22
Feb

Big, Big Rocks – Quiriguá Mayan Archaeological Site, Guatemala

Posted on February 22nd, 2012 :: Posted in 2012 calendar, Archaeology Site, Central America, Guatemala, Mayan, UNESCO Site

Stela D - QuiriguaMayan ruins, Guatemala

Detailed carvings and hieroglyphics on stelae D.

Stela E - Quirigua Mayan ruins, Guatemala

Stelae E is 35 feet (10.6 meters) high and weighs 65 tons prompting some experts to call it the largest stone ever quarried by the ancient Maya and maybe even the largest free-standing worked monolith in the New World.

We’d decided to blow off the Quiriguá archaeological site, totally put off by the 80Q (US$10) entrance fee–higher than almost any other Mayan site in Guatemala other than Tikal. But when our travels took us right back past the remains of this post classic period Mayan city we took it as a sign and decided to shell out $20 and visit the site.

Quiriguá really does have some of the most massive and most unusual carved rock in the entire Mundo Maya (southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras).

For example, stelae F clocks in at 24 feet (7.3 meters) high and when it was raised in 766 AD it was the tallest monument ever erected by the Mayans. That is until the folks of Quiriguá put up Stela E 10 years later, which is 10 feet (3 meters) higher than stelae F.

At 35 feet (10.6 meters) high including the buried portion holding it in place and weighing a total of 65 tons, archaeologists believe stelae E is the largest stone ever quarried by the ancient Mayans. It may even be the largest free-standing worked monolith in the New World.

Inhabited as early as the 2nd century AD, what remains of the civilization at Quiriguá (now surrounded by vast banana plantations operated by United Fruit Company, aka Chiquita Bananas) was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.

About a dozen stelae have been excavated, protected and displayed at the small site. Many relate portions of the city’s history and the feats of its various leaders. There are also carved calendars, of particular interest in 2012 since the epic Mayan calendar mysteriously ends on December 21, 2012 sparking all kinds of theories (end of the world? chance for a new beginning?) and increased interest in the Mayans.

Stela F - Quirigua Mayan ruins, Guatemala

Karen and our friend George dwarfed by stelae F which dates back to 766 AD. At 24 feet (7.3 meters) high it was the tallest monument ever erected by the Mayan until they put up stelae E (see photo above).

Also of note: many of the figures carved into the stelae at Quiriguá are wearing
unusually ornate head dresses and some even have beards. We only saw these elements on stelae at a handful of the other 60+ Mayan sites we’ve visited on our Journey.

Stela C - Quirigua Mayan ruins, Guatemala

Stela C was one of the first stelae erected at Quiriguá.

hieroglyphics detail Stela D - Quirigua Mayan ruins, Guatemala

The hieroglyphics on stelae D feature relatively rare, full-figure anthropomorphic versions of Mayan hieroglyphics. The hard stone and mild conditions mean these odd carvings are well preserved too.

What the heck is a zoomorph?

As impressive as all those stelae are, Quiriguá has other great big giant stone tricks up its sleeve. They’re called zoomorphs, which is a fancy word for multi-ton boulders carved to resemble fantastical beasts combining aspects of revered real-life animals like jaguars and turtles and crocodiles with made-up fantasy creatures. Those Mayans!

Zoomorph B - Quirigua Mayan ruins, Guatemala

This is zoomorph B, a 13 foot (four meter) long boulder carved on all sides with intricate depictions of a creature that is half crocodile, half fantasy animal.

Though zoomorph B dates back to 780 AD we could still see traces of original red pigment on it.

Zoomorph B, a multi-ton boulder carved on all sides with intricate depictions of a fantasy creature that is part crocodile, part who-knows-what.

Tikal Basecamp Option #1 – El Remate, Guatemala

Posted on December 1st, 2011 :: Posted in 2012 calendar, Archaeology Site, Boutique Hotel, Central America, Guatemala, Horseback Riding, Lake, Mayan, Ruins

If you want to visit Tikal National Park and archaeological site (and you do) there are two basecamp options for travelers: Flores or El Remate. We spent time in both towns. We’ll tell you all about Flores in our next post. For now, we’re focusing on El Remate on Lake Peten Itza which we believe is emerging as the better of the two options.

