Guatemala - Lake Atitlan

By chance, the friend I had planned to meet on arrival to Guatemala was out of the country, forcing me to take an unexpected week in Antigua. I am so grateful for the change of events and it became super clear super fast that it was indeed a blessing and not a curse. However, now my friend is due to return so I set off on the 2 hour bus trip to meet her at Lake Atitlan where she is working as Director at the Mystical Yoga Farm.

Myself and other travellers drive through mountainous scenery until the 'land before time' comes into view. Volcano after magnificent volcano surround a massive body of water. Lake Atitlan, meaning 'at the water' in the local indigenous Nahuatl language is the deepest lake in Central America and said to be one of the most beautiful in the world. I board a small boat and hit the choppy waves. Water sprays in my face as we motor for half an hour in the direction of one of the large volcanoes called San Pedro. And then I see it: the dock and Bali-style yoga hut of the Mystical Yoga Farm that I had sighted on line. A bare chested, green-eyed Max greets me at the dock.

 

 
It is beautiful here, but I miss Antigua! One early morning I sit on the dock and practice letting go of the attachment of one place and being more in the moment, by lovingly writing down the names of all the people in Antigua I connected with and then writing the names of the new people at the Farm along side. Appreciation and readiness to move on. The lake welcomes me with open arms, her waves lapping at my feet and spirit embracing my soul. I am so impressed by the magnificence. Unusual birds call and the dock sways with each wave that bounces on its pylons.

 

I board a boat and head to one of the neighbouring lake villages named San Marcos. It is even more surreal. Walking paths weave up from the lake to various hostels and restaurants. I spy hippy looking girls holding hands inside the walled garden of a yoga retreat. That night, I pass an indigenous woman on the path, walking with a basket on her head and baby on her front. I light her way with my torch. I meet Canadian travellers Ciara and Kristin and we sit in a sweet french cafe while the owner plays a cute french tune. We swim in the cool, pure waters. I am feeling completely happy.

I travel back to the Farm and meet with Michelle. She wakes up all at the Farm with a gorgeously beautiful tune on her flute at 5.30am. We head down to the dock and meditate as the sun rises. From here, we move to the Yoga hut or Shala and practice for 1.5 hours. Her instruction strengthens my body. After 9 months of restricted activity since my car accident, it is wonderful to be feeling my core strengthen again along, of course, with my mind. I love you Michelle, thank you.

 

Meditation on the dock

Michelle and I studied the Permaculture Certificate III course together in Byron during 2011. She is directing all elements of the Farm including the Yoga and Permaculture elements. I help at the Farm by creating a Permaculture Garden Guide of the productive spaces and integrating the developments that are desired and breaking it down into periodical tasks. Everyone helps and we are happy with the result.

One day Michelle and I take a boat to Santiago, across the lake, it is a festival day and everyone is wearing their best Wipels and hand woven skirts. We jump onto the tray of a ute and head past the festival (I notice a float promoting recycling) and we head to the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute (IMAP) - a Permaculture Farm that integrates the science with Mayan spirituality. We learn and assist to put in a simple grey water recycling system for a local family which directs water from the outdoor sink into a 6 foot deep hole filled with organic matter. Around the circumference of the hole, we plant water purifying plants such as edible banana and a non-edible taro. Each year, the hole will need to be refilled with organic matter such as grass clippings and weeds. I meet and play with the children of the family - this grounds and connects me while sending my spirit soaring like the eagles circling above.

 

IMAP's Co-Founder Ronaldo Lec Ajcot shares Mayan wisdom and belief that water is life 

Harvesting bananas for the grey water recycling banana circle

Guatemala - We sustain our lives by sustaining Mother Earth, Chichicastanengo

16th July 2012 - Chichicastanengo, Guatemala

  I left Antigua early yesterday morning on a bus to a busy market town called Chichicastanengo on the way to Laka Atitlan to meet up with my friend Michelle. In Chichi I hung out with a Spaniard called Joseph, saw some churches built on top of temples in the busy central market then climbed a mountain shrouded in pine forest to a Mayan prayer offering site. I saw a Mayan DayKeeper perform a fire ceremony and stood in the cleansing pine smoke. Amongst the offerings I noticed a stone cross and was pleased to learn that the Mayans revered the cross as a sacred symbol long before the introduction of Catholicism by the Spanish. The Mayan cross reflects the 4 cardinal points, the 4 stations of the Sun during the day and the year and the 4 colours (Red, Yellow, Black & White) as divine powers and they are invoked as if they are divinities. The message from the Fire Ceremony is that we sustain our lives by sustaining Mother Earth. Indeed, this is what I believe the purpose of life is: 'to sustain our existence by sustaining mother earth'. Offerings are burnt as payment for our personal wrong-doings and the resin that burns attracts the gods and encourages them to give good health to all present.

