Ancient & Colonial Heritage in Latin America: Cultural Treasures of the Maya – Page 11 – The blog of the UT Austin Faculty-Led May Term Study Abroad Program hosted at UT's Casa Herrera

To the Best Month of My Life

The sun began to peek through my blinds on the morning of May 31st. It was finally the date I had seen stamped all over emails since I had applied for the Maymester program last fall — departure day. I finished packing my clothes and double-checked for my passport. As my dad drove me to the airport, I didn’t know what to expect for the next month (which ended up being one of the best of my life).

Now on June 30th, I watch the sun fade below the horizon from my patio in Dallas. I fumble around my home, but it seems different now. I seem different. I am different. I came home with only a month more of time in my possession, yet a lifetime more of experiences and memories. A lifetime more of awareness.

Whenever someone hears I just got back from Guatemala and Belize, the first question they ask is, “What’s your favorite thing you did?” It’s hard to choose when I have done so much — hiking a volcano, going to a black sand beach, visiting ancient ruins sites, feeding a wild monkey, swimming with sharks and manta rays — but what has stuck with me the most from this adventure is not a touristy attraction that people want to hear about, but the new feeling in my heart and opening of my eyes.

The reality of third world countries was shocking to me. My heart hurts every time I think about Janial, an 11 year-old boy I played volleyball with who no longer attends school because he has to help his dad sell fruit, or Magdalena, a woman whose husband was murdered brutally and randomly in the civil war. These people have drastically different lives from mine simply because of where they were born. Humans should not have to choose between food and medicine, sacrifice education to put food on their family’s table, and live each day wondering if they’ll be able to earn even a dollar.

This is not to say that there are not things I prefer about Guatemala and Belize. In America, it’s easy to plug in our earbuds or open up our screens and create our little life bubbles to block out the world. In contrast, no one in these countries disconnects from their surroundings while walking the streets. Instead of people avoiding eye contact with me, I felt welcomed and part of the community from a simple “hello” or “good morning”. I really enjoyed getting away from such an individualistic society as the US for a month.

These same little life bubbles we find shelter in allow us to be oblivious to the struggles of millions of other people. We get so caught up in ourselves that we forget to appreciate our access to clean water, plentiful amounts of food, higher education, comfortable homes, or even just the sense of safety and security that governments are supposed to give ALL of their people. These are the things that are the hardest but also the most important to think about. Real people with real lives and families live this reality everyday.

This is supposed to be a “goodbye” post, but I can’t imagine that this is the end of my connection with the places I visited, the incredible professor I had, or the amazing friends I made. So to Guatemala, Belize, Dr. Runggaldier, and my peers — see ya later. Thank you for the greatest month of my life.

Rainy season – should I go?

When the program first started, I was extremely nervous because I hardly talked to anyone in class and now I was going to be stuck with them for a month in a foreign country. I contemplated just dropping from the program because what was I doing going to a foreign country with people I hardly knew. I’m so glad that I didn’t since it ended up being one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to experience all of this with.

Being able to stand at the archaeological sites and learn about even the tiniest of details about their architecture and background was incredible. It’s hard to visualize an ancient city when reading about them but once you’re at the site there are no words to describe it. The place just sort of comes alive and you can’t help but imagine what life must have been like back then. The research aspect of this program allowed me to connect with some of the locals in a way that I would have never imagined. They were so open about many controversial topics like religion, identity, and gender roles. I was able to learn more about them in one sitting than I would have reading about them.

I didn’t think that I would get so attached to a place that I’d only be living in for less than three weeks, but that is exactly what happened with Antigua. I started missing it as soon as we left. I couldn’t help but think about my homestay family and all the amazing people I met there. Waking up to the sight of volcanoes and the sound of the birds outside my window is something that I’ll never forget. Antigua is a small city that holds a special place in my heart. I hope to someday return and fully experience everything that this city has to offer.

A piece of advice that I’d give future students of this program is to bring rain boots 🙂 If you’re going during the rainy season your shoes will get wet and they will stay wet for days!