Sunset over Lake Peten Itza as seen from El Remate, Guatemala.

El Remate is a chill, lakeside village near the Biotopo Cerro Cauhi which has a growing list of budget and mid-range accommodations and a few solid economical eating options. El Remate is also closer to Tikal than Flores is, making your trip to the dramatic remains of this Mayan city shorter and cheaper. It has the look and feel of what Panajachel on Lake Atitlan might have been like 30 years ago.

Sleeping in El Remate

El Remate has a small selection of the usual passably clean hostels and dumpy guest houses. But if you have few more quetzales to rub together El Remate also offers some real values for money, all on the north side of the lake.

Looking down at Lake Peten Itza while horseback riding in the hills above El Remate, Guatemala.

Mon Ami had nice-looking stand alone bungalows in a quiet back garden for around US$20, but we didn’t stay there because we were being hosted at Posada del Cerro (300Q doubles, or about US$36, including breakfast featuring homemade bread) which turned out to be as interesting and worthy as we hoped it would.

Owned by a German biologist and community organizer named George and his Brazilian wife Raimunda, Posada del Cerro opened in 2008 right next to the entrance to Biotopo Cerro Cauhi. The Posada has seven rooms and bungalows, two charming apartments with kitchenettes and one guesthouse with seven beds. Each one of them contains no less than five different types of local woods, some of them costing more than $25 per foot on the open market. These gorgeous woods (yellow, toffee, dark chocolate) were used in building construction and in the clean, crisp furniture–much of it designed and created by George.

Our room at the charmingly hand-crafted Posada del Cerro boutique guesthouse in El Remate, Guatemala.

Rooms are minimal, homey and stylish–like an IKEA catalog (utilitarian design, primary colors) in the jungle and the place reminded us a bit of a budget version of Verana boutique hotel in Mexico. Excellent home cooked meals are available (often eaten with George and his family) and there’s WiFi throughout and good views of the lake from some rooms. Check the mattresses before settling on a room, however. They’re all new and clean but some are very, very hard.

A romantic open-air loft room at Posada del Cerro boutique guesthouse in El Remate, Guatemala.

Right across the road there’s even a lovely dock jutting into the blue/green water of the surprisingly long and clear Lake Peten Itza, perfect for a cooling swim.

Karen starting the day off right at Palomino Ranch Hotel with two of her favorite things: coffee and a horse.

A slightly splurgier accommodation option in El Remate is Palomino Ranch Hotel (400Q doubles, or about US$50). The place has a dude-ranch-meets-hacienda vibe and a swimming pool with a horsehead tiled into the bottom. There’s also a stable full of real horses–appaloosas, quarter horses, palominos and even a cremello stallion–a horse that’s pure white with blue eyes and whose genes guarantee to produce a palomino (beige coat with white mane and tail) foal when bred with a chestnut mare. It’s genetic magic.

Palomino Ranch owner Arturo Iriarte has been passionate about horses since he worked on his dad’s ranch as a child. Looking at him at the ranch you’d never guess he owns an advertising business in Guatemala City. Arturo’s well-trained horses (overseen by maestro de caballos Jose) were a pleasure to ride.

Maestro de caballos Jose with the distinctive cremello stallion at Palomino Ranch Hotel in El Remate, Guatemala.

Us riding around Lake Peten Itza with gorgeous horses from Palomino Ranch Hotel in El Remate, Guatemala.

Arturo also owns a chunk of land near his hotel that’s dotted with unearthed Mayan ruins and abuts the neighboring Biotopo Cerro Cauhi which means he has fantastic, essentially private trails as well. Riding through these steep, jungly hills (150 Q or US$20 for three hours) we got great views out over Lake Peten Itza and ample opportunities to dismount and wander through areas full of the remains of small Mayan settlements, mostly untouched by archaeologists and unvisited by tourists.

Owner Arturo Iriarte showing off the jumping skills of one of his horses at Palomino Ranch Hotel in El Remate, Guatemala.

Palomino Ranch Hotel owner Arturo Iriarte in the saddle.