I feel the sacredness of the fire, the top of the mountain, the moment. I give a word of thanks to whatever the 'greater energy' is, I don't know what to call it yet, but I can feel it. I am feeling bettter, stronger and more capable. The healing power of the smoke sweeps over me. I turn to head back down the mountain into the town and towards the lake, feeling like something has changed.

 

Guatemala - Meeting Mike and masses of wisdom

So, one day, I meet Mike (Misha) Pinot. He is a Guatemalan with a french grandfather. We walk in the Parque Central (central park), we tour the Cathedral ruins, eat street food and he shares his learnings from a Mayan priest with me. Hi words fall on my ears just at the right time, it seems to be just what I need to help me on this personal growth journey I am taking. Each time he shared something new with me over a hot chocolate or some local food, I would hold on to it through the day, as I walked the cobble stone streets and lived the day and I saw how each lesson plays out in front of me, in thought and in action. I now share them with you:

Wed 10th July 2012 - Antigua, Guatemala
"Let go of pocessions, people and beliefs (judgements) not so your hands are empty but so you can receive".

"Learn the lessons from your mistakes or the mistakes of others (that effect you) so that you do not have to repeat it again".

"With dark come light. They are dependent on each other. The Mayan's recognised this and built two temples facing each other; one for joyful worship and celebration and one for the dark side of life".



A church built on top of a Mayan temple rises above the market square at Chicicastanengo. Another temple faces this one across the centre.

"Forgive those that have hurt you because it is a poison inside your body and it hurts no one but yourself". According to Mike, doing this is cleansing (purifying) for the soul. It reminds me of a Buddhist philosophy that my friend Kate posts on fb around the same time "To be angry is to let others' mistakes punish yourself. to forgive others is to be good to yourself". This demonstrated to me that often the very lesson we need is right in front of us, listen and look - it may even come across your path twice!

Healing Meditation: "See those that have caused you pain as a beautiful flower and imagine the very best for them and send them love".

"Freedom comes from releasing attachment. When we see that people do not belong to us, we can release suffering".

"Everyday when you get up, plant a beautiful flower (a kind thought for someone) and one day you will wake up in a beautiful garden".

If you ever go to Guatemala, let me know and I will hook you up with Mike. Mike tells me that the Mayan god 'Heart of Sky and Heart of Earth' has blessed me and guided me on my journey. Now I share what I know to help bring health, light, peace and joy of the soul to all those that need it and help show how we are destroying the Earth and indigenous cultures with our shortsighted exploitation of the Earth. For all this, I give deep heartfelt gratitude and credit to Heart of Sky and Heart of Earth. With every breath. Thank you.

I find this little worry doll on the cobble stone streets. I look at her dirty face and the activity around me. Already I can feel my worries leaving me, trailing away and dissolving.

Guatemala - The Mayan Calendar

Guatemalan traditional dress. Mostly, the women weave their own 'wipels' this beautiful top shown here. Imagine learning such a skill from the women in our own families and creating our own identities from patterns we choose.

 

Jade was highly revered and much of the sacred green stone was placed on those who had died to provide a passage to the Underworld, the afterlife.

 I want to learn about the Mayan calendar and spirituality. First step, Jade Museum, conveniently located close to the chocolate museum! Once inside, a kind Latino fellow takes me for a walk around and describes the purity of real Jade. I am so attracted the earthy-ness of this stone and how highly revered it is in the Mayan culture. I learn that the Mayan counted up to 20 different cycles of life or 3-20 different 'calendars'. The one we are in now, is referred to as the 'long count' and it is indeed coming to an end of sorts sometime soon. The exact date is unknown, however many mark it as December 20th 2012. The following day, December 21st will mark the beginning of a new cycle of light and harmony for humanity. Mayan belief confirms that there will be no 'end of the world' but rather that the new cycle has a mission to harmonise all humanity, as stated in a sacred Mayan text: "We will be brothers like the fingers of a hand. Brothers among us and all around us'. http://www.sabiduriamaya.org/home/profecias.asp. What is known is that the Earth, Sun and centre of the Galaxy (the Milky Way) will be aligned.

Mayan woman and son selling weavings on the cobbled streets of Antigua. In the background are a collection of scenes of Christ's life that are brought out and carried around the streets for a Christian festival brought to town by the Spanish in the 1500s.

