pascual abaj

Our guide led us up a dirt trail with many switchbacks. The climb was strenuous but we all made it to the top. We were very fortunate because a shaman was performing a ritual blessing on a young man who was leaving home. (Our guide revealed the context of the ritual) By the end of the ceremony we were all in tears. The young man, his mother and 5 strangers observing the blessing. I'm not a strongly religious person but this blessing on a hill in Guatemala under the trees and sky really moved me! The people of Chichicastanango have so little when compared to the average North American. Their religion, a blend of Mayan and Catholic, is what sustains them and allows them to carry on with what they have.

I chose to go with a local authorised guide, who charged Q150. Her name was Tomasa and she was very good at explaining the significance of the site and all to do with local Mayan traditions and their life in general. It is a 20 minute walk from the Tomas church and you need to be prepared for quite a steep incline. Worth the visit though. My only regret was that it might have been better to go first thing in the morning as this seems to be when most of the ceremonies take place. I only got there at around 12 and it was too late on this occasion. However, there are ceremonies taking place on a regular basis at both of the churches located on the main square of the town.

I love the hike up to the famous Pascual Abaj. For those who need an explanation, Saint Pascual is the patron saint of the dead. In the Mayan culture this would mean those who are dead, or their ancestors. Abaj is the Quiche Mayan word for stone. This is in reference to the pre-Colombian stone that is part of the shrine area.The local people still come to this site to do Mayan ceremony, and chances are you will get to witness one. You can look up on the hill from the village, and can see if there is a ceremony by looking for the smoke.I have been up to this site many times, and I have never encounters any dogs. Angry or otherwise.

I went up here to see the shrine but as I got to the top of the hill and approached the location I was attacked by a pack of 6 really angry aggressive dogs, so I could not get close enough and I was lucky not to be mauled.

Chichi has a famous Thursday and Sunday market where Mayan people from all over the area come to sell their artisan products, food, produce, flowers and more. We had heard it was worth it to get a guide at the local INGUAT tourism office, so that’s what we did. The INGUAT office is hard to find so you’ll just have to ask around once you’re in the market, it’s somewhere in the center. We didn’t have to arrange anything in advance, just showed up and the woman at the office called a guide who arrived in 5 minutes or less. He spoke in Spanish. We didn’t ask for the tour in English at the office so someone else might have been available. He didn’t really show us the market (which didn’t need much showing), but instead took us to the municipality, church and shrine Pascual Abaj on the hill outside of town to teach us more about Mayan spiritual practices, all of which was awesome. He also took us to an off-the-beaten-track mask shop where we bought a real wooden mask used in Mayan ceremonies. It was better than what we would have gotten in the market, and we bartered down the price, but it was still expensive and it was obvious the guide had a deal with the store owner to bring people by. The only shocker was at the end of the trip. The lady at the office had suggested Q.30-50 for a few hour tour. The guide at the end then asked for Q.250-300. We gave him Q.150 and he seemed a little upset. We weren’t really sure who was right. The tour was great, just negotiate the price beforehand.

Si trova su una collina appena fuori città. In una radura un idolo di pietra circondato da croci anch'esse in pietra. Dedicato al dio maya della terra. Molto venerato dalla gente del posto. Viene offerto di tutto, dai fiori e all'incenso fino alle sigarette e ai liquori. E' quasi un delitto consigliare d'andare a visitare, e disturbare, un posto simile. Fatelo con discrezione e lasciate qualche offerta. Consiglio d'andare a piedi, una piacevole passeggiata...in salita. Da non mancare se si vuole capire cosa è veramente Chichicastenango, città unica per questo in Guatemala.

Local onde são feitas as oferendas (sacrifícios) de animais desde a cultura maya. O guia nos explicou muito da importância deste lugar e todo seu simbolismo. Um mergulho numa antiga tradição.

Den Berg kann man leicht ohne Guide in 15 Minuten besteigen.Nachdem man durch das Museum den schmalen Pfad gegangen ist, kommt man schon an eine kleine Zeremonienecke. Hier liegt ein besonderer Stein. Er ist ca. 80 cm lang und hat am Ende ein Gesicht. Solche Steine steckten in den alten Pyramiden als Verzierungen.Steigt man noch 10 Minuten weiter, kommt man zur eigentlichen Zeremonienstaette.Der selbe Schamane, der morgens auf dem Friedhof eine Zermonie abgehalen hat, hat dies hier wiederholt, wohl eine Totenanrufung.Leider bleibt der ganze Muell, der bei dem Spektakel anfaellt, hier oben liegen.

Per arrivare all'altare sacro di Pasqual Abaj da Chichicastenango, e' necessario o fare una lunga lunga camminata oppure prendere un Tuk Tuk, il mezzo tradizionale del posto, tipo un'Ape Car, e poi fare una scarpinata fino alla cima. Anche qui e' consiglio di fare l'escursione accompagnati da una guida per questioni di sicurezza. Sulla cima vi e' un altare sacro per la popolazione Maya del posto, spesso fumante per via dei riti, che vi fanno spesso con animali come la gallina. Scendendo potete fermarvi al negozio di maschere realizzate a mano, diverse da quelle piu' dozzinali che si trovano al mercato. Una visita molto intensa.