. All that is installed on the street pavement and it makes it hard for the bus to go through and reach the central bus station. Once we get there it is concert of all the destinaions shouted by each bus driver to attract more passengers before continuing on their way. After a last shout of "guate, guate" our bus is ready to go.

From the lush and fresh landscapes of Rio Dulce we get to a dryer and high sierra. Many little shop sell agricultural product along the road and it is easy to note you are changing from a climate area to another as the fruits also change, from Mango to Pineapple, to grapes, etc.

Crossing the sierra is absolutely gorgeous, offering a deep view of the plaine while the mountains tower above 3000 meters. Even though the bus is air-conditionned, the heat inside is incredible. Soon the hamlets becomces villages we keep getting in altitude before getting down again to 1500 meters high and reach the sad, grey and durty Guatemala ciudad. It took us 6 hours to drive the 273 km from Rio Dulce! TGV trains, you said... !!!!

From Guatemala city a taxi take us to the chichen buses central station where buses leave to Antigua which is located at about 30 minutes bus drive from here. The chicken buses offer the advantage to be really cheap and it is really local time and colourful! They carry a great number of people and have a lot of loads on the roof. Do not expect the clim in such a bus as well as a comfortable seat! Buses do not have shock absorbers and when they have some they are dead! They are pretty fast drivers and some time if not always, dangerous !

Antigua Guatémala, first capitale of Guatemala the spanish built in 1543. Beautifully surrounded with 3 volcanos the Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. The Fuego is still alive and is 3766 meters high, the Agua 3766 m, while the Acatenango is 3976 meters high. Antigua is located is at 1500 m.

Streets with numbers cross others with names. Every street in Antigua is cobblestoned having high pavement along the houses painted with yellow ochre or brick red, which gives a very bright light to the city when the sky is grey. These little houses all have huge wooden doors ornated with wrought-iron gate, and lush patios so beautiful to look at. Many are the houses having been transformed into Hotel or restaurant and it is easy to push the door and have a look at these hidden architectural jewels. Everything here is a picture of the spanish heritage!.

Antigua is also the city of churches and convents, difficult to forget the influence of the catholic church and the Jesuit. Not one church forget to celebrate Saint Ignace de Loyola the founding farther of the Jesuit order. San Pedro is also venerate by the antiguan citizens. Indians are selling fresh fruit dipped into chocolate or tamales on the churches squares. Some of them pray whichever god inside, every one knows that the indians are being a past master in combining their pagan religions with the catholic one. Churches in antigua are also where begging takes place, and they are quite a lot to do so, sitted on the ground in a filthy and poor estate, expecting a quetzal or two to change their day into a better day. Poverty is omnipresent in Guatemala and it is not rare to observe people digging into trash to try to find some food.

Uneasy to imagine that someone can be starving when you walk around the market in Antigua where is gathered abundance of vegetables, meat, fresh or dried fishes. You just wonder who the hell can eat all that! It is true though that almost everywhere you see elderly people, young or kids sleeping in the street in a state of utter destitution.

In the evening the Market street becomes a huge restaurant where dozen of indian families sell hot food for less than 5 quetza, offering a stool to sit down. The place do not attract too many tourists but local people are plenty to enjoy the spicy food, quesadillas or tortillas with guacamole, or just a spicy hot soup, it is true that evenings are pretty cool at 1500 m high! .

Antigua is also a very famous place to learn spanish as you have nearly as many schools as you have houses! It is true that here too you speak spanish not only in spain and regarding the cost of life here and the tuition fees which are 50 us for a week, room hotels around 12 us per night, it is a pretty good option to remember if your kid ask to go abroad and learn spanish! And above all be sure he'll come back like a fish out of the water!

Places to visit in Antigua have nothing to do with Indian life! The guatemala indian past can only be found in their wonderful fabrics. We'll keep in mind churches, convents and cloisters.

Santa Clara convent founded under the franciscan order in 1693 was destroyed after the successives earhtquakes of 1717, 1734, 1773 and finally never rebuilt after the 1874 earthquake.

All these natural disasters were one of the main reason why the Spanish conquistadores decided to abandon Antigua for a safer place and moved to Guatemala ciudad. Since that time Antigua rests under the protective look of the Volcanos in a very quiet way of life, offering its charms to the tourists. Antigua is nowaday the most touristical site of the whole Guatemala.

The Merced, beautiful church which looks like a big cake covered with chantilly cream with whites friezes on a yellow ochre paint, was built in 1546 and rebuilt many times after the earthquakes. .

