A Strange Experience

Well, I hate to rub it in, but I'm exhausted after my one hour soak in the hot springs.  However, I feel compelled to tell you about my day.  (I can just feel your concern for my tiredness.)  After school, my guide, Martin, drove me to a small pueblo which claims the honor of housing three things of great interest.  First, the oldest church in Guatemale, built, of course, by the Spaniards in the 15th century.  The second, the first fabric coop formed for Mayan women in Guatemale.  The priest in the pueblo was the one who helped the women form the coop.  It was a struggle because the men were against it.  The third, constitutes the strangest experince I have ever, and I'm not sure I can quite explain it.  In the picture below is a god/occult figure/religious figure/very scary and confusing thing.  His name is San Simon. He is constantly being moved to different locations thoughout the city.  I'm not quite sure why, but finding him was something like playing "Where's Waldo."  My guide had to ask several people in the pueblo where he was and we walked up and around several steep streets before we found him.  Let me set the scen:.  You are high in the mountains,clouds misting around you and the mountains are so close, you feel you can touch them.  It's a bit dark and the steep, ancient cobble stones steets are slippery with dew.  Everyone around you is Mayan, dressed in tradional clothing.  Everything is so ancient, you feel as though you've stepped back in time.  You enter a small dark room, possibly 10 x 12 feet, and there he sits, San Simon.  There are numerous candles flickering in the room and the smell of incense fills the air.  Five or six Myans are waiting their turn to pay homage.  One stern Myan is watching and guarding every move and collecting payment from each person as he or she moves forward and drops to their knees.  San Simon likes to smoke and drink and so offerings of  tobacco and alchohol are placed at his feet.  Upstairs there is another room devoted solely to the burning of  candles and the offering of chickens.  He has been part of Myan cultures for thousand of years; of course, appearing in different forms in keeping with the century.  The way it was explained to me is that embodies ALL; something like Yeng and Yang; everything good and bad, hope and dispair.  But I can tell you, it scared the you know what out of me and I was very glad to get out of there.  You had to pay to take picture and it all just gave me the creeps and so I got this picture off the internet.  I have no regrets, though.  It was really a once in a lifetime experience.  After all that, we went to the hot springs and it was wonderful!

Thanks everyone for all the nice responces.  I always look forward to them.  Jeanette, work?  What is that? And yes, on Friday I'm moving to a bed and breakast.  It is so beautiful and will be a wonderful way to spend my last week here.  Chris, as in Gigi and Chris, I could never forget you!  I just don't know your e-mail address.  I  hope both of you have a great time in Cambodia.  Love to all.  Judy



My buddy, San Simon

Martin, my tour guide

Me in el pueblo