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The Highlands
Known in Spanish as El Altiplano, the highlands region is one of the most popular for visitors to Guatemala. The towns and villages there are inhabited by the greatest number of modern day, indigenous Mayan groups – many of whom still speak the languages and uphold the sacred rituals of their ancestors. Although this practice is gradually dying out, many of the villagers in more remote areas still wear traditional handwoven garments and market days or fiesta celebrations are the best times for visitors to appreciate their vibrant colours. While the main towns are connected with paved highways, some of the outlying villages are accessible only by four-wheel vehicles. Tourism infrastructure, however, is developing all the time.
HUEHUETENANGO: The departmental capital of Huehuetenango makes a good base for exploring as it has more accommodation options and facilities than some of the smaller villages surrounding it. To the west is the small post-Classical site of Zaculeu (White Land in the Quiché language). A number of tombs containing objects carved from pyrite and ceramic vessels have been found here. North of Huehuetenango is Chintla whose church contains the silver Virgin of La Candelaria, which draws many worshippers. A beautiful drive into the mountains further north in the region lies the isolated village of Todos Santos Cuchumatán. The men’s traditional costumes of high-necked red shirts, red and white-striped trousers, black capes and red fabric tied under straw hats are particularly smart. One of the best times to visit is during the annual fiesta between 31 October and 5 November. On the Day of the Dead (All Souls’ Day) on 1 November, a traditional horse race takes place in the village. Fuelled by quetzalteca (the local sugar cane spirit), the riders in traditional costume race up and down a dirt track at the far end of the village. The winner is the last man still on his horse.
SANTA CRUZ DEL QUICHÉ: The Spanish used the carved stones from the ancient Mayan Quiché capital they had destroyed to build the church in Santa Cruz. The town has a good market but even more famous are the market days held every Thursday and Saturday in the small hill village of Chichicastenango, 19km (12 miles) to the south. Mayan traders from outlying villages spread their traditional food, cloth and wooden masks on stalls around the steps of the Church of St Thomas in a wonderfully colourful spectacle. Many others come to burn copal (incense) and pray on the church steps, combining ancient Mayan and Catholic rituals. On the south side of the main square, the Regional Museum houses a fine collection of jade and ceramic pieces and incense burners. Located on a hilltop above the town is the Mayan stone idol of Pascual Abaj.
TOTONICAPAN: The regional capital, Totonicapán is a thriving industrial town. One of the best times to visit is during the week celebrating the feast days of San Miguel Arcangel (24-30 September) when traditional dances (morerias) are held here with descriptive titles such as Mexicans, The Deer and the Monkey and Mexicans. To the west is San Cristobal Totonicapán, whose market day on Thursday is the best time to purchase outstanding ceramics. It is also an important centre for textiles. Momostenango (City of Altars), in the north, is the centre for traditional handwoven ponchos.
QUETZALTENANGO: After the capital, this is the second most important city in Guatemala, set amongst a group of high mountains and volcanoes. Although Quetzaltenago (often referred to as Xela) is quite modern, it also contains narrow colonial streets, broad avenues, fine public buildings such as the neo-classical City Hall, Municipal Theatre and Natural History Museum, and a magnificent central plaza. It is also an important centre for language schools. Other places to visit outside the city are the hot sulphur springs at Fuentes Georginas, Aguas Amargas and Los Vahos. Several picturesque towns include Salcajá with the 16th-century Church of San Jacinto, Zunil, dominated by the ornate façade of its church and one of the places where Maximón is still worshipped actively (see Santiago Atitlán below), San Andrés Xecul and San Francisco El Alto.
SOLOLA: The road through Solola winds down to the beautiful, volcanic Lake Atitlán, much praised by Aldous Huxley, and is surrounded by purple highlands, olive-green mountains and three distinctive volcanoes – Tolimán, Atitlán and San Pedro. Although there are some small hotels around the edge of the lake, most visitors stay at Panajachel, the key tourist centre with a long strip of guesthouses, restaurants, bookshops, cafes and banks. Water-skiing, swimming and boating are all available on the lake, which is 19km (12 miles) in length and between 6.5km (4 miles) and 12km (7.5 miles) wide. Around the lake are several villages, each of whose inhabitants wear differently coloured, densely embroidered clothes. Santiago Atitlán is the largest of these. Easter Week is famous for combining two traditions – the Catholic Easter procession and the rival procession conducted by the confradia (religious brotherhood). Their idol is Maximón – a black-suited figure with a moustache that combines physical characteristics and attributes of St Simon, Mam (a Mayan god), Alvarado (the Guatemalan conquistador) and Judas Iscariot. Inside the church, a little Maximón figure is carved into the altar, as is a scene showing the feast day of the confradia. Some of the women in Santiago still wear traditional headdresses that are made from long lengths of cloth wound repeatedly around the back of the head (a visual reference to Ixchel, the snake goddess of weaving). In San Antonio Palopó, the women weave on long rectangular backstrap looms. The men use the standing loom introduced by the Spanish and wear a type of wrap-around brown and white kilt. Both men and women in San Catarina Palopó wear shirts, huipiles (blouses), skirts and trousers embroidered with colourful geometric designs.
CHIMALTENANGO: Northwest of Chimaltenango is the important fortified hilltop site of Iximché. Having conquered the Cakchiquel warriors, the Spanish conquistadors established their first capital near here in 1524. Today, there are well-preserved ruins of the former ball court, four main plazas and a temple. Almost on the border with the Quiché department is the site of Mixco Viejo (Pocomán), which was also a fortified city like Iximché. A shrine to San Simon (Maximón) is also found at San Andreas Iztapa.
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