Ancient & Colonial Heritage in Latin America: Cultural Treasures of the Maya

Honorable Mentions:

A dog along the way on our hike up Volcán Pacaya.

A dog that wandered up to our table during a dinner in Belize.

5. The bunny at the Santiago Atitlán weaving co-op

This bunny was just watching from under the table as Atún gave his tour at the weaving co-op.

4. The friendly cat at Crooked Tree, Belize

One of many cute kitties at Crooked Tree! This one was super friendly and just wanted to come sit on our laps.

3. The 2 dogs who followed us at Santiago Atitlán

During our tour of Santiago Atitlán with Dolores Ratzán, there were two dogs who followed us around the entire town and stayed with us at every stop. They even watched our boat drive away from the dock as we were leaving.

2. The nurse sharks and rays on our snorkeling trip

Most of the group went on a half-day snorkeling trip in Caye Caulker, where we got to be in the water with dozens of sharks and stingrays! They were friendly 🙂

1. The mom of 7 kittens at Crooked Tree, Belize

At Crooked Tree, where Dr. Runggaldier works, there was a litter of 7 kittens that were  just 2 weeks old. They were so cute!! A few of us were waiting for our turn to go horseback riding, so we played with the kittens in the meantime. Can you tell I’m a cat person?

-Niyati Prabhu

We are all baffled by how fast the time flew by this past month and cannot believe that we are leaving tomorrow! Today was an amazing end to an incredible trip. We started the day with a snorkeling tour where we got to swim with the sharks and stingrays, see tons of different fish, and look up close at the coral reef.

Then, some of us went and hung out at the split which had beach chairs and structures to jump off of.

Next, we had a final reflection class on the roof.

Lastly, we finished the program with a final dinner and a karaoke night! Forever thankful for these wonderful people and an unforgettable trip! 🙂

-Kelly Miller

It’s the last days of our May term and we are leaving to Caye Caulker. We started the morning with the sounds of howler monkeys as we waited for our bus and then traveled to reach Caye Caulker. It took us about an hour by road to reach Belize City to go to San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi and from there, it was an hour to reach Caye Caulker through the water taxi!

The rest of the day was for ourselves. I had a Cuban sandwich at a restaurant by the beach.

and the rest of the day was spent at the beach sunbathing!

-Kenia Mediola Ramos

Nervousness, a close sense of relief, and a wasp in the room – it’s presentation day! It was a long day ahead of us since we had morning and afternoon sessions for the presentations, but it was worth it to see the results of everyone’s research of the last three weeks. Seeing how everyone’s topic was different and in some ways overlapped with other topics reflected how we took a different take on this experience. After presentations, we had the day to ourselves- either taking time to rest or continuing the day in the pool, and to end the day we had a great dinner and dessert!

-Kenia Mediola Ramos

Santiago Atitlán Weaving Co-op

This co-op was very interesting because we got to see men and women working alongside each other to make traje. The women at the co-op used traditional back-strap looms to make traje for men, while the men used foot pedal looms, a colonial import, to make women’s huipiles.

María Elena demonstrating how to put on a cinta

We ran into María Elena, an old friend of our guide Dolores, outside of Saint James the Apostle Church. As a favor to Dolores, she demonstrated how to put on a cinta, first by wrapping it around her braid and then building it up. We also got to learn about some of María Elena’s personal experiences during the Guatemala Civil War, not only was she very kind but her stories also showed us how strong and resilient she was.  After the demonstration, she showed us her adorable hand-made beaded birds that she sells, I got a quetzal!

San Juan La Laguna Women’s Weaving Co-op

At Casa Flor Ixcaco we got to create thread out of cotton. Mastering the spindle was not possible for any of us during our short time there but this only exemplified the skill that the women working at this co-op have. The range of dye colors and beautiful garments and blankets was awe-inspiring!

The Association of Medicinal Plants Mayab

At this women’s co-op, we learned about the many different plants from across Guatemala that can be used as medicine. Each plant could be made into a lotion, a pill, or a drop, among other things, and worked to solve a different medical issue. The small store at this co-op had different soaps, lotions, teas, and all of the aforementioned iterations that were said to help solve problems like insomnia and anxiety.

Women’s Cultural/Pottery Group in San Antonio Village

As we neared the end of our trip we arrived at our final co-op with this one being located in the San Antonio village of Belize. Here we learned about traditional methods of Maya ceramic-making and got to try our hands at a newer introduction to Maya pottery, the wheel. Those of us who made pots even got to take them home at the end of our time there!

-Paisley Polk

Today was our first full day in Belize, after crossing the border from Guatemala, yesterday.

