Guatemala: Day 1

The first day was spent in the capital, Guatemala City. There I stayed with a average local family, Luis the father, Maria the mother and two children, Jose and Juan. They provided housing and my meals. In the morning I walked through the streets and observed street vendors selling traditional colorful textiles. Then I went to work in the city with the Luis. While walking, I observed the traditional Spanish-styled buildings. The reason for the design is due to early Spanish colonization. As I spent time talking to Luis, I learned was that there are two main cultural groups: the Mayans and the Ladinos. The Mayans trace their ancestry back to the original natives of the land, the Mayans. The main language of the Mayan group is Spanish, yet the language of the Mayans is taught to the Mayan children by the Academy of Mayan Languages. The clothing of the Mayans include distinct names. One is a “corte” which is a long skirt worn by women. Another is a huipil which is a blouse. Men usually wear modernized clothing, but traditional articles include a “morral” which is a satchel-like object. Men also wear a “mecapal” which are widened belts used to carry heavy loads. The other cultural group is the Ladinos, which includes all non-Indian people. The Ladino culture is taught in school and the group influences much of the country. One example including the coat of arms which depicts a conquistador. Lastly, the religion of the country is Catholicism due to the Spanish colonists. After about a mile, walk we reached downtown where we most of the day sorting coffee beans in a factory. At home, Maria taught me how to weave a textile. By the time it was dark, I had a colorful tzute, which is a multi-purpose hand towel. Maria explained to me I could use it for carrying large loads or to shield myself from the sun.

Tzute

Queztal