Santiago Atitlan
Yesterday morning we boated across the beautiful Lake Atitlan for a visit to the village of Santiago Atitlan. This area is known for its colorful and intricately woven textiles and we saw them in stalls and worn by the local women, but not so much worn by men.
I am also encountering lots of masks and have acquired 5 more (so far) for my mini museum.
While in the village, we visited an Ah Pop, a Mayan spiritual guide. He performed a ritual honoring Maximon, a Mayan god who is blended with Catholic meaning. The spiritual guide spoke in a Mayan language and our guide explained that since we were not Mayan, the Ah Pop was forbidden to translate what he said.
First he lit a bunch of candles, then put a cigarette in the mouth of the effigy, then gave him some spirits to keep Maximon happy. Then he chanted and swung a pail with burning incense. To find out more about Maximon, go here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximón
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