(Photo: Hayley is prepared!)

(Photo: Skipping in the rain – go Cheyenne!)

Go and See

Without a question, this Maymester will NOT be my last trip to Guatemala or Belize. I’ve experienced much more than I thought possible in a four-week period of time, and I’ve met people whose stories and compassion will be with me for the rest of my life. I’d like to thank everyone that made this trip possible for me, and everyone else that made this trip memorable. Without you guys, I would not have been able to walk in the footsteps of the ancient Maya, or alongside the contemporary, much alive, Maya people that inhabit the lands of their ancestors. I’ve been to some of the major Maya sites of the Yucatán Peninsula (Chichén Itzá, Coba, and Tulum), but they didn’t have the same breath of life that Iximché or Tikal still breath.

(Above: Contemporary ritual burning at Iximché)

(Above: A modern stela at Iximché)

(Above: Contemporary ritual burning at Tikal)

Maya people of the Yucatán don’t have the same access to their ancestral lands as the Maya people of Guatemala, who can once again practice their rituals where the Classic Maya did day in and day out. It’s incredible to see Maya women, and occasionally Maya men, wearing their traditional clothing (traje), selling their hand-woven textiles, or cooking in the way their people have for more than a millennium. The way the Maya are talked about in American grade schools would make you think they are all dead and gone, but simply getting off the plane in Guatemala City proves otherwise. Traveling through the Highlands of Guatemala, you wouldn’t even think they went through a conquest, colonization, or a very recent and brutal civil war…at least until you start talking to the people. I heard several people’s life stories while on this trip that would break anyone’s heart. While at the Tz’utujil Maya town, Santiago Atitlán, formerly called Tz’ikin Jaay, I met Dolores Ratzan.

(Above: Prof. Runggaldier with Dolores Ratzan!)

(Above: View of the lake from Santiago Atitlán)

She gave us a tour of the town while stopping at a few key spots, such as the Catholic Church and a few of the Cofradias. Dolores was extremely open and welcoming, she shared her personal struggles as well as those of her people starting at the conquest thru the civil war and up to the present day. The civil war has impacted her life, and the whole of Guatemala, since its conception in the 1960’s. Over a thirty-year period of time, Dolores and tens of thousands of Maya people were targeted by the military as conspirators with the guerillas. Dolores was able to flee to the United States as a refugee shortly after her name appeared on a list of people that the government forces intended to make “go away.” That list was distributed in the plaza outside the Catholic Church in Santiago Atitlán, outside the very same church where Father Aplas, or Stanley Francis Rother, was murdered in the night shortly there after.

(Above: Plaza view from Catholic Church in Santiago Atitlán)

(Above: Dedication to Father Aplas)

Father Aplas, as the locals called him, was a Catholic Pastor from Oklahoma who worked to help the people of Santiago Atitlán out of poverty, he opened a hospital, bought and rented land to the locals so that they could grow food, and allowed the traditional Maya people to perform their rituals. Dolores was a young girl when he first came to the town, and she told us she would not be alive today without him. She was one of the many children Father Aplas helped by providing food to their families when they came up short. I really cannot do justice to Dolores’ ability to recount Father Aplas’ many deeds and untimely death, but I can certainly suggest to anyone to travel to Guatemala and learn. Learn from the people who suffered such a great deal for embracing their traditional heritage, or for helping a population that so desperately needed and still needs a helping hand. See why they fought for their culture, visit the ancient and not so ancient sites, eat what they eat, live how they live, and maybe try to learn a Mayan language. Since traveling across the world of the Maya, I decided to set a few goals for myself: learn Spanish, attempt a Mayan language, learn what I can do to prevent the looting of ancient artifacts, and to volunteer for archaeological digs. I would like to continue to learn as much as I can from the living Maya and those who have since “entered the water.”

