I had thought that Mayan culture was history. For me, the word conjured up images of grand but ruined temples and tombs, overgrown with jungle. Mayan rituals? A thing of the past and surely the Mayan language was wiped out by the Spanish centuries ago.

I could not have been more wrong.

Despite efforts to oppress and assimilate, the Mayan people have held onto their culture for 2,000 years. Today, over six million Maya live in Guatemala, Mexico and Belize. In Guatemala, they make up the majority of the population, but they remain marginalised by government and society.

It is the clothing that first catches your eye. The vibrant and intricate textiles are worn with immense care and pride, putting our scruffy, dull Western wardrobe to shame. Textiles are the most powerful forms of artistic expression within contemporary Mayan communities, communicating identity through symbols and designs. Generations of women weavers have passed on their knowledge to their daughters and granddaughters but rather than remain static, these women have adapted to innovations, such as the development of synthetic fibres and colours. I felt happy just looking at the kaleidoscope of colours on display every day.

My ears overheard conversations and I couldn’t recognise one word. This wasn’t simply the change in accent and different vocab that we have come to expect when we enter a new country in Latin America. Instead, I was listening to one of the 23 Mayan languages that, along with Spanish, are recognised as the official languages of Guatemala. Not all Mayans have Spanish as a second language.

Whilst Guatemala is predominately Catholic, the Maya have blended ancient rituals into their worship. The highland town of Chichicastenango follows the regular town plan with a main plaza and church at its core, but the steps to this church were crowded with flower vendors and the air was filled with the sweet smoke of copal incense. Inside, once our eyes had adjusted to the darkness, we saw a scene different to any other church we have visited: the faithful knelt beside low stone altars that were smothered with offerings of flowers and burning candles. We were told that the three statues represented saints, including Saint Thomas. It sounded European but their decorative adornments were definitely Mayan. Apparently the stories of these saints bear little resemblance to their European counterparts.

As well as making offerings in the church, it is customary for locals to consult one of the scores of Mayan priests (also called shamans) that live in the town. The priests will conduct ceremonies in a clearing on a quiet, pine covered hill above town where an ancient Mayan shrine stands. During our visit, a young, earnest Mayan couple laid offerings of incense, food, flowers and candles on the shrine. Perhaps they were seeking the blessing of their marriage, or giving thanks and praying for continued fertility. We will never know. What was clear, however, is that Maya religious customs have survived in an unbroken tradition and can be recognised in each of their ceremonies today.

The 1996 peace accords that followed the 36 year long civil war in Guatemala included commitments to indigenous rights. The accords saw the establishment of federal offices to address the needs of the Maya people, but these offices remain underfunded, poorly organised and have had little impact. Generally, most Mayan communities continue to live in extreme poverty and suffer social, economic, political and cultural exclusion and discrimination.

More progress has been made by the support provided by international non-profit organisations. During our stay we met with two of these organisations that touched me deeply, both as a woman and a teacher.

As a female, growing up in Sydney, Australia, I have always taken for granted my access to family planning education, reproductive health services and contraception. This is not the case in Guatemala, which has the highest fertility rate of any Latin American country (3.9 children per woman, rising to 4.6 in rural indigenous communities). The organisation WINGS aims to break the cycle of poverty and gender inequality that plague Guatemala by providing these services to families. View a documentary about their work here.

The work of Camino Seguro (Safe Passage) focusses on the children who live in the Guatemala City rubbish dump, and their families, seeking to empower and foster dignity through education. I was excited to hear phrases such as “engaged learners”, “active participation”, “critical thinking about big ideas”, “a safe and caring learning environment” when this organisation talked about their students and their programmes. Find out more here.

Whilst Guatemala’s ancient Mayan sites were a privilege to explore, it is today’s Mayan community, and the people working to support them, that will leave a lasting impression on us.

Posted by Fiona

More of the story is told in the photos and captions of this gallery. The full gallery is here.

Hemlines and skirt designs kept changing from the long and flowing (Xela)…..

….to the long and straight (Antigua)….

….to the short and straight (Chichicastenango).

Blouses changed too from completely woven to embroidered (San Pablo la Laguna).

The children wore minature versions of the same designs.

Men often wear non-traditional clothing.

Women pass their weaving skills on from generation to generation.

The steps of Chichicastenango’s church are covered with flower sellers.

Offerings are made at an altar on the church steps. Incense filled the air.

The Mayan shrine of Pascual Abaj is said to be several hundreds of years old. The shrine is still used daily. This couple came with bundles of offerings (incense, food, flowers and candles) for their ceremony.

Chichicastenango’s cemetery is full of colours. The Maya used a cross to symbolise the four cardinal points prior to the introduction of Christianity to their communities.

Some sobering statistics: Guatemala has one of the highest rates of chronic malnutrition in the world. Matt here towers above a young Mayan mother. 50% of children under five years are physically and/or cognitively stunted, impacting their success at school and their earning potential as adults.

In Guatemala, only two of every five children will carry on with their education after 6th grade.

In Guatemala, 50% of 19 year old women have at least one child.

Chichicastenango’s market is the central meeting place for inter-village trade and commerce among the highland Maya. The streets were packed!

All the construction materials and merchandise are carried in and out, mostly by hand, each market day.

At the end of a busy day, everyone deserved a treat and this guy was happy with his roaring ice cream trade.

Of course, we also visited Tikal. It is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. The civilisation peaked between 200-900AD.

Here are some other snaps from our travels in Guatemala. More photos are here.

The best hot shower we’ve ever had…..yep, this was a hot waterfall in a forest setting. Paradise.

New friends, overlanders Doris and Torsten from Germany.

Jaguar crossing. The road into Tikal.

The streets of Antigua are towered over by Volcan de Agua.

A chicken bus ride to Guatemala City. We thought the bus was full at this point, then passengers stood in the aisle while vendors and the bus conductor walked up and down. We endured this hour long ride six times.

New vs Old. Air filters were a spare part we couldn’t find anywhere in Central America, so we bit the bullet and imported them from the US. By the time they arrived, we REALLY needed them!

Pollo Campero – the national dish of Guatemala. Had to try it. Once was enough.

Priceless views for US$10 a night.

Watching Volcan Santiaguito, near Xela, let off some steam.