mayan + catholic practies in Guatemala

when the conquistadors arrived and introduced catholicism there was resistance by the mayans.  the spanish built over the existing religious sites and did other crappy things which are pretty standard 'art of war' practices.  and the mayan did adopt catholicism.  they also kept their old mayan practices as well and often you see the practices side by side.  these colored candles have a lot of significance for the mayan and there are separate altars just outside the entrance of the catholic churches where it is acceptable for the mayan catholics to light their candles.  they just can't go inside the church where only traditionally white candles are used.  

red - love, clarification and represents the east.  black - cuts negative energy and represents the west.  white - purification of the mind and represents the north.  yellow - the energy of life and represents the south.  green - hope.  light blue - fortune.  purple - removes illness.  pink - fixes love

there are multiple combinations that enhance specific intentions, like mixing the white and blues will give you spiritual powers like intuition and vision.  more here.

first the romans

day processions

night processions

going to a procession

cuaresma

lent.  it's been around for a long time - like 2000 years.  it is called cuaresma here.  most people know what ash wensday is but the significance here is amplified.  this year the begining of a time of austerity and internalization for catholics lands on a day otherwise known best for a celebration of lovers.  february 14. so a bit awkward.

mardi gras isn't really a thing here but they give lent a whole new meaning.

i haven't commented on this because i've been watching and trying to understand the unique relationship Antigua and Guatemala has with lent [cuaresma].  also, as an outsider it is really easy to see the rediculousness of the traditions.

when i first arrived i was creeped out by the veneration of the religious statues in the churches.  i'm not sure why, i grew up in the catholic church, i had been around them all my life.  maybe i have spent too much time in the east.  

these religious statues are kept year round is specific churches.  each week during lent there are processions as statues are moved from church to church or on sundays, they are just taken out for a really long walk.  so more on the processions next....

new boots

total gringo thing to do but i love them and they are sooo comfortable.  a pueblo outside Antigua called Pastores is known for making boots.  so about two weeks ago i went out to see about a new pair of boots.  the cream color caught my eye and so i had a pair made.  i went out to pick them up last week and i was really not happy because they were too big.  went back out today and they fit perfect.

i had been resistant to getting some made because they are leather which gives me a twinge of guilt but at at $40US i had to have me a pair.

video of honduras

 

money, recrossing the border, navigation and rental car

$0.20 - twenty cents american

we ended up not changing any money as we were able to get around using our credit cards and american dollars.  i had filled the gas tank in guatemala so i wouldn't have to in Honduras and that worked out great.  we ended up with a few lempira notes as change for coffee in one shop [give them american dollars - they give you a really crappy exchange rate - you get change back in local money] 

driving back to the border the road had dried out enough in washed out places that traffic was moving quickly.  

we all had valid stamps for Guatemala in our passports and since we had not been stamped out [just stamped into Honduras] i drove past the immigration buildings and to the Guatemalan border gate.  i get challenged by someone in the car who was either just thinking out loud or wanted to go stand in more immigration lines.  i say let's see what happens and let's not make it more complicated than it needs to be.  it takes a minute for the guard to walk out of his shack and he lifts the gate and waves us through.  i shout a 'muchas gracias' and it was that easy.  i don't believe we did anything improper but remote border crossings are always unpredictable so someone else might have a different experience.  

the route we took back was not the same because of a navigation error.  i had fallen asleep in the back seat and when i woke up we were off route.  so, not a big deal but driving in remote areas does require both a skilled driver and some with navigation skills.  roads are poorly marked and google maps/waze was not 100% reliable.

when i return the rental car there is of course a final surprise, the contract is in US$ but when you return the car if you don't pay in US$ cash then they convert using a very bad exchange rate and charge your credit card at the much higher Guat quetzales rate.  this pissed me off because it's just a blantant rip off but i need the transaction to go on my cc for coverage reasons.  i told them i would dispute the added costs with my cc company - which i did because i had a contract in US$ and didn't pay the extra amount.

this was a great adventure and i had a wonderful time.  i hope that my travels take me back to Honduras.

violence in Honduras & Guatemala

this topic is toxic but this is my opinion  -  i try very hard not to make it worse than it is but to see it how it really is.

competition to be the most violent country in Central America is fierce.  the top contenders of the moment are El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.  Honduras has been in the news at the moment because of the violence and protests surrounding the recent elections.  in my time there i was cautious but did not see any evidence of violent crimes in the area i visited.

image from theindependent.co.uk

from my short time talking to people in Honduras there are bigger problems than the protests around the elections. it's the narcotics industry that is impacting the country.  due to flight logistics the major drug producing countries of south america need to land their planes in Honduras then move the drugs over land from there to the US.  hundreds of airstrips have popped up creating a new crop of narco warlords.

likewise, the same trends are visible in Guatemala as that money creeps north.  they aren't going to target expats or tourists but it is still possible to get caught in the crossfire.  

the narcotics industry and ultimately poverty are systemic problems that need to be addressed by sustainable economic solutions in developing countries.  

on security, i don't trust expats or other travelers because everyone's security experience, exposure and risk tolerance is different and just as important every culture has it's own nuances.

the real experts on the level of danger in a country are the insurance guys  [and the O&G sector]. they pay people to evaluate the social, political and economic stability of a country to make sure they aren't overexposed.  in my experience that list is far more valuable than what comes out of the state department in the US. 

asked recently by a Canadian about security in Guatemala this is what i said:

death, violent attacks and sexual assault - yes, it's possible but easy to minimize this risk by not going into the specific regions known to have high levels of related activities.  specific zones in Guat City and a few rural areas.

home property theft - yep.  expats are a big target here and the longer you live here the risk increases.  in my opinion, this is usually not random so it's just makes sense the longer you are here to more service providers will be in the house and it's just a matter of time.

street crime - more than most countries and being a gringo i know that i am a bigger target.  i minimize risk by carrying limited amounts of cash, don't wear expensive jewelry, expose my camera or phone on the street, carry technology [other than a phone] or walk alone after dark.  where i live it's easy and safe to use taxis/ubers after dark.  risk goes up during holidays.

in Guatemala i feel more safe here than in Africa, less safe than in Asia or the US.  still, the only place i have ever been robbed at gunpoint or had my home robbed is in the US.