Maximon, spirituality and fun at the Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala

I arrived in Panajachel, the main town where most people go to begin exploring Lake Atitlan and was relieved to have had a safe ride, since the day before a bus had been robbed which later turned into the people burning down the jail and cop cars to get their hands on the criminals. The main part of town is basically one street that starts on a main street and ends at the docks by the lake. The street is full of stores selling all kinds of Guatemalan products from colorful pants, bracelets, purses and even more colorful paintings. There are also many restaurants, hotels and internet cafes. As I am walking down to street to try and find the hostel where I would be staying I am surprised once again by Eve who was having breakfast with some friends. I knew she would be there, but still had no idea of how I was going to find her, and once again things worked out perfectly. I sat with them as they finished breakfast and then dropped of my bag where they were staying.

We decided to take a tour of the lake. It is a beautiful crater lake
surrounded by volcanoes and you can visit different towns across the
lake. We talked with some locals who owned a boat and agreed on a
price to visit two different communities San Pedro de la Laguna and
Santiago de Atitlan, both Mayan villages.

                                           

 The group getting ready for the boat ride

                            
 Lago de Atitlan
                            

Some of the weavers at one of the Villages

The Lake

  Our awesome guide who taught us all about the mass killing of people in a plaza in 1990 and how because of it there was no longer an army allowed in those villages. Because of that we were safe since people took the laws in their own hands, and we were told we would not be robbed, since the locals would lynch the criminal.

At the docks of Santiago de Atitlan we met the guide who would take us to see Maximon. Maximon is a saint that is taken care of by one person in the village. That person is in charge of housing the saint, watching it, putting it to bed at night and receiving visits. Every year Maximon is moved to a new house which will then take the responsibilities of taking care of the saint. There are several parties held for Maximon during the year and we missed one by two days when we arrived at the island. Our guide then led us to a local´s home where the saint was being held and as we walked in there was a ceremony happening with prayers, lit candles and incense. We eatched the ceremony and gave the saint some of his favorite gifts, cigars and rum. The person in charge of Maximon leaned the wooden statue back and poured the rum into his mouth, he then put a cigarrete in his mouth, lit if and left the saint there to smoke in peace. It was an incredible experience to see this wooden figure, with several colored ties around his neck, smoking cigarretes while people were praying around him. It is interesting seeing the mixture of catholicism and mayan religion in these communities.

 San Pedro de la Laguna

Back in Panajachel for a goodbye street dinner of delicious Guatemalan food

Once Eve and her friends left I walked around Panajachel and met a few artisans who were selling their work on the streets. I bought my favorite earring and asked them to teach me how to make bracelets. I was instantly hooked and that afternoon I left to the market to buy thread and by the end of the day had met other artisans who taught me a few different ways to make bracelets. I then decided to spend a few more days in San Pedro and visit the spiritual island of San Marcos.

Ruben, Maxi and another friend...

Dock at San Marcos

San Marcos was a beautiful island, very calm relaxing where we had fresh squeezed juice on the decks and watched as children fished and boats came and went. At San Marcos there are a lot of spiritual places for Yoga and other types of retreats and for some random reason I had a feeling that I needed to have my cards read. I ahve always been afraid of Tarot, not knowing what my future would hold and scared of what the cards would tell me, but being there I felt like it was the moment in my trip and my life where a little bit of guidance my be a good help. So I went to one of the spiritual centers and was welcomed into a small wooden cabin in the middle of trees, where a man dressed in white welcomed me and asked me to sit. I am not sure how long I was on that cabin for, but it felt like a lifetime and the incredible energy of that experience still flows through me. I laughed and cried, heard an unknown man speak so many deep truths about myself and finally left satisfies, content with life and with a new view of Tarot cards. It was one of the most honest and open moments I have ever had in my entire life and I was happy to have left my fears behind and open my heart to the experience. San Marcos is a place I would love to return with more time, to take part in the full moon retreat and spend some time working on my spirituality, and if I do, my mom is coming with.

After San Marcos and one last night in San Pedro I went back to Panajachel to take the bus that would take me to Antigua. I went to the internet to check on my e-mail and waste some time before I left. As I was chatting online I heard a lot of people screaming outside and when I looked people were running down the street like crazy, the stores began to close and in less than one minute the metal door to the internet cafe closed. I was locked inside, not knowing what was happening on the outside, just hearing loud shouts and noises and waiting to see what would happen. I think about 40 minutes must have passed with all of us inside, confused and scared before the doors were openened and we were alowed out. As I walked down the street it was deserted, most stores and restaurants were still closed and I walked around confused. I found out I would have to spend another night in Pana and wait for the bus the next day because the streets had been closed. I run into Ruben who explains that 2 women and one man were trying to rob an old lady, people found out what was happening and chased them. The women were taken to jail and a mob of people followed them because they don´t believe in the justice given by the police and know they will be set free the next day.  The man was caught by the mobbed and killed with two machete hits to the head, there was blood everywhere and after he hit the floor people continued to hit him and wanted to burn him, but the police came in time to stop them. Police vehicles were overturned but at the end peace was restored and the body taken away. It was a scary experience being locked inside, but I can imagine how crazy it must have been on the outside watching Guatemalans taking justice into their own hands.

  Riot smoke found on the floor after the mob attack