Little Did I Know

Little did I know that studying abroad this summer would be the most amazing experience. Little did I know I would grow as a person. Little did I know that I would find comfort in a country where I did not speak the language. Little did I know I would form lasting friendships. Little did I know I could hike a volcano. Little did I know I would get to swim with sharks. Little did I know I would enjoy my time abroad so much that I would plan to come back next summer.

After being home a few days where I have had time to reflect on the last month and I have come to realize how blessed I am to have had this opportunity. During my time aboard my experiences made me feel small, but in a good way. It was a humbling experience that taught me to appreciate the little things in life. For example, water, electricity, wifi and air conditioning are all luxuries that we take for granted here in the states. However, despite Belize and Guatemala not having a reliable access to these resources the people in these countries didn’t seem to care and I think that is what most stood out to me. Everyone I met was so friendly and happy. I was only in Guatemala for a short amount of time but the amount of festivals and celebrations I got to attend really illustrated how spiritual the community is. I think I is important for people to experience different culture because it really broadens your perspective of the world.

Jaws in the Caribbean

This Maymester trip has witnessed many of my “firsts”, so today, I am here to share with you my first snorkeling experience. Due to my time constraint on the island, none of my activities were planned thoroughly. They were merely opportunities that my friends had told me about, to which I immediately said yes without giving much thought. This snorkeling trip was not an exception. There was at most an interval of twenty minutes between my hearing of the trip and my payment for it.

In the very next morning, my friends and I gathered around a bench in front of the “Caveman Travel Agency”, where we picked up our snorkeling gear. While dousing myself in sun screen, I listened to the head guide go through some cautionary items. The guide exuded an atmosphere so calm and relaxed, there was no room for any nervousness. Moments later, we began boarding our boat.

The intense turquoise of the sea was only accentuated by the water’s clarity. Even while the boat was in motion, we could see the reefs hidden below. The boat went about a mile out from the shore to a location where we could see the barrier reefs that tirelessly guard the coast of Belize. Our first spot was called Coral Garden. The five- to six-foot deep water of the region would help us familiarize ourselves with snorkeling. The process was not difficult at all. I made the occasional mistake of breathing through my nose, but I soon learned to suppress the instinct. I turned my full attention to the scenery after quickly learning the process. The underwater view was breathtaking. In between the circular- or branch-shaped reefs were fish of every color, size, and shape imaginable. And this was only the beginning.

Our next stop was Shark Ray Alley. As the name suggested, we swam with sharks and sting rays at this stop. I am tempted to let your imagination run wild and think that we survived a casual swim with great whites and lethal species of sting rays, but truth is an obligation in this blog post. When we arrived, the gentle, grey-skinned Nurse Sharks—about three to four feet long on average—crowded the side of the boat, as one of our guides dangled a lifeless sardine a foot above water. We quietly slipped down the opposite side of the boat and snuck around to the side where the sharks were still bunched one on top of the other, hoping to get an afternoon snack. We made sure not to scare any of the sharks off by approaching too closely. As we looked underwater, we also saw the harmless species of rays (I’ve forgotten the exact name) gracefully flapping their sides in the water. It was at first a little nerve-wrecking when they grazed against my skin, but my fear soon went away. I actually started to like feeling their slimy skins on my body, as weird as that sounds. I learned from my guide that if I balled my fist in front of a ray, it would start following me, thinking I had food. Unfortunately, our play date with the sharks and stingrays ended quickly, and we re-boarded our boats.

Before the trip concluded, we continued to spot amazing creatures, including a manatee. The sight of them makes me all the more grateful to immense conservation efforts that strive to protect natural life in the Caribbean. Overall, my first snorkeling trip was a success. But more importantly, I am extremely fortunate to have found a close group of friends, with whom I was able share this once-in-a-life-time experience. Of course, none of this would have been possible without this phenomenal study abroad program.

