Belize City and the last of the Tour

We started out early (7am after breakfast) Tuesday on our trip from Flores, Guatemala to Belize City, Belize.  On our way we got to stop at another Mayan site, Yaxha National Park.  This park is a bit off the beaten track and we had the park to ourselves.  Richard got us local guide but he only spoke Spanish so he was of questionable value to us.   Still we had a nice two hour tour about some of the grounds.  Once again the site was so large you could spend days investigating it.  The more I learn about the Mayas the least I think I know.  For example, pyramids are always built in pairs except when they are built for astronomy, ceremonies, etc.  So I think it is safe to save pyramids are built in pairs except when they are not.

Any way, Yaxha was noted for have wide limestone paved roads between settlements.  Richard said these roads were the the ancestor of interstate highways.  I wonder if Dwight Eisenhower knew that?

Here are some of the pictures:

After we got done at Yaxha, it was back on the bus.  We got to the Belize border about 1:30pm after we had stopped for lunch.  The Belize border is noted for their inconsistent handling of people.  We had to take all our luggage and go through immigration and customs by ourselves while our bus was fumigated.  Belize had an immigration form for everyone to complete but their officials all handled it differently.  Hopefully that will not come back to haunt any of us when we leave Belize.  

Once in Belize we got an local guide who gave us a commentary for the remaining trip in Belize City.  This city is only about 60,000 to 70,000 but it is the largest city in Belize (total population about 300,000).  It looks to me like a little old town that just exploded.  Traffic is a mess with narrow streets and the city does have a bad reputation.

On Wednesday morning we left Belize City for a day trip to Lamanai, yet another Mayan city.  First we had an 1/12 hour bus trip to get a speed boat for another hour to arrive at the Lamanai site.  During this time we got another local guide, Nate.  Nate turned out to be one of the best local guides we encountered.  He corrected a few things from the prior day’s local guide and gave us a running commentary during the bus ride.  Did you know that Mennonites constitute one of the largest segments of Belize’s population?   These Mennonites are a bit like a combination of our Amish and Mennonites as they look Amish but each community has they own practices as how strict they are.  They came from Canada to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.  These Mennonites left Mexico and came to Belize when Mexico wanted them both to vote and to participate in the army.  Belize was a much better place for them as Belize has neither such requirements.  BTW, Belize only has a total population of about 300,000.  It is the least populated country in Central America.  Apparently, people don’t like to live in hot humid climate where the Mosquitoes are always swarming!

On the way to the boat we stopped for a group photo at the famous Belize sign

From left to right: Blake, Susan, Dean, Bev (Blake's mom), Richard (guide), Trudy, me, Nate (local guide), Charles, Jane, Marian, Don and Betty.  Ann (Don's wife) didn't want in photo

Once we docked at the Lamanai site, we toured the Mayan ruins there.  Unfortunately by this time, all the ruins are looking alike to me.  Here are some photos:

Yet another ball court:

Come on inside:

Jaguar Pyramid:

Can you make out the 3D head of the jaguar?

These Lamanai ruins are a popular destination for the cruise ships.  We saw two cruise groups during our tour.  What was apparent was the huge size of some of these people!  It was a very hot and humid day and these very overweight passenger were struggling just to get around.  One woman had the guide to herself as he helped her the best he could so she could make it back to the dock and the rest of her group.

Anyway, after the tour we had a picnic lunch that Nate’s wife had prepared for us.  It was chicken, beans and rice and coleslaw.  Pretty good for a picnic.  After lunch, Nate took us to see a old sugar mill that operated here from 1860 to 1875.  It shut down as the Mosquitoes were so bad (believe me, they still are!).

Note the neat tree growing up through the mill.  It makes it look much more interesting, doesn’t it?

An old train engine nearby the sugar mill.

We returned to the hotel about 4pm.  I had time so then I walked about ‘downtown’ Belize City.  I discovered that it seemingly is as dumpy as it appears!

I woke up Thursday morning with a bad cold!  This was not a good thing as I have had a history of difficulties in the past with colds and flying!  Still, it was my going home day so Richard took me and the rest of the group to the airport for our return flights.  I was the only one on the flight to Miami.  My flight left on time and actually arrived in Miami a bit early.  I wasn’t too congested when I arrived in Miami.  But I had a big of issue with the timing there as it was raining.  Did you know that the baggage crews there don’t work in rain storms?  I discovered that as I waited over 40 minutes for the shower to end.  In total, it took well over an hour took to retrieve my luggage.  By the time I got through Customs (another 15-20 minutes), I just made my connecting flight to DCA.