Despite only having been here for a day, I already noticed some major differences, most notably in language – English, instead of Spanish (though, multiple languages are spoken in both countries) – but also in the lack of living Maya traditions, as opposed to the Guatemalan highlands. The modern-day countries of Guatemala and Belize are, of course, a relatively recent evolution of what, traditionally, all used to be Maya territory. The reason for their differences today can be explained by their colonial history, Guatemala being a former colony of Spain, Belize (then called British Honduras) one of the British Empire. Their shared cultural history, however, can still be observed when visiting ancient Maya sites in Belize, such as Xunantunich, a site quite distinct from other sites like Tikal and Iximché, and yet, similar in many ways. I look forward to spending the last week of our program further comparing and contrasting the ancient and colonial histories of the two countries.

– A. S.

View from the top of“El Castillo”, at Xunantunich:

Very historically accurate recreation of “pok-ta-pok”, the Maya ballgame, at Xunantunich:

Photo credit: Dr. Astrid Runggaldier

(Top of Temple Four)

May 25th was an adventurous day! First, I reluctantly woke up to my alarm blaring in my hotel room in Petén. After a delicious breakfast, I suited up in my burnt orange hiking pants that unzip into shorts, my sleek, pink-purple, long-sleeve shirt, long socks, hiking boots, and floppy hat, and headed out the door for Tikal National Park with my study abroad class. After a long bus ride, I stepped foot in the jungle for the first time. The trees reached up high into the sky, and I began to realize why the Maya focused on them so intensely. The world tree of course was stunning: it had gigantic thick roots and branches with fuzzy plants and leaves at the top. Another tree I loved was the tree of love. Our tour guide, Benedicto Louis, said it was called this because of the vine that wraps around the tree giving it a hug. However, this vine is actually a parasite slowly poisoning the tree! A little pessimistic if you ask me. Walking across the path, I spotted hundreds of tiny leaf-cutter ants carrying their food from the trees and down to the ground. Next to their neat assembly line, small mushrooms contrasted the rest of the green and brown landscape with their orange and yellow luminosity. Looking up, I saw several spider monkeys swinging through the branches, showing off their skills. Along with interesting animals and plants, there were also many of gigantic Maya temples. One of the remarkable temples we climbed was temple four.  After much huffing and puffing, I eventually reached the top. It was a gorgeous view; from there we could see the tops of Temples 1, 2, and 3. What an experience! I am so grateful for the opportunity to visit Tikal and connect with the Maya landscape in this way.

–Alexis Ikemba

We started off our third week running! With a quick trip to Guatemala City to visit the Popol Vuh Museum on the Francisco Marroquin University campus, we very quickly understood the reality of how modern progress has contributed to the destruction of Maya history. The majority of the collection was “donated by a man named Castillo who went out to the site of Kaminaljuyu as it was being cleared to construct Guatemala City, and paid the construction workers to save the artifacts and sculptures from destruction.”

The very next day we visited the late Postclassic Iximche Archaeological Park, our first ancient Maya site! As someone studying the architecture constructed by the Maya, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the various aspects of ancient Maya civilizations. From walking on top of the walls of the former palace, to climbing into the ball court, to picturing the types of rituals done at the altars of temples, Iximche provided a great introduction of what to look for and imagine while exploring these sites.

Everyday is an adventure, with new information to learn and experiences to have!

– Catherine Davis

This program is not just a class. It is an experience. An experience that invited me to learn about the life of Mesoamericans, and in those moments of exploration, there were opportunities to learn about myself. I originally planned to use this program to determine what role ethnographic work will play in my career. I am now halfway done with the program and realize that it is a big question that needs more time to answer, but I have gained valuable lessons on the principles of ethnographic fieldwork, which will be helpful in future projects.
Additionally, I am considering using my research as the foundation for my thesis project. I have gained valuable contacts and observations and feel passionate about my topic and its potential beyond this course. However, as I said before, this class is an experience; of course, it can check all those boxes needed for whatever reason, but I would hate to limit it to satisfying requirements because what I’ve learned is so much more than that. From the amazing people I’ve met and the breathtaking places I’ve seen, I am left feeling whole and craving another journey.

-Ava Vicknair

5. Cuarta Avenida, Antigua

4. La Playa de Monterrico

3. El Techo de Casa Herrera

2. Volcán de Pacaya

1. Bambu Hotel, Lago de Atitlán

So far, the view from my room at Bambu Hotel on Lago de Atitlán takes the number one spot. Both evenings that we were there, the thunderstorms made the perfect background for porch naps before giving way to beautiful orange and pink sunsets. The nearby town, Santiago Atitlán, has historically been known in the Tz’utujil language as Tz’ikin Jaay, or “house of birds.” This name was earned, as all of my porch naps were accompanied by dozens of unique chirps from local birds that meshed perfectly with the music I was playing. As a Texan, I have been lucky enough to see my share of incredible sunsets. That said, the combination of the lake, volcanoes, and tropical plants made this view unlike anything I have ever seen. I have never felt so relaxed—indicated by more than one accidental two-hour nap—and I definitely made my friends and family jealous with the videos I sent them!

-Jordan Becker