Guatemala, home of the ancient Maya culture, reveals still more of her present-day secrets to the Budget Babe's International Travel Advisor Fifi LaMode. —TBB
by Fifi LaMode
Our guide felt one market was not enough for us, so after departing Chichicastenango we were treated to a vegetable market in
Almalonga, where they had the hugest carrots I'd ever seen, along with limes the size of grapefruits. Not genetically altered either, it's just how they grow them here.
Next there was the animal market at
San Francisco del Alto, teeming with pigs, goats, cows, sheep and pedigreed puppies (don't ask). Along the way Tony tells us all the things that have come from this area: Chewing gum - the word "chicle" like in Chiclets," is Mayan; cotton - the Mayan word is "kotone," tomatoes (who knew?), avocados, chilies and squashes, among others. Chocolate came from the Aztecs up in Mexico, but they have it here too.
Then we stopped in an obscure town called
San Andres Xecul and were led to the square. There stands the most peculiar church you will ever see. Remember about the fusion of Mayan and Catholic beliefs (
see article on Chichicastenango)? This church takes the cake: Yellow facade (color of corn and the sun, i.e. life), 2 lions representing the coat of arms of the King of Spain, except they're not really lions at all, they're jaguars (Hey King, we're just peasants, we're not very good at making lions! Ha ha, joke's on you, your Maj!). Then there's loads of cute angels with jaguar heads underneath, and corn motif artwork. This is all done in various colors and makes religion look like a happy thing. Their God is forgiving and kind, not vengeful and austere.