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

This trip to Guatemala and Belize has been so full of incredible experiences, amazing people and unique places that if I wanted to, I could write dozens of pages on the last few weeks. However, I have been told not to make this blog a really long and uninteresting rant about a month’s worth of stories. So, I will focus on the weekend that 4 of my friends and I climbed Volcán Acatenango an hour or so outside of Antigua. We checked out an American-owned travel agency, and were told that the price would be $130 per person for the 2-day trek. Seems like a reasonable enough price, but since we are all broke college students, we found a much more sketchy “travel agency” that had its front desk awkwardly inside a baby toy store, and its logo haphazardly drawn on the wall. Probably not a good idea to trust your life to a Guatemalan agency like this when they won’t show you the equipment, food, or camping stuff you will be using, but the price was $13 per person so….yeah we did it. It was only after reserving our spots that I looked up the volcano to find that 8 hikers actually died there earlier this year because of the cold at the summit. We almost thought we had been ripped off when the van to pick us up did not arrive for 45 minutes after the scheduled time, but nevertheless, by 11 am, we were at the beginning of the hike, an open shack on the side of the road. The first four hours of the hike were somewhat difficult, but the views of the cloud forest around us, the company of my friend Quinn, and the dry jokes of our sixty-year old Mayan guide kept me motivated to continue even as the rest of our group would fall so far behind as to be out of sight within a few minutes of starting to hike. About 5 hours in, Quinn and I stopped and the guide went back to check on the rest of the group while it began to rain. I was so exhausted that I just lay down and let it hit me. However, it soon became a downpour, and just when it was looking like the rest of the hike (which the guide had assured us was only 15 minutes for the last 4 hours or so) would be a soaking wet mud trudge, the guide returned with the others and pulled out a tarp for all of us to stand under for 15 minutes while the rain passed. It was a good time of rest and bonding. The next 2 hours passed quickly, as the thundering sound of the neighboring volcano, “Fuego” erupted every few minutes and we began to catch views of it and the surrounding clouds.

When we reached our campsite about an hour from the summit overlooking Fuego, the guide cooked us hot chocolate over a fire he started, and we watched spectacular volcanic eruptions until well after dark, when the glow of the lava and the lighting hitting the volcano made for a Mordor-like environment, but not so great photos.

We got up (implying incorrectly that we got even a single minute of sleep with 5 of us in one tiny tent on a centimeter-thick mat with too-small sleeping bags in the cold) at 4 am to hike the remaining hour and catch the sunrise. The views from the summit were the best I have ever seen. I will never forget this experience.

The Time I Faced My Fear(s)

It was from five feet away that I could see the scales of the Boa glistening in the sun. The adrenaline from hearing my friends gush about the Belize Zoo had me excited to explore, but I wasn’t expecting to face one of my biggest fears in the yellow eyes. From a zookeeper’s neck hung a green and brown Boa Constrictor, stretching about five feet long. My friends who had been talking to me suddenly became unintelligible voices in the back of my mind as I realized that I wanted to hold the boa. As you can imagine, my instinctual internal voice was screaming “NO! DO! NOT! HOLD! THE! DEADLY! REPTILE!”

The sweat on my forehead and the clamminess of my hands were reinforcing this, but my mouth was doing something completely different (as usual) “Can we hold the boa?” I said to the zookeeper breathily. He looked at me surprised because I was one of the first to walk in from our group. I guess people don’t normally ask to hold the dangerous reptile before observing the zoo. “Uhh.. sure.” He replied while beginning to remove the neck scarf of a snake. He placed it gently on to my shoulders and I felt its scales against my skin. She (the constrictor) tightened her tummy muscles around my neck to adjust to her new perch and there was a hissing sound near my right ear as she expressed her dislike for me. “shh shh shh” the zookeeper whispered at her and pet behind her head like she was a dog. I felt the blood leave my face as I tried to remain calm under the weight of a snake that was not liking me. “Just relax.” The zookeeper said to me more so than to the snake. I took a few deep breaths, counted to three, and let my shoulders and neck relax. “Not so bad, huh?” The zookeeper said to me as I held the snake more confidently. After about twenty seconds, I had relaxed fully and decided to pass the snake off to the zookeeper. I left with my thoughts a blur.

