Buenas tardes familia y amigos y amigas:

Sorry for the delayed update. Finding computer time can be very difficult and I have had to use my time work on graduate school applications. As well, Emily and I have been sick for the past week. I will try to get everyone caught up on our travels since our last message.

14 de marzo

San Andres:

Guatemala is unique in the region for several reasons. It is a deeply diverse country. 40% of the country is indigenous: Maya, Garífunda, Xincan. 57% is Ladino. 60% of the population speaks Spanish and the other 40% speak one of 23 other languages (most of which are formers of Mayan). In addition, Guatemala has the highest Protestant population in Latin America, with 40%. Among all of this are the 22 separate Mayan languages and cultures. This diversity causes numerous collisions and blendings of cultures. This blending is expressed in the two Catholic churches in San Andres. 

San Andres is a Maya-town well-known for its striking canary yellow churches. The façade of the main church contains representations of angels, Catholic saints, and is peaked by twin jaguars, the hero twins of the Maya holy book the Popol Vuh. The town is a very important center for native Maya religious ceremonies, which are often performed near the secondary church on top of a hill overlooking the city. 

Main Church

Secondary Church 

16 de marzo

Santa Anita:

Currently 70% of the coffee crops in Central America have been los due to the spread of "coffee rot," a fungus that attacks the leaves of the tree. To learn about this crisis, I visited the small community of Santa Anita. Santa Anita is a coffee and banana finca started by a group of former gurrillas after the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords--which ended a 36-year internal conflict. Like all coffee fincas, Santa Anita has lost a lot of their crop and were forced to cut most of it down. The new growth is showing resistance to the fungus but it will take at least three years before the trees start producing fruit. The Guatemalan government has made minimal effort to support the affected owners and workers. They are providing public work jobs but only pay a bare minimum, well-below a living wage. Many workers have been forced to migrate to Mexico to find work. 

24 de marzo

Semana Santa:
Over the past week, Xela and all of Guatemala has poured itself into the celebration of Holy Week (Semana Santa). Since our arrival, the city has been preparing for this week. Different days and evenings have been marked by small and large processionals, which, at times, shut down the main square of Xela. For the weekend, the country effectively shuts down. Movement picks up again on Sunday as people to return/travel for work.


matthew