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Home , Culture of Guatemala, Ixil people, Maya peoples, Maya textiles

Maya and Traditions: Highlands TOUR OF GUATEMALA

Cultural Journeys

Mexico | Colombia | Panama | Bolivia | Peru www.tiastephanietours.com | (734) 769 7839 Textiles and Traditions: Guatemala Highlands TOUR OF GUATEMALA

The Guatemala countryside is beautiful and its people are warm. Surrounded by volcanoes, Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful places on earth. On this journey, we’ll travel to regions and com- munities in the Guatemala Highlands, home to the Maya people. Beginning in Guatemala , we’ll visit the Museum of and Museum of History, in order to get our grounding in the country we are about to visit. No-where is more colorful than the Chichicastenango market on Sundays. Here, we’ll see women selling “cortes”, wrap skirts in all colors and patterns of the famed Guatemalan “jaspe” or ikat. That said, we will visit the epicenter of Guatema- lan jaspe, by traveling to Totonicapan and Salcaja, home to the Maya-Kiche people. On Lake Atitlan we’ll travel by boat to the communities of San- tiago Atitlan, as well as San Juan La Laguna. In the afternoon, we’ll visit Santa Catarina Palopo, a lesser visited community on the shores of the Lake. No tex- tile trip would be complete without visiting Solola, a community of extraordinary ikat, and where the men are still seen in “traje”. Our trip ends in Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage town that has preserved its colonial flavor. Join us on this trip to explore the landscapes and living Maya !

LOCATION Itinerary

Day 1: Day 3: Arrival to Airport. Chichicastenango. hurt. Isolated by history and nature, they Meet and greet at Guatemala City Airport It is a must for most visitors to Guate- heartedly welcome Lunch will be in a and transfer to hotel in Guatemala City’s mala to visit Chichicastenango in one of home.In the afternoon, back to Acul’s finest district. Overnight in Guatemala City its market days: Thursdays and Sundays. dairy farm for overnight. at the WESTIN Camino Real Hotel. It is the largest and most colorful handi- (www.hotelcaminoreal.com.gt) crafts market in The Americas and even Day 5: Welcome dinner Cacao. though it is an area inhabited by the Maya Totonicapan. Kiche People, here you will see people ’ life still move around the Day 2: and products from all over the country. “Market Days” in the most important towns. Guatemala City Museums. The Saint Tomas Roman. Today is the day of the Maya-Kiche People, A good first morning in a Culture Oriented is a very good example of Guatemala´s One Million and a half are Guatemala Itinerary includes the visit religious syncretism. It was built on top of Maya-Kiche and with 100,000 inhabitants, to the Guatemala City Museums: Ixchel a pre-Columbian temple and it is still Totonicapan is one of their largest towns Museum of Maya Textiles and Popol Vuh considered sacred for the Maya that come and so is its market that takes place on Museum of History, both located in the to the stairway in front to burn incense Tuesdays and Saturdays. The market is same compound within Guatemala’s most and pray to their ancient Gods. In the af- very attractive and picturesque not only important private university. After lunch ternoon transfer to the area of another for its size but because it has not been in Guatemala City Historic Downtown, af- Maya People: The Ixil. Overnight in ´s “blessed” by tourism. The handicrafts that ternoon transfer to Tecpan, at 6,000 feet village of Acul in a dairy farm. are there for sale are not meant to be for above sea level, in the heart land of the tourists! They are made for themselves Maya Highlands. A useful word to know in Day 4: because the Maya of today, still wears any : “Thank you” in most Mayan Nebaj. and uses handmade garments and uten- is “Matiosh”. Today´s transfer In an extraordinary setting, waking up in a sils. Visiting Totonicapan includes going from Guatemala City to Tecpan (60 miles/2 rural area like Acul, listening to the roost- inside 2 homes. One will be the home of hours) will go through beautiful land ers and the village´s church bell is a great an artisan that works in clay ceramics. scape of Maya villages and their planta experience. After breakfast the town’s The other will be the home of a weaver tions of vegetables. Maya Peoples in Gua- “Culture House” will take care of organizing that works using large “foot pedal ” temala accounts for over two thirds of the a full day of sharing their way of life: back and at whose home lunch will be served. country’s population and they are divided strap of the area’s traditional The day ends at . Guate- in 22 groups, each with its own language patterns, local meal, music and traditions. mala’s second largest city. and costumes. Tecpan’s Maya People is The Maya lives in Nebaj, the Cackchiquel, more than Half a Mil- and Cotzal. These 3 towns were called the lion Guatemalans are Maya-Cackchiquel. “Ixil Triangle” during the Guatemala’s Civil Overnight at San Ricardo Farm and Lodge War (1961-1996) and they were deeply Itinerary