Many people think that study abroad is meant to make you learn a new language or study in a classroom setting in another country but the reality is just like the one I had – you are abroad to make new experiences and learn from them. Holding a Boa Constrictor, petting a stingray, and climbing to the top of the second largest point in Belize are some of the things that have taught me a lot about who I am, as a person and a student. I understand more than ever what it is that American life has me taking for granted and I see how this trip has already transformed my life path. As grueling as the process can be and as costly as the bill is, Guatemala and Belize were two of the best countries I have come to see in my lifetime and I hope that anyone reading this gets the curiosity to go and see parts of the world some people never have before.

Ceremony through Senses

We had the honor of experiencing a traditional Maya Day Keeper ceremony while in Antigua. His name was Kawoq and he provided us with an unforgettable opportunity. The ceremony encompassed so many elements that we feel it will be best described by working through the five senses of our experience.

Sight: Traditional textiles were wrapped around his head, his way of dawning the role of Day Keeper. His family was present; they were an intimate part of the ceremony. The candles he used as offerings were all different colors, each symbolizing a part of the environment and cardinal directions. White symbolized the North, wind, and air. Red illustrated the rising sun and the East. Yellow represented Earth and the South. Black stood for the setting sun and the West. Lakota tribe ceremonial feathers were beside the fire. A tribe member had asked Kawoq to have them present for each ceremony.

Sound: Kawoq speaking in kaqchikel as he orchestrated the ceremony. Kawoq thanked each Nawal, explaining the meaning of our unique Nawales and how each of them embodied us in different ways. The fire crackled with each offering he added to the mound.

Feel: The heat of the fire against our open hands, accepting the energy from the flames. Emotionally feeling at ease, tranquil, and peaceful. However, the journey of the ceremony encompassed a roller coaster of emotions as we gave thanks to our Nawales and our ancestors. We felt the sacred water, which had been blessed with herbs, that he gave us to put on our hands and face for protection and wellness.

Smell: Incense burning, pine needle offerings, and sugar melting. Kawoq flung strong smelling liquid with a bushel of leaves at each of us, ensuring our safety in travel. The liquid we put directly on our skin smelled of herbs.

Taste: The bitterness of a ripeningSanta peach, a sweet sign of gratitude from Kawoq’s young daughter Xochitl.

Our experience with this ceremony was a little overwhelming. This is why we wanted to break it down into how we felt the experience. It truly was an authentic and intimate opportunity that people rarely get to take part in. We feel humbled and privileged to have witnessed such a significant part of traditional Maya culture that has stood the test of time.

Rebecca (Kawoq)

Andrea (Aq’ab’al)

Rylie (B’aatz)

Not a goodbye, but an hasta luego

June 17, 2017 I can’t believe our time in Antigua and the highlands is coming to an end. Since we arrived here, I’ve had the opportunity to do so much. Visiting archeological sites and museums has been particularly enriching, but it’s only a small fraction of what I’ve experienced here.

The fruit here is outstanding. The bananas are sweeter, the pineapple juicier, and the mangos? They melt in your mouth. One of my sweetest memories is sitting on a rock, dangling my feet in the water of Lago Atitlan, nibbling on an avocado in the brilliance of a benevolent sun (I’ve come to consider sunny days a luxury during this rainy season). Did I mention that the avocados are incredible?

Antigua is charming and picturesque, but you might know that from the photos. What pictures can’t convey is the sound of what seems like 100 different birds whistling and chirping throughout the day (though I’m sure it can attributed to just a few exuberant ones). The smells of pepián (the national food), torillas, and various types of freshly baked bread exude from every doorway. There’s the chatter of women in the market, the cadence of languages thousands of years old. The sound of hands slapping masa for tortillas against the comal. The smiles of schoolchildren as they wave hello, grinning shyly. The feel of the breeze upon my face atop of Cerro de la Cruz while overlooking the city. I have savored every moment.

