Pockets of history, living history can be found all over Guatemala. Truly a delight for those interested in indigenous activities, rituals and how they play an intertwine with the pressures of other technology dominated cultures. Market days offer an opportunity for villagers from the surrounding mountains to bring in goods to sell and trade. It is also an opportunity to speak to their Mayan ancestors which manifest themselves in a blend of Catholic and Mayan worship rituals. The smell of pine sap and candle wax fill the air with plumes of smoke on the church steps. As they light up the incense they mumble ancient words in their local languages often punctuated with "Ajau"! The church steps are all that is left from the pre-Columbian Mayan temple that used to be stand before the Spanish arrived with their horses, steel and one God. The 18 steps are in sync with the 18 years of the Mayan calander.
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