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San Antonio was a short, but interesting Camioneta (Chicken Bus) trip of about 15minutes. Our teachers came with us. We met at the school's office in 1st Calle Poniente at 8 sharp, and then waited for things to be sorted out. The day was fresh and bright as we walked to the bus depot. Lines of buses and people shouting to get on their bus greeted us. we soon boarded ours and were on our way. We drove past coffee plantations shaded by Silky Oak trees; our Australian natives are over here and doing well. Every dry season they are heavily pruned to encourage spreading branches for shade and the wood is sold as fire wood, nothing wasted here.
Hazel was sitting at the front and was soon sharing her seat with 2 others, four were in the seat across the aisle which made eight crammed into these seats. A woman with an unsheathed machete boarded as did a man with a long sword in the scabbard, no one batted an eye.
We past the old city of Antigua, it was devastated in a Lahar (mud) flow in the 1500's and the city was moved a whole 7 miles to where Antigua is today. The countryside was fairly rural with agriculture occupying every hill. The landscape is verdant and plants that I look after tenderly in Australia just grow rampantly anywhere.
In San Antonio we stopped at the cooperative we were visiting and entered a very modest building with an open fire on the floor burning away. This had some traditional food boiling on a grate over it in readiness for us to sample later. Along with ever present Tortillas, Pepian is consumed often.
This village is unique because the traditional hand woven blouses (huipil) the women wear are double sided; reservable. This is indeed an amazing feat to be able to hand weave both sides as the outside at once! Next we were treated to a demonstration of traditional weaving. I accepted an invitation to try my hand, I don't think I will make a living from it!
Our group then acted out a traditional Mayan wedding and she explained the importance of the items of clothing, what happened in the actual ceremony, what gifts were exchanged and what happened in the following year. I had the honour of being the mother of the groom.
After all this laughter and exertion our taster of Pepian and tortillas were ready for us to have, I also tried the coffee but it was too bitter for me.
Onto the important part, buying things. Hazel and I both tried on a colourful dress, but decided we looked like we were dressed in a potato sack. But we did manage to buy things, two bags for me, I have decided that Guatemala is the place of bags and scarves!
Our return journey back to Antigua was uneventful and we arrived in good spirits ready to do more.....shopping!
Mayan wedding facts:
The groom's parents pay for it all, but it is at the bride's family home.
The bride has to hand weave and give certain presents to certain people.
1. Four serviettes (large ones that keep the ever present tortillas hot in), 2 for the groom's parents and two for the groom.
2. Four towels for the parents, each with their name woven in it.
3. A special shawl for the groom's mother that she has to wear ALL day, no matter how hot it is, because if she takes it off she is showing that she doesn't like her daughter-in -law.
3. She also has to make her wedding outfit!
The mother-in -law has to give the bride a gift too....An apron! Then the bride has to cook a meal to show how good she can cook.
There is one other gift from the mother-in-law, only given once and that is a shawl to carry the baby in.
It was a special insight into Mayan traditions, and a big realisation of what a life of hard work these women have.
- comments
Pamela we are loving the travel tales Bev, keep them coming.
Pamela not quite you Bev!
Bruce Puts Roma St to shame
Bruce That will do YOUR neck the world of good
Bruce Sorry the shoes don't match the dress
bevlangbein I am trying to keep up to date!, See you all in June.
ethel love reading of your adventures-and looking at the many photos. love from me.