This pretty colonial town is very quiet and we appreciate walking around, not too many cars on the cobblestoned streets so it looks as if it was a pedestrian city! The streets are very nice and clean offering a old architectural building, or a door, or another church at every corner, it is a real pleasure to explore.

Time to leave the colonial Antigua to get in the Indian World. We get to Panajachel after a long and sinuous road in the mountain, and then driving down to the Lake Atitlan. The bus drives as fast as usually nevertheless we have time to admire the view. This lake is considered as one of the most beautiful lake in the world, and after seeing it we beleive so!! Lake Atitlan is 152 km2 and surounded with high volcanos. Most of their tops keeps hidden in the clouds.

Atitlan lake

Panajachel, on the edge of the Lake, is among one of the most touristical site around the lake, having all kind of restaurants and boutiques for tourists, hotels or posadas. Panajachel is the place where the lanchas or bigger power boats starts to get to other village around lake Atitlan. The fresh air of the 1560 meters high is wet so it seems colder that in Antigua. This lake came from an 85 000 years old eruption, not that young!! From century to century the water from the volcanos Toliman, Atitlan and San Pedro accumulated in this natural pond and the lake Atitlan was born.

Cakchiquel womens wear a traditionnal costume made up of a long skirt and a very colorful top as well but the main difference with other clans is in the way they arrange their hair. A long 10 meters fabrics enrolled around their long black hair and then mounted into a turban.

Panajachel beach and lanchas departure docks

San Pedro la laguna, little remote village located at the base of the volcano San Pedro, we can reach with a 30 minutes lancha trip. Much calmer than Panajachel, having some fresh coffe drying all over the island. Lake Atitlan is famous for its coffee considered as one of the best in Guatemala. Altitude here seems to be ideal for this type of culture and plantations are seen all around. The streets, rather paths, are like a labyrinthe. Most of the houses are still made up with dried briks, and it is easy to observe the ladies working on their weaving loom, creating such beautiful weaving.

Not on his boat but not far away from steering! - San pedro 's paths- coffee drying field

Solola located at 2060 meters high on the side of Panajachel is the most busy and colourful market to visit! Colors wake you up, no doubt! People here all wear the solola traditionnal costume.

Solola, indian market

The traditionnal mens solola costume is unique! An embroidered jacket, a red stripped trouser long or above the ankle, a sort of wool skirt brown and ecru on top of the trouser! On top or their head, a large cowboy hat, and a pair of square boot and wooden soles. The women costumes are mainly red, fushia and turquoise blue. Their hair are breaded in two long plaits with a weaving ribbon in it.

Solola men and women

Men are carrying such heavy and large loads they walk half bended, when women carry loads of fabric on top of their head as well as vegetables, and often have a baby, on their back, so well hidden into a large woven scarf it is even difficult to see it!

Abundance of provision here too on the market with dry fishes, vegetables and also many gorgeous weavings. we stop a while in the park and observe smiling people. kids are nice and are observing us constantly but never beg for money. On the other hand if you want to take a picture, they ask for quetzals, so we take pictures trying to be very discreet.

Dried fishes!!!

To get to Chichicastenango we take a chicken bus. The road from Encuentros to Chichi is fascinating. Dangerous bends all over, precipice, splendid landscape looking like to French Pyrenees, as well as reckless driver! Bus drivers all race together while driving up the hills ignoring facing cars! Once in Chichi we jump off the bus avoiding the unloading of all sort of goods from the roof of the bus!

Chichi is a mountain village very famous in gathering the biggest indian market in the area. Except it has become a real weaving, cheap wooden masks, and every kind of stuff a tourist wish to find, the village is rhythmed with its two weekly market. Indians come early to install their stands and remain there until they leave. The main attraction here is in the local cooking restaurant to serve food to all the indians set all over the market. Aesthetic pleasure as well as taste, and smell!

Weavings , weavings everywhere !

The most unexpected in Chichi are the churches. Two white churches are facing one another and stands on the top of a dozen stairs to oversee the market place. Down the stairs copal is burnt constantly. Stairs are covered with indians selling their goods and also flowers, copal and rose petals to male offering inside the churches. Catholic churches of course as well as the priest is eventhough he is hardly accepted by the indians and their pagan rituals. It is here in this church that you understand the whole point of synchretics religions, amalgam in between their own ancient rituals never abandonned and the catholicisme imposed to us. Offerings are done on the floor of the churches, with candles, food, drinks, and prayers. Sorceres spread copal all over the place waiting for an indian to ask him to intercede with gods for him. Inside the church the priest is doing a mass for the few catholics remaining in chichi..