Day 6: Dia 9: Salcaja and Momostenango. we respect and support. Another boat Antigua. Most of the day will be spent between ride, now to Santiago Atitlan, also Tzutujil Is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and con- 8 and 9,000 feet above sea level. Taking People, with an interesting old church and sidered one of the best examples of how a scenic route through the valleys of Al- a chapel that worships a local Maya deity. was life during the Spanish Colonial Days. molonga and , with colorful vegeta- A very active day visiting artists of naife Built in 1542 and destroyed by an earth- ble orchards, visit to the village of Salcaja paintings and wood carvings, and weav- quake in 1773, Antigua´s name was Guate- is very interesting. This is the town that ers, workshop, organic coffee, mala City and was for over 2 Centuries the specializes in Ikat (Jaspe) knot- hand woven textiles and hiking to a nearby Capital of , including what technique to make fabrics with extraor- watching point with stunning views of the is today the State of in dinary designs. As driving through town, lake. The Tzutuhil women embroider their and the countries of Guatemala, , stops will be made to see the ikat prepa- tops with colorful birds and flowers and , , and rations that take place in the sidewalks just watching them is an unforgettable Costa Rica, and during that time, the third or along the nearby river Banks. Another pastime. The boat will bring you back to largest city in The Americas, after Lima, scenic drive through pine tree forest to visit the hotel In Town. Peru and Mexico City. The tour will take Momostenango, the town that specializes you through the city best Palaces, Church- in natural . In the afternoon, Day 8: es, Convents, Monasteries and Plazas, in drive to Lake Atitlan. The road reaches and Xetonox. a picturesque walk in cobbled stones and 10,000 feet above sea level. Overnight in Leaving Lake Atitlan behind, the first stop with sights of the nearby volcanoes. Its Panajachel Town. is to visit Iximche Archaeological Site which perfect spring-like weather all year round, was the Capital of the Cackchiquel King- has made of Antigua an attractive city of Day 7: dom, built in 1470 and destroyed by the residence for artists and writers. Among Lake Atitlan. Spanish Conquistadores in 1524. It was them, Antoine de Saint Exupery, who wrote Today is a day dedicated to Lake Atitlan never lost or forgotten like it happened “The Little Prince” and Gore Vidal. The which is a “caldera” lake formed by an with many sites in the and it is afternoon is free to enjoy the city at your explosion of a volcano that geologists still a sacred place for the Cackchiquels. own pace and your guide will advise on estimate happened 80,000 years ago. The second stop will be at Xetonox, a small how to make a good use of it. Overnight in Yesterday, in geological time. It is almost village located nearby. Here a local family Antigua. circular, with 10 miles diameter, 1,000 will be waiting for your visit, will gladly feet deep and surrounded by 3 imposing show their way of life, their crops and their Dia 10: volcanoes. A scenic boat ride to San Juan weavings. Lunch will be served at their Departure. (its “full” name is San Juan La Laguna, or home. Visiting the village’s Grade School is Transfer to Guatemala City Airport on time San Juan-by-the-lake) will bring you to a good way to learn more about the local to take flight back home. visit the Maya Tzutuhil People and the visit life. The day ends in Antigua. Both Lake will actively involve the local “Community Atitlan and Antigua are located at 5,000 Tourism Committee” whose organization feet above sea level. Overnight in Antigua.