The next day we took the horses along the shores of nearby Lake Salpetén then looped back to the Ixlu archaeological site. The remains of this Mayan civilization have been excavated (and are probably being meticulously raked and swept by the devoted care taker even as we speak). Riding around and amongst the hulking structures added a fresh layer of adventure to the site. There’s just something cool about signing the visitor book at an archaeological site from horseback.

Jose, Palomino Ranch Hotel’s maestro de caballos, takes a break.

Eating in El Remate

Mon Ami, which had the bungalows in the garden which we mentioned before, is also known for it’s food which was much better than average and very reasonably priced. One warning: Don’t get hoodwinked by their less-than-clear sign about internet charges. The 10Q (about US$1.25) amount posted is PER HOUR even though that’s not mentioned on the sign…

Two places that caught our eye but we never got the chance to try are Sugar Sap, an open-air cafe with homemade desserts and what looked (and smelled) like real coffee (located near Mon Ami) and Las Orquídeas (also near Mon Ami) where people swear by the pizza.

The crystal clear waters of Lake Peten Itza at El Remate in Guatemala.

Beyond Tikal – Uaxactun Archaeological Site, Guatemala

Posted on November 28th, 2011 :: Posted in 2012 calendar, Archaeology Site, Central America, Guatemala, Mayan, Ruins, Sunrise & Sunset, video

There are plenty of great reasons why Tikal archaeological site gets so much attention (and thousands of visitors). However, Tikal is not the only former Mayan civilization in Guatemala’s Peten region that’s worth your time. About 15 miles (23 km) along a good dirt road beyond Tikal lies Uaxactun.

Inhabited from the Middle Pre-Classic period through the Classic Period, Uaxactun thrived from 500 AD to 900 AD and was the longest lasting Mayan city in the Peten region of Guatemala. While Uaxactun and Tikal may have been neighbors they were not friends. War eventually broke out between them and Tikal won, effectively absorbing Uaxactun.

Karen in front of what remains of a Mayan structure in Group A at Uaxactun archaeological site in Guatemala.

The longest mask in Mesoamerica

Many of the structures at Uaxactun, which cover an area that’s smaller than Tikal, have been cleared but not reconstructed and digs large and small are ongoing. When we were at the site a team of archaeologists from Slovakia (funded by a rich countryman) were hard at work on a major discovery. Along with a fascinating local archaeologist named Neco, who’s single-handedly putting the rock star back in the profession (picture Indiana Jones meets Salvador Dali), the Slovenians have found the longest known carved mask wall in Mesoamerica.

The longest known carved mask in Mesoamerica covers the base of this building at Uaxactun. Unfortunately, we can’t show you the mask because the Slovakian archaeologists who discovered it have prohibited photos (see the sign, below).

The elaborately carved panels, in an area of Uaxactun called Group H, cover the length of an enormous base for an enormous temple and appear in two panels–one on either side of a central staircase. The archaeologists have been meticulously excavating the mask panels, documenting them, then burying them again to protect them. During our visit the carved panels to the right of the staircase were being reburied. The mask on the left side was being unearthed and was partially visible.

The detail in the carving was amazing, but we can’t show you any pictures of the mask. As a major new discovery, the archaeologists lay claim to it and prohibit photographs until they’ve published their findings. These images, from the Slovakian Institute of Archaeology and History web site, show carved details of one section of the panel and give you an idea of how massive the panels are.

Earliest known Mayan astrological observatory

One of the most interesting aspects of Uaxactun is its observatory–believed to be one of the first astrological structures in the Mundo Maya. Three short temples line one side of an area that’s now called Group E. During the Spring Equinox (March 20 or 21) and Fall Equinox (September 22 or 23) the sun rises directly behind the middle temple (called Temple II). During the Summer Solstice (June 20 or 21) the sun rises over the structure on the left (Temple I) and during the Winter Solstice (December 21 or 22) it rises over the structure on the right (Temple III).

The Mayans constructed a larger temple, called the Pyramid of the Masks, across a small plaza from the temple trio, providing a perfect viewing platform for these astrological events.

The trilogy of temples in the top photo is the oldest known astrological complex in the Mundo Maya. The structures mark the spot where the sun rises during the equinoxes and solstices every year, as shown in the sign below the picture of the structures.

