High in the Guatemalian highlands is a small village called Todos Santos. In an islolated valley, with only one road in and out the people are Mam-speaking Todos Santeros. They live and keep their culture and traditions alive. To get there we had to take a bus to a city called Huehuecastango.
The purple decorations told us it was Lent.
On the way the bus broke down! But the driver got under the bus and knocked around for a bit and off we went again.
Hue Hue, for short, has very little to offer except a church
and a few Colonial buildings which are being renovated.
an old shop did catch our eye!
and the ice cream carts were interesting
The journey up to the mountains was spectacular, we have never been on a road that climbs up so steeply, double bend after double bend, with almost a ninety degree angle on them made our hair stand on end!
The views across the valley were hazy with the heat.
Once up on the high plateau we had to change buses and wait, with the locals.
The sign post told us which way to go.
No bus came, but eventually a red pickup stopped and a very sprucely dressed man in local costume offered us a lift. Thankfully we threw the bags into the back of the truck and climbed into the back seats with all the gear one could imagine for a breakdown!
We climbed up and up, leaving the tarmac behind we bounced merrily along chatting to our host driver we got to the top of a rise and saw the Todos Santos valley for the first time.
It stretched away into the distance and we started to bump down into the valley. We were dropped at the turn off to Todos Santos, our driver gong onto an even more remote village.
Walking along the dirt road we came across their typical houses.
with painted front doors.
We were directed to the main street, but were told it was a bit of a mess.
We could hardly believe our eyes! We had lived through a similar situation in Javea - main drainage was being put in!
We found a hotelito!
with a view across the roof tops.
The room was just about acceptable, but it was all there was!
We started to explore. All the men were dressed in the traditional red striped trousers, home woven shirts and special hats.
The women wore indigo blue hand woven skirts, blouses and shawls.
The people were very poor, but fiercely proud of their traditions. The town hall was set in a small square.
The pale pink Canas very pretty.
The old market place was rather run down.
old women walked the steep streets.
And men spent a lot of time talking in the square!
While other women carried their babies on their backs
.The most fascinating building in Todos Santos is the church.
Inside was the glorious mix of Christianity and Mayan beliefs.
The church was decorated for Lent.
And very old statues of Mary and Joseph flanked the altar.
The ceiling was wooden cross beams with intrically painted Mayan panels.
The market and shops stocked some fascinating items from snake skin cowboy boots.
To machete knives.
and reels of brightly coloured thread for the women's embroidery.
A group of people were watching TV in the telephone shop!
We spent one night in the village leaving early the next morning to visit a village down the road that was holding a weekly animal market - we cant resist them!
Leaving brightly painted doors,
And steeply terraced mountain sides.
The bus took us to the turn off, where we saw animals being driven off in trucks.
We made it to the market, but we were too late for the animals it was only 9.0am!!!
One lonely pig was waiting to go to it's new home.
We saw a few things that we had not seen before!
Tacos with cheese
Lots of cloth for sale.
Meat.
Bright yellow corn fed chicken!
fabulous flowers - Lent colours of course!
cute babies, having a ride.
There is always something to surprise you - how about this!
We finally left with the remainder of the animals.
and trucks packed with men, goods and women.
the bus wound its way down the mountain side, much to the delight of this baby.
We had to return to Hue Hue to catch a bus to our next destination of Lake Aitian, but we had to spend another night there. We decided to take a look at the local McDonalds!
How about that for a play area - this was small compared to some we had seen!
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