This flight wasn’t great for me as the ears and sinuses really clogged up.  By the time I arrived in DC (about 20 minutes late) I could barely hear!  Of course, I couldn’t wait to get home.  But I to wait another 30 minutes for my bag, catch Metro and then get a taxi.  Still I made it home after a wonderful time.  Now I just hope to get rid of all this sinus congestion... 

From Antigua to Flores

On Sunday morning November 29th I took the optional OAT tour Life in Guatemala’s Mayan Villages.  As such we went by tour bus to the village of Santa Maria de Jesus.  Although this village is only 4km from Antigua it seems like it is isolated as we saw no other tourists the entire morning.  

Richard had plan for us to arrive just before mass let out at the village church so we could see all the people wearing their traditional dress.  But, alas, for some unknown reason mass was let out about 40 minutes early!  So we only saw a few people who hung around.  Still we tour the small church.

Altar

View from inside church front door

After a walk through the village market, we took the bus to another village, San Juan del Obispo.  Here we met up with Lucy the owner of a small shop there that makes handmade chocolate solely for hot chocolate.  We got to see the whole process.

Here I am roasting the cocoa beans

Lucy and Jane, a fellow traveler, are breaking so the roasted bean shells

Jane is sifting the cocoa meat from the shells

Once the cocoa meat is separated, then you must press it out by kneading on a type stone board in order to turn it into cocoa butter.  Then you add sugar and any other natural flavor you may want to add.  The final product is a hard paste which is either made into tablets or dry into powder.  These tablets and powder are sold so customers can make hot chocolate by simply had hot water or milk and mixing.

After a large lunch, we then left for the airport in Guatemala City.  On the way, we saw more eruptions from Fuego Volcano.

This view of Fuego is a bit blurred but you get the idea

We arrived at the airport over 2 hours early for our flight only to discover it was delayed.  They estimated it would be 1:35 hour delayed.  However after about 2 hours of waiting, they announced that the flight was canceled as the pilot was incapacitated.   Richard, our group leader, was quick to respond.  The airline offer him a free hotel and meals at an airport hotel for all 13 of us.  But that would have messed up the itinerary so Richard hung tough.  The airline finally decided it was in they best interest to cancel another flight that was using the same type of small turboprop plane.  Thus the plane to Managua, Nicaragua became out plane to Flores, Guatemala.  When all was said and done, we got to our hotel in Flores about 2 hours late.

On Monday morning we left our Flores hotel early and took the 1+ hour bus trip to Tikal Natural a Park.  This may be the largest Mayan ruins site as it is massive with just a small part uncovered and then even a smaller part that was restored.  The Mayas pyramids were solid stone structures.  But the Mayas would built over these pyramids again and again every hundred or so years.  So it is common to see three set of stairs when the pyramids make apart.

A scale model of the main part of Tikal

An unusual tree in the park that is being run over by air plants!

Mayans always built their pyramids in pairs

More ruins…

We returned to our hotel in Flores in the middle of the afternoon.   Tomorrow we have a long bus ride to Belize.

Antigua

One last view on Lake Atitlan as we left town.On Thursday morning (Thanksgiving)  we left our hotel in Panajachel and headed towards the big Thursday market in Chichicastenango.

One last view on Lake Atitlan as we leave town

During the trip, we stopped in a small town where Richard met up with this shaman who was on his way to perform a ceremony at the cemetery.  He is famous locally as he accompanied Nobel Peace Prize winner, Rigoberta Menchu, to Norway in 1992 to perform a ceremony for her.  

On arrival in Chichicastenango, we met up with two local guides that Richard had arranged for  previously.  Then we went for a tour of both the market and the town.

This large Indian market operates on both Thursdays and Sundays.  It is centered about a  large central plaza.

The produce market from above.  Note the basketball hoops.  Except for the two market days (Thursday & Sunday), this building serves as an indoor basketball court.

The local worship is a combination of Indian and Christian elements in the local parish church of Santo Tomás built in1540.

Santo Tomás and the shamans ‘smoking' the entrance to prevent evil spirits

Next to the Santo Tomás church is a Dominican monastery dating from 1542; in it the Popol Vuh, a well-known Mayan manuscript, was found in 1690.  Popol is a very important document in the history of the Mayas.  It tells about the creation of mankind.

This sign commemorates the the finding of the Popol Vuh

Local guide Tomas putting on an elaborate costume that is rented for semi annual pageants.

Colorful cemetery in Chichicastenango

Finally before we got to our hotel in Antigua, we stopped at a shop that converts US school buses into Guatemalan Chicken Buses.  The average conversion consist of shortening the bus by three rows of seats, replacing the seats, installing luggage racks inside over the seats and on the roof for luggage and painting the bus in custom colors.  This conversion cost only about $4,000 but takes about 6-7 weeks.  To that price an owner must add the cost of the used bus and cost of changing the transmission to a manual transmission (9 or 12 speed) and possibly the changing the engine to a larger one.  This buses are made to be fast in the hill country and to be small enough to maneuver around cramped areas.