Uaxactun is an engaging site at any time of the year but when we visited Uaxactun during the Spring Equinox we got to witness a series of special events including sacred pre-dawn and post-dawn ceremonies in Group E featuring chanting, fire, dancing and drumming lead by traditionally-dressed tatas (Mayan men who are, literally, the “counters of days”) and nanas (their female counterparts) along with spiritualists from around the world.

Our video of the ceremony is below:

Mayan rituals performed during special pre-dawn and post-dawn ceremonies marking the Spring Equinox at Uaxactun archaeological site in Guatemala.

Tata Chus taking part in Mayan rituals performed during special pre-dawn and post-dawn ceremonies marking the Spring Equinox at Uaxactun archaeological site in Guatemala.

Mayan rituals performed during special pre-dawn and post-dawn ceremonies marking the Spring Equinox at Uaxactun archaeological site in Guatemala.

Mayan rituals performed during special pre-dawn and post-dawn ceremonies marking the Spring Equinox at Uaxactun archaeological site in Guatemala.

Mayan rituals performed during special pre-dawn and post-dawn ceremonies marking the Spring Equinox at Uaxactun archaeological site in Guatemala. This guy came all the way from Peru to take part.

Sunrise lights up the Pyramid of the Masks as Mayan rituals mark the Spring Equinox at Uaxactun archaeological site in Guatemala.

Sunrise lights up the Pyramid of the Masks as Mayan rituals mark the Spring Equinox at Uaxactun archaeological site in Guatemala. These feathered costumes are actually Aztec and were worn by a couple from New Mexico.

A conch shell is blown during Mayan rituals marking the Spring Equinox at Uaxactun archaeological site in Guatemala. This feathered costume is actually Aztec and is worn by a man from New Mexico.

There was also a demonstration of the traditional Mayan ball game which is sort of like soccer and basketball combined (with a touch of fire-ball field hockey thrown in) but with way better costumes.

Our video, below, shows the game as it was played in the architecturally unique ball courts that are fixtures of almost every Mesoamerican archaeological site.

Modern Uaxactun

Modern inhabitants of Uaxactun, none of them Mayan, make a living by tapping chicle trees to collect a substance that was once used to make chewing gum (and now has a market among organic gum makers). Locals also harvest a wild palm called xate that’s prized by interntional floral companies who use it as filler in bouquets because it’s cheap and stays fresh for up to 60 days after cutting.

The brightly painted Bodega de Xate in Uaxactun. Various panels along the bottom depict wild xate, havesting, packaging, exportation and the use of xate by flower companies around the world.

At the Bodega de Xate in Uaxactun men bring in various forms of xate palm are harvested by hand from the jungle. The operator of the co-op claim that the xate is collected sustainably with xateros never taking more than two fronds off a single plant. The harvesters told us that they get 1.10Q (about US$0.14) per bundle of 10 palm stems.

A crew of about 20 women sort the stems for quality, discarding about 10%. They said they earn .20Q (about US$0.02) per 20 stems sorted, washed and packed.

Workers sorting xate in the Bodega de Xate in Uaxactun. The controversial palm frond is prized as bouquet filler by floral companies around the world because it’s cheap and it stays fresh for up to 60 days after it’s cut.

A worker sorting xate in the Bodega de Xate in Uaxactun. The controversial palm frond is prized as bouquet filler by floral companies around the world because it’s cheap and it stays fresh for up to 60 days after it’s cut.

Some environmentalists claim that the demand for xate has fueled over-harvesting of xate. Some also claim that xateros are also crossing borders illegally to gather xate from jungles in neighboring countries where they also poach animals and clear land. Before you order your next bouquet, read our detailed post about the xate controversy.

Uaxactun in 2012

Another great time to visit Uaxactun is the Winter Solstice (December 21), which also rubs shoulders with December 21, 2012–the day the Mayan calendar mysteriously ends. Uaxactun will be doing it big in 2012 with even more elaborate Solstice and Equinox ceremonies enabling Mayan-minded visitors to immerse in the culture and traditions without the crowds that will surely be at 2012 events scheduled at Tikal.

Pyramid of the Masks in group E which serves as the observation platform for astrological events marking the Solstices and Equinoxes over a trio of temples on the other side of the plaza.