August 16- Return to Guatemala

This morning, we visited a small ruins-Las Sepulturas (Place of Scribes), where the lords of the area lived with their artisans. Some people say that the Maya disappeared, but they just moved from their large cities to smaller villages near Atitlan, or north to Chichen Itza, mostly from a drought in the area. They had a paved causeway to move large stone blocks used for carving. They also built aqueducts. There was a good display of their stone beds in tiny rooms.

Then, we headed for Guatemala, making a number of stops along the way. I liked this philosophy of OAT to stop along the way as interesting experiences appear. We stopped at a stone/bone carver's workshop along the highway and watched them work. I bought a carved bone showing a Mayan prisoner at Tikal who was to be beheaded. We also stopped at a place where they process cashew nuts. It was very smoky and smelly, and I felt for the workers who did this daily. A small Paleontology Museum was a good stop before lunch.

After lunch, we stopped at a marketplace in a small town along the way. We met an 82 year old woman with beautiful festival clothing, had fresh coconut milk, and freshly picked lychee fruit. We saw many pickup trucks which are used for public transportation, with people piled in the back. We finally made it to Guatemala City, which is very urban. It is the largest capital in Central America, now 4,000,000 people. There are many squatters, but it is a clean city. We arrived at the Best Western Hotel Stoffel, which was mediocre in location and quality.

Notes on Guatemala: Since the 1996 Civil War, it has grown quickly. Illiteracy has decreased from 48% to 16%, and unemployment is at 22%. School is mandatory for elementary student and the government pays 1/2 of fees. The teachers must learn a Maya dialect. Middle Schools and High Schools are optional and career oriented. Classes have 40-45 students. Only 50% finish High School and 20% go on to college.