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Xela

Monday, March 31st, 2008

Every day in Xela we wake up a little later and drank a little more coffee. We were just going with the flow.

Xela is like quicksand and people tend to stay there for months. We claim we were stuck there for a week because the buses shut down for most of Semana Santa. It wasn’t the delicious coffee and it certainly wasn’t the laid-back wine bars, we swear. The quicksand produces an interesting effect where long-term tourists interact with locals in a surprisingly positive fashion, spanish flourishes, and the Guatemalan university students mix with the language school students. Anyhow, we enjoyed it.

We left Xela more than a week ago though and have not had time to miss it. We’re a bit behind in updating but we hope to catch up before we leave on Thursday…

Semana Santa

Sunday, March 23rd, 2008

Good Friday Night ParadeMary on Easter SundayGood Friday Parade

We let Fat Tuesday come and go without realizing it had passed. The day after Adam was wondering why everyone had dirty foreheads and Cara drew upon her vast array of Catholic knowledge to conclude it was Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Subsequent Fridays were marked by slow somber nighttime processions carrying a float of Jesus and praying at impromptu altars throughout the streets. With the Friday before Holy Week, there came a dramatic increase in the fervor steadily rising until Good Friday.

A typical holy week procession includes hundreds of costumed people, 2 floats trailed by bands, and a string of Angels for at least 4 hours. In the streets, there are elaborate carpets of sawdust, flowers and pine needles. We watched 12 processions this week including 7 on Good Friday.  Before Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, the processions are regally purple. Men (up to 70 at a time) carry a float of Jesus bearing the cross, followed by a sad float of Mary born by women.

Promptly at 4pm, the parades switch gears. The bands begin playing funeral music. Everyone wears black, and Jesus rests in a glass coffin – or in one bizarre case, on a bed of purple bricks. A weeping Mary follows with her attendant veiled weeping women. The unofficial last element of the parade is the ice cream carts ringing their bells to entice the thousands of onlookers.

The onlookers divide their time between lining the parade route and reveling at the nearby carnival. Kids ride a hand-pushed pirate ship. Adults shop for pirated biblical DVD’s and everyone devours nachos, hot dogs, churros, pizzas, and tacos until after midnight.

After this spectacle Easter Sunday is a letdown with only one colorful celebratory parade and no chocolate bunnies. And our kitty did not come back to life. 🙁

Market Days

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
Calm Veggie Aisle in Antigua Flowers at Church in Chichicastanengo End of Day in Momostenango[Continue reading this entry]

Cliques

Thursday, March 13th, 2008
Adam at Volcan Pacaya Wine at Panza Verde During 2 1/2 months of low-budget travelling in Central America, we rarely get the opportunity to mingle with ... [Continue reading this entry]

Pase Adelante

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
The border on foot Iglesia de La Merced Our first impressions of Guatemala were the dry volcanic landscape and the snail passing our bus uphill. Almost ... [Continue reading this entry]

The Weekenders

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
Flowers being painted Dog relaxing in Apaneca El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, making most destinations a short hop from the capital. While travelling ... [Continue reading this entry]

Art and Music

Friday, March 7th, 2008
Suchitoto Church with Fireworks Throughout Suchitoto posters hang for a gallery opening on Sunday. Adam joked they might have wine so we should go, continuing our favorite Pittsburgh habit. I laughed. But lo ... [Continue reading this entry]