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I took a short trip from Antigua to the Guatemalan highlands, known as the most dramatic region of the country, my destination was Lago de Atitlan, were traditional, indigenous values and culture are at their strongest, the setting for this is also spectacular. The lake is surrounded by volcanoes and small villages and even though it was quite cloudy when I was there it was still a sight. I used the village of Panajachel as my base to visit the more beautiful villages of Atitlan. My first stop was San Marcos La Laguna. This has become a place that a lot of people believe has an abundance of spiritual energy and therefore is a place where plenty of holistic therapies, meditation and yoga is taught (cough, cough, b******s). Just a bunch of gringo hippies too lazy to get a job if you ask me. After fighting past the tree huggers I found the true magic of San Marcos. I found the local market full of Mayan women selling local artefact and a beautifully decorated church. I then randomly came across some kind of local tradition. In the street were about 15 men dressed in traditional Mayan outfits; beautiful bright suits covered in mirrors complete with hats and masks. They were dancing in two rows opposite each other accompanied by a band. Every now and again two people from opposite sides would meet in the middle and exchange steps before acting out the pouring of drinks down each other’s throats and finishing off with a handshake. It was amazingly strange, entertaining and insightful. I felt so lucky to witness a traditional event like that and there wasn’t another tourist insight which made it even more special.
After San Marcos I took a lancha to San Pedro. This was a nice village but there wasn’t much going on so I took another boat to Santiago de Atitlan. I grabbed some lunch here before visiting Maximon. Known throughout the Guatemalan highlands as wither Maximon, San Simon or Rilaj Maan, he is a deity to which locals worship and make offerings. He is assumed to be a combination of Maya gods, the Spanish conquistador of Guatemala; Pedro de Alvaradi and Judas. In Santiago he is dressed in colourful scarves and is given offerings of cigars/cigarettes and rum and must be continuously smoking to keep him happy. Again it was another strange experience but a great one nevertheless. My time at Lago de Atitlan was very enjoyable and the most cultural I had experienced in Central America.
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