Church and indians - the market - Entrance of the church where syncretics rituals are going on.

The market reaches the church as well as the copal smokes !

In the street, the market is on and indians are pretty busy as tourists starts arriving and then the market becomes lest and less local colours!!

A chicken bus take us back to Guate through the same precipices roads! Driver is as crazy as on our way in and after a long trip we arrive safe in Guate. Not easy to find your way in such a huge city especially when you have no idea where the bus dropped you. People are however very helpful and kindly a bus driver will drop us right in front of the tourism office and from there it is easy to walk to the bus stop to Tikal.

To go to Tikal we have to go through Rio Dulce and it is a 7 or 9 hours trip. We take the next bus as we do not feel like spending a night in Guatemala ciudad. Needless to say that we have not seen much of the capital, except the Civic Center, the court house, and a burger king where a guy wearing an orange suit, handcuffed and under "escort", is ordering food. Nothing strange about that, since we discover the next day that the guy was a condamned to death after trial. Last wish or jsut a convenient way to feed the prisoner, we'll never know. Rare in Guatemala city are the indians wearing traditional clothes, it just look like any important capital in the world.

Our bus to Tikal is almost empty and we are offered a little snaks, then the bus stops two more times during the 9 hours needed to get there. While it is the daytime we can enjoy the landscape but as soon as it is the night, just nothing to look at. As we pass Rio Dulce it is pouring and when arriving in Flores, only city before Tikal, we are exhausted but have to get up early the next morning as Tikal minibus leaves at 7.00 pm.

TIKAL

Tikal is located right in the middle of the mayan biosphere, a protected reserve of 1.844.900 ha, in the North Eastern Guatemala and in Petel, also considered as a humanity worldwide heritage since 1979. Tikal is also one of the biggest of the maya civilization offering the nicest pyramids ever discovered.

To find a trace of the Mayas in the Peten brings you back to 800 BC, when Peten was rich in flint, used for knives and arrwheads. Tikal buildings probably started in 200 AD, as Tikal was a prosperous cultural and religious center of a 100 000 inhabitants.

Tikal faced the invasion of Lord Agua coming from Caracol in Belize in 500 AD. In 700 AD, the city is back to its military power En l'an 700, la ville retrouve sa puissance militaire et une certaine splendeur, because of Lord AhCacao. On steles a representation of this King can be seen all over Tikal. 900 AD announce the decline of this brilliant maya culture and at the same time decline of the city.

Tikal was discovered in 1848, and from this time archeological research succeeded one another and still does. Tikal seems a never ending work, bringing everyday a new discovery and secrets.

16 km2 is the area of Tikal City which cover places of worship and history in the middle of a lush rainforest where hollow monkeys jump from branch to branch, birds singing unknown sounds. It is such huge park you forget easily other tourists discovering Tikal as well as you.

It is not only beautiful but majestic! The trees are also something great to look at, so huge like the Kapok tree or the sapodilla tree, used by the mayas to buil the temples roof structures, the sap used by the chicleros to make the Chewing gum!

6 hours to stride along this beautiful archeological site, to climb up and down the pyramids, some of them perilous! Some have been preserved from damages caused by tourists, with stairs giving access to the top and built close to one edge of the pryramid.

Tikal over, we head back to Flores a lovely semi pedestrian town, extemely quiet and pleasant. We enjoy there a refreshing liquados, a kind of fresh fruit mixed up with ice and water. The same thing with milk is called... Milk shake! Then it is time for us to head back to RIo Dulce.

Earthpeople of a short moment, it is time to go back to Iritis after this inland trip we enjoyed and do not regret a minute. This immersion in the mayan world was delightful. Even if we got a weavings and colours overdoses, it was great discoveries! Some will say we could have visit Quiriga, Uaxactun, Ceibal and others! Any way we choose Tikal to travel in the past in Guatemala.

However we do not leave Rio Dulce without a little visit to San Felipe castillo built in 1595 upon the requirements of the governor. In 1640 pirates attacks intensified and the castillo buildings strenghtened and until 1736 this fortress will benefit from improvement and extensions. In 1955, the castillo, upon original documents held by archives of Indies territoriesin Spain, will be restored. Its position at the entry of the very quiet Lago Izabal is nowaday a great place for guatemala's tourism.

We are now ready to answer the call of the beautiful blue sea and ready to sail to Belize.