Surrounded by valleys with nearby mountais looming overhead, Chichicastenango (2.030m) seems isolated from the rest of Guatemala.
On sundays villagers from through out the region walk for many hours carrying their wares to participate in the commerce here and religious brotherhoods often hold processions.
10 comments:
What a difficult way to earn a living. Yet it makes them stonger and able to survive harsh conditions. These are very colourful pictures JM and a great insight into their way of life.
Hi JM :)
This time the photos were truly world class. The place, the people, their products, the flowers, the fruits, the masks, the clothes, the procession and all the things I could see are one of glorious, spell binding colors. I am stunned.
Each photo is a masterpiece and look extraordinary like the painting of a great artist. I am amazed.
I admire these people for their simple ways of life - self supporting, independent, tough exterior to protect their kind heartedness. I did not see one famished looking man, woman or a child in the entire market.
The girl carrying the child on her back is not photo shy. She and the child are very cute.
A striking contrast to places where we live with modern comforts surrounded by concrete buildings, pollution, honking vehicles, traffic jams, milling crowds and what not to increase our blood pressure and shorten the life span.
I understand the original name of this town was Chaviar and it was the Spanish conquistadors who gave this tongue twisting name. Or it is a tongue twister for me living in India and not for you :) :) :)
I also understand that on Thursdays and Sundays there is a large market where vendors sell handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, wooden boxes, condiments, medicinal plants, candles, pom and copal (traditional incense), cal (lime for preparing tortillas), grindstones, pigs and chickens, machetes, and other tools. In the central part of the market plaza are comedores (small eateries).Among the items sold are textiles, particularly the women's blouses. The manufacture of masks, used by dancers in traditional dances has also made this city well-known for woodcarving.
There is one photo I missed in your excellent post. The photo of the 400 year old church of Santo Tomas. Each of the eighteen stairs that lead up to the church stand for one month of the Mayan calendar year.
Many, many thanks for taking me to this exotic place on earth. I am complrtrly refreshed and rejuvenated.
Have a fantastic day :)
Hi Jim,
Colourful picture,I like it.Well,its hard work for this people.Thanks for sharing.
12:48 pm
Back again - the lines seem to be a bit better now!!!
No still not good but will keep trying..........
8:00 am
JM - it is as though you have stepped back in time - quite amazing the life you have captured here. You have visited places off the beaten track and really caught the heart of the place and the people. Love it!!!
PS - Having great difficulty visiting with my connections - this page has just sat here for 15 min trying to upload the wrod verification!!!!
The phone lines have frozen - grrrrr!!!! I will have to save my comments and try again later.
You seem to be the kind of traveller I would like to be! I'm starting a bit late, but I will do my best! This looks really fabulous, so well pictured!
Very good photo! Compliment!
Thanks for the fantastic comment;D
Colors in these photos are brilliant.
Beautiful cloths.
Hi. Thanks for the comment on my blog. I adopted my daughter from Guatemala so it is a treat seeing these pics from Chichi,
Karen
(Westminster Daily Photo)
lovely photographs!
very colourfully interesting.
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