Lago Atitlan

Lago Atitlan is on the western side of Guatemala. It is surrounded by mountains, three of which are volcanoes. The day I arrived it was cloudy, so much that we could not see too far ahead. Next day, it was clear, and the view of the lake was perfect. I spent three days here and learned about the Cofradias, saw murals with scenes of the local life, and had nice views of the natural settings. All the towns are mostly indigenous, and each one of them speaks a different Mayan dialect, and some even have different traditional clothings. Very interesting!

Cofradias

Cofradias are altars in private homes featuring each the twelve Apostles, the Holy Family, and the Holy Trinity. Some towns have more of these than others. Once a year at different times, each altar is moved to another home which is selected by a committee formed by the local church and government officials. The selection system and everything that has to be done to set up the altars seems very complicated and elavorated. They have been doing does for so long I guess. Aside from the traditional Catholic saints, there are two other saints, which are a mix of Mayan and Catholic tradition: Maximon and San Simon.

I first went to Santiago to see Maximon, a small statue to whom believers bring cigarettes and liquor as donations. Yes, the spirit smokes and drinks, and when the burning cigarette that is place in its mouth finishes, another one goes in! And the rest of the cigarette? Well, some people take the filter for good luck. His wife is right behind him, also smoking, but apparently she doesn’t drink. When I visited, the place was dark, with little lights decorating the altar, and a Crucifix right above.

The next two Cofradias I visited were the Holy Family, and San John the Baptist and the Apostle, both in the town of San Juan. Here I met the families who set up the altars. Participating families are very catholic people who engage in church activities all year long, and if selected, it is considered an honor to set up an altar in their homes for a full year. They prepare a room only for the altar, and visitors pay a minimum “volunteer” donation of 5 Quetzales, which eventually goes to church.

The Cofradia for the Holy Family had a mix of the same statues from different years. The oldest one was well over 200 years! The Cofradia for Saint John had some technology, with a fountain and running water, representing the river where Jesus was baptized by John. Each one is different and special, and based on how much work they put into the altars, one can see how strong the tradition is.


Towns and Nature

The lake is very nice and relaxing. I did some kayaking and swimming, and the water was nice, although the days were cold. One of the nicest mountains is La Nariz del Indio – the Indigenous Nose, which can be hiked. It really looks like a nose! Around the lake it is common to see women washing their clothes, and men getting ready to go fishing, ln Santiago, there is a traditional Mayan laundry area made of a series of flat stones.

Santiago is one of the towns with more history and cultural attractions. It is the largest and has a total of 13 Cofradias and a really old church dating from 1547 - the wood statues inside are just as old! Women here wear a hut made of a long red belt and open on the upper part. Not all women wear it as it is not cheap, but they do during special celebrations. Also, the men wear traditional colonial clothing including a regular cowboy-looking hut, a dress shirt, and short pants with white stripes just below the knees, and a belt made of Tela, which is also often used by women as scarves. The pictures in the albums, I actually had to pay 5 Quetzales, which is the average payment almost everywhere.

Parque de la Paz (Peace Park) is a historical and emotive place in Santiago. There are 13 plaques signaling the place where 13 people were massacred by the army during the civil war on December 2, 1990. The youngest victim, Nicolas Ajtujal Sosof was only 5-years-old. Years later, the park became one of the first places where a series of peace accords were signed leading to the end of the war in 1996. Seeing the plaques scattered around the park made me imagine where the dead bodies were found after the killing. Thinking that innocent people including children were massacred there gives me the chills.

San Juan is one of the smallest towns. What I liked the most about this place was the murals representing scenes of nature, town life, injustices, bad days, good days, and hope for the future. San Pedro is probably the most active town, and it is no wonder most travelers stay here. It is nice, there are Spanish schools, volunteer opportunities, has lots of restaurants and cafes. Here I stayed at Yo Mama’s. Very laid back! Panajachel and San Marcos are two popular towns for handcrafts and swimming, and there is also paragliding. So, lots of things to do here before going to sleep at 10.

Photo album

• Lago Atitlan