Momostenango

Joined a Celas Maya trip to Momostenango today. It is a bit farther up the same windy road I traveled by chicken bus to visit the San Francisco de Alto market many weeks ago. I am not a fan of this road. The views are wonderful, but the curves are enough to make me ill. Momostenango is known for its wool products, especially blankets. The most expensive of the blankets are designed for weddings, so I thought there might be a chance I could find a gift for someone. I did not see them fitting anyone I know getting married this summer particularly well, but I did purchase one of the smaller ones, which I intend to use as a rug in my (new to me) apartment.

I find it increasingly difficult to take photos as I travel. Every time I lift my camera to capture a moment in time, I feel as if I am interfering in someone`s life in a way s/he may not appreciate. So, I hesistate and more than not decide not to take the photo. Most of the photos I take are for the people who are not here with me, to be able to share this time with them, rather than for my own memories. I will simply have to rely on my abilities to describe what I observed.

Our guide today was Tanya, a teacher at Celas Maya. She is a far superior guide to the typical Icara Tours guide (thank goodness). Upon arriving in Momostenango we walked up to the top of a hill (I suppose mountain is more accurate) to take in the view of the area. While there we were able to observe a couple of Mayan gentlemen saying prayers at a simply, outdoor, sacred place. They had handfuls of thin candles, and from what I could interpret, they were saying prayers with the offering of each one. Rather than lighting each, there was a fire burning in the alter and the candles were tossed into this fire. A Mayan cross was placed at the edge of the hill overlooking the valley below -- a lovely, peaceful place. In constrast to this, the catholic church was built in the center of town, around which the market gathers. Here we found a large, decorated building overflowing with the flock during the celebration of the mass.

After a quick walk through the market to see what there was to see, we jumped back into the van to meet some people from a cooperative. We picked up one of the cooperative leaders at a gas station in town, and he directed us out into the rural area where the community lives. The people living outside Momostenango are extremely poor, like so many Mayan people in Guatemala. Their cooperative is comprised of 300 members, each representing a local family, who take on roles in working to address pressing issues such as: Infrastructure -- their rode is unpaved and quite windy and their is not a proper school for the children; Agriculture -- families with irrigation systems are much more successful in this area and they desire to learn more about revenue-generating products; Health -- women in particular learn about more nutricious cooking practices; Environment -- they need to use the local forest resources to cook and sell for income, but are also concerned with planting new trees and taking care of the land; and these are just the beginnings of their needs. They have recently learned about EnreMundos in Xela and are hopeful that this organization can help them find resources to assist them in their projects. There is so much poverty in Guatemala it is difficult to know where to direct funds that may be available. In my short time here, I have learned about three different cooperatives all working to help improve the lives of different Mayan communities who receive little attention from their government.

After a longer stop back at the market for lunch and more thorough browsing or shopping, we went to visit a place called Los Rios (I think I have that right). It is a small national park which shows what happens when a mountain begins to break apart. It looks something like the stalagmites you find in a cave (check out the photos to get a better understanding). A few of us climbed up on top to get a better view, but most people were content lounging at the bottom.

By the time we got back to Xela I, and many others, were ready for a big meal. I had eaten a couple of granola bars for breakfast and only grabbed what I thought would be relatively safe to eat in the market, homemade french fries (deep-fried, of course) and corn on the cob. The chicken was tempting, but I just do not want to deal with the ills of street food. I splurged on a pizza at Tecun Saloon, and by splurge I mean I spent a whole $7.00 on one meal. Definitely worth it! And now I am going to sign off to meet up with Jim and Freddy at a more posh Italian joint a couple streets over from where I am now. Adios!