 The Mayan calendar was once used by many across Mesoamerica and is still used today by some tradional peoples, Mayan priests and truth seekers all over the world! The Calendar is made up of a 365 day solar calendar called the Haab and a 'ritual almanac' of 260 days called the Tzolk'in. This is divided into 20 symbolic day signs and 13 'months'. I wanted to find out what my birth-day sign was. I am I'x, which is the Jaguar (8). The sign and number are significant. I read that the Jaguar sign is the Spiritual Guardian of alters, women, the jungle, hills, mountains and plains. It is the day of female energy, of astuteness, daring, intelligence and strong natural forces. It is a good day to ask forgiveness of the exploitation of Mother Nature. These signs are called to be defenders of Mother Nature. I learn this then get an amazing 2 hour reading on the sign while in the most fantastic volcanic lake, Lake Atitlan - where I visit a friend (2 blogs from here). If you want to find out your Mayan Sign and more about the Calendar, check out this website: http://www.maya-portal.net/tzolkin.



Mmmmm, street food: tostada with guacamole and a sweet corn drink



Comon' buy our bracelets

The most beautiful hand woven works. I bought a blue cushion cover for my Mum :)

Comon!

Guatemala - The Chocolate Story

9 July 2012, Antigua, Guatemala

Close to the main plaza I come across a Chocolate Museum. The densly sweet smell pulls me inside. "Would you like to make your own chocolate?" of course I would! I don an apron and silly chocolate chef hat and join fellow travellers in a chocolate workshop. I learn that chocolate was first appreciated by the Mayans and Aztecs in Central and South America, where the cocoa plant was viewed as sacred. The Mayans would take the cocoa bean, ferment it, dry roast it then seperate the husk from the bean before grinding it into a paste. The bean contains the cocoa butter and mass equivalent to make a wonderful paste, to which hot water was added to make a bitter chocolate drink.

In ceremony the Mayan's would sometimes add blood as offerings to the gods as well as adding some spices like chilli and cardamon. Later, the Mayans would add paprika instead of blood to fool the gods! Chocolate was greatly reveared and the beans were used as currency. In the 1500's the Spaniards took the chocolate drink back to Spain but many found it too bitter and added sugar. The English and French added milk and eventually created the solid chocolate that is popular throughout the world today.

 

Pouring chocolate, grinding chocolate beans with the international crew at the Chocolate Factory :)

The husks and chocolate itself contain Theobromine which is the alkaloide that creates the good mood or love feeling we get from chocolate. In its pure form chocolate is extremely good for us - humans that is, for dogs it is toxic. It is full of flavonoids and antioxidants which means it relaxes blood pressure, improves heart health, while stimulating brain and memory function. I have it for iron intake, energy and mood improver. And I kinda feel I am partaking in a sacred act. :D  Beware of chocolate that has lower amounts of chocolate mass and butter and is replaced with Lecithin (this is where chocolate companies take out the butter to sell to cosmetic companies) and full of sugar and milk. Go for fair trade, 70% and organic if possible for a sublime, health effect. I often add a spoonful of organic, raw cacao powder to my morning superfood smoothiesn or mix with avocado and Agave to make a sublime vegan mousse.

Guatemala, Antigua - The city that I fell in love with

The fountain in the Central Plaza

A door with a key

Hammock bliss

Street performance

oh a serenade

The streets of Antigua, a World Heritage Town. Each doorway must be wooden and they are beautifully adorned.

Young people pash in the streets as Mayan descendants sell woven goods under the Arch

Alluring tapestries and hand woven 'wipels' the traditional dress still worn by Guatemalan indigenous women. It is a fantastic, brilliant sight to behold and live one's days amongst.  

Inside the Mayan community artist's cooperative

The Arch, on my most favourite street. One can sometimes view the magnificent 'Volcan de Agua' one of the looming volcanoes that fringe the checkerboard city

Shopping is such a pleasure when the local handicrafts are so, so beautiful and artistic. Gorgeous.

1 hr bus travel from Guatemala City and I arrive in the World Heritage town of Antigua. Nestled in a low lying area surrounded by volcanoes - one with occasional smoke, ash and larva - Mt.Fuego which actually recently erupted, causing an evacuation of some 30,000 people who live in villages around the volcano. All people were unharmed according to reports I viewed.

The sound of car tyres over cobble stone streets lulls me to sleep at night in my cute hostel with brightly striped hammoks on the roof top. I walk around the town shaped like a checkerboard, with chocolate shops on corners and young people pashing in the streets. I photograph weathered walls painted in terra-cotta reds, oranges, yellow and pale blue with antique wooden doors, barred windows and fresh flowers. What is behind the doors?  I peer into one door and 3 musicians have just started a song and invite me in for a serenade! I don't have time today as I am going to meet my new friends for ice-cream.

Paula introduces me to Lesley, a British doctor and has been here for 10 years. She is a fountain of knowledge and kindly shares it with me. Over a divine dinner of gnocchi, ratatouille crepe and orange ginger soup we get on the topic of the man building his gigantic building next door to Lesley, she thinks he is over-compensating for something; to that Paula shares a Texan expression: "all hat and no cattle"! :)