A bus in process and Richard talking with the head worker

On Friday morning we walked down to the town market.  This day is devoted to “A day in the life” by OAT.  On the way to the market, we saw this man who is a member of the Antigua Fire Department working the street corner for donations.  Obviously, money is hard to come by here.

 

The market is also the Chicken Bus station for Antigua.  We were supposed to take a Chicken Bus to our next stop, a local town, Jocotenango.  But Richard decided that was a bit too dangerous as they have killed 279 Chicken Bus Drivers in Guatemala so far this year.  Apparently these drivers refused to be exhorted so the extortionists paid (man on a motorcycle) to have them shot while they are driving.

Instead of taking a Chicken Bus, we rode our own bus to Jocotenango.  On the way we stopped a local artist who does extensive sawdust sidewalk sculpture.  Actually he is a mason by profession but he does major art for the local pageants.  This art is only found Guatemala.  The artist buys the sawdust from local wood mills and then dye the sawdust by boiling it in dye pots.  Then the artists create their design from their own predetermined drawings and stencils.  

Here is me trying it out.  Maybe I missed my calling?

After the sawdust workshop, we stopped at a local primary and middle school that is sponsored, in part, by the Grand Circle Foundation.  This school is the first English/Spanish school in Guatemala.  It is free to the students for qualify as it is meant primarily for families that cannot afford alternatives.  Unfortunately today is in the middle of a school holiday (coffee harvesting) so there are no kids here.  Still the teachers wanted us to stop and tour the facilities as they want to thank all for Grand Circle for all their help.  Of course they are always looking for more sponsors…

After the school visit, we continued on to Jocotenango.  

The church in the main square in Jocotenango

We will have home-hosted lunch here by a family that is also supported by the Grand Circle Foundation.  But before lunch Richard gives us a little exercise.  He writes down items in Spanish of produce that will be used in today’s lunch.  Then he gives us some money and we are to purchase the items in the local market.  He also takes back the paper he wrote on so we couldn’t simply hand it to the produce vendor.  I got lucky in that I was to buy “seis chilies wake”.  I didn’t know what type of chilies they were but it was easy buying them.  I now know chilies wake are dried red chilies!

We gave all the produce to brought to the family for had already prepared lunch for us.  Belinda was our hostess.  She was helped out by her mother, sister and oldest daughter.  They prepared a nice meal consisting of tostadas, vegetables, chicken, a type of gravy, tortillas and, for dessert, a type of swe mole.

After lunch on the way back to Antigua, we stopped at a famous local artist that specializes to making model birds from clay.  Actually, he is internationally famous as he has personally shown his art in Europe and America numerous times.  He demonstrated his ability for us by sculpturing a bluejay while we talked with us!

On Saturday morning, we got a local guide to show us Antigua.  Antigua was the Spanish capital of the area until the big earthquake of 1774.  After many rumors, the King of Spain finally decided to move the capital in 1776 to the location now known as Guatemala City.  Apparently 1776 was a very happening year.

We started our city tour by going, by bus, to a scenic overlook over the town.

This volcano is the one that is really active.  According to the locals, it has been spurting lava the last few nights.

Then we took the bus back in town to tour the restored convent of Santo Domingo.  This incredible restoration was entirely paid for by the family that owns the Hotel Santo Domingo.  We started the tour two blocks away where the hotel has built an underground walkway/museum to continue the underground garage to the hotel.  

I don’t feel any photos can do justice to show off the magnificent way this hotel has be created around the ruins.  No expense has been spared in the restoration.  On top of that there are several museums here that are special unto themselves.  There is a museum that compares ancient sculptures to modern ones.  All sculptures here are works of arts!  Then there is a museum of of the statues found in the old churches here.  The detail of some of these works is remarkable.  Unfortunately photos are not allowed inside any of the museums.

Some of the ruins

The old main alter which is now used for weddings

Next we visited San Francisco Cathedral.  This was the home of Saint Peter of Saint Joseph (1626-1667).  The first saint from Central America.  People are still lining up here to visit his grave vault.  Pictures inside were not allowed.

Church and hospital run by Catholic Church and named after Saint Peter of Saint Joseph

Here is yet another church.  Although it was built in 1688, it looks much newer as the outside is redone every few years.

The Cathedral opposite the main plaza.  This church is really only a facade as the rest is in ruins.  

The main altar looking towars the front facade

The main plaza in Antigua

Tomorrow, Sunday, we will be traveling my plane to the Guatemalan lowlands.