That’s not to say I haven’t taken it a bit for granted. I arrived here on May 25. We depart tomorrow, June 18. In less than a month, Antigua has felt more and more like home each day. For every convent, museum, store, or ruin I’ve visited, it seems like I’ve missed twice as many. This isn’t a city that can be absorbed all at once. Some days I had to stay home to avoid feeling inundated with it all. I could probably spend another month here and not have seen everything. That’s okay. It gives me more incentive to return someday. The people here are so friendly and warm. The women are absolutely beautiful. I really hope they know that. I didn’t see a single tourist that outshone the smile of a Maya woman. My host, Doña Ruth, is 86 years old and has a thick, shining crop of still mostly-black hair. “I’ve never dyed it. It’s all natural,” she told me with a twinkle in her eye. “We live well here in Guatemala. It’s been good to me.”

Guatemala has been good to me too.

The land, the clear air, and the fresh food may be good, but the circumstances under which many Guatemalans live are not always so. Antigua is more or less a place for those of privilege. Here many people have cars and electricity and running water. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to travel outside the city to help bring me and my tourist’s perspective back down to earth. More than 59% of Guatemalans live in poverty. For many, basic amenities such as electricity and clean water (never mind running water) are a luxury. 1.5 million people live on less than two dollars a day. The stunning natural beauty belies the fact that many are struggling to survive. This is more apparent in towns outside the city, especially those dotting the mountainsides.

I aspire to forget none of this. For every thing that I enjoy here, there may be someone that will never get the chance to in their own country. As a future graduate in Global Policy, it is my goal to help develop impoverished nations such as Guatemala so that all may enjoy the fruits of this beautiful earth. It’s the very least I could do for all the kindness this country has shown me.

How did it go by so fast?

It is our last full day in Antigua, Guatemala and I’m sitting in Casa Herrera drinking some delicious coffee (props to Milady) and banana bread from the Doña Luisa Xicotencatl bakery (I highly recommend it, it’s magical) while listening to the church bells ring close by and the hustle of people at the market. It’s been a little over two weeks here and I’m not ready to go.

Antigua is a place of vibrant beauty with such unique smells and sounds. When you walk on the cobble stone streets of Antigua, you can actually feel the history under your feet with every step you take. The name “Antigua” means ancient in itself. The name of the city is not deceiving by any means. Although the name might mean “ancient,” the city is very much alive and colorful. When I say that we have been living in Antigua for two weeks, I mean that it has felt like two days. The city is one of those places where you need to have an introduction and then go into your actual chapters within your very long, and intriguing novel. I feel as though these two weeks have been my introduction and that I am now able to finally begin to actually live here in detail. I have barely scratched the surface of those cobblestones. Just when you think you know where you’re going without getting lost, you’re flying away from it. The up side to this feeling however, is that I know that this won’t be the last time I’m here.

Speaking of cobblestones, I have a fascination for rocks. Whenever I see a church or temple in ruins, it’s the most exciting thing for me (along with textiles, but I’ll keep this restricted to just rocks). Although this might seem a bit strange to some, considering the impressive and monumental structures architecture can achieve, I see the skeleton of it just as sublime. Antigua is a colonial city with many churches that were destroyed by multiple earthquakes – and we experienced one while staying here! Three of the churches I’ve included pictures of (and have a slight obsession over) are below: El Carmen, Santuario Arquidiocesano del Santo Hermano Pedro, and La Catedral de San José. Guys, architecture in ruins has its charm. As for Pre-Hispanic sites, we’ve only visited Iximché so far, but we will be visiting many more after we depart Antigua! I guess leaving Antigua won’t be too bad…(as long as I come back!)

A little bit of background information about Iximché (in the photo above): it was the capital of the Late Postclassic Kaqchikel Maya kingdom from 1470 up to 1524, when the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado declared Iximché as the first capital of Guatemala. Pretty interesting, right? Well that’s like pretty much everything in Guatemala!

Here’s to our upcoming wonderful week of travelling to Petén and Belize!