Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
The last dependable boat to Jaibalito, Santa Cruz La Laguna and Panajachel departs about
5pm.
A paved road runs east from San Marcos to Tzununá and west to San Pablo and Santa
Clara, where it meets the road running from the Interamericana to San Pedro. You can
travel between San Marcos and San Pedro by pickup, with a transfer at San Pablo.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Jaibalito
POP 600 / ELEV 1562M
This Kaqchiquel hamlet is only accessible by boat (a 20-minutes
lancha
ride from Pana-
jachel or San Pedro, Q20), or on foot via a ridgeline trail from Santa Cruz La Laguna,
4km to the east (45 minutes). The equally picturesque hike west, to San Marcos (6km), is
best undertaken with local guides, such as Jovenes Maya Kaqchikeles (
Click here
)
. There
are several marvelous places to stay.
LOOK, UP IN THE SKY
Surely one of the most spectacular pre-Hispanic rituals alive today is that of the
palo volador
(flying pole). Dat-
ing from the Postclassic era, the ritual involves the installation of a tree trunk measuring up to 30m in the town
square. One man sits atop the pole, playing the flute and directing the ceremony. Four flyers, or angels (the num-
ber four symbolizing the cardinal points of the compass) then leap off the top of the trunk, attached by ropes, and
spin back to earth.
If all goes according to plan, the four flyers will circle the pole 13 times - thus making the number 52, which
corresponds to the number of years in a Maya Calendar Round. In some places there are only two flyers, symbol-
izing Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú, the wizard twins from the
Popul Vuh
, who descended to the under-
world to battle the lords of darkness.
The tradition has changed somewhat since the time of its origins - the tree trunk is no longer carried by hand to
town for one, and the flyers' costumes have become increasingly gaudy over the years, incorporating such nontra-
ditional items as mirrors sewn into the fabric. The
palo volador
is widely practiced in Mexico, most notably in
Puebla and Veracruz, but is becoming less common in Guatemala. Your best chance of seeing it is during the fies-
tas of Chichicastenango (December 21), Cubulco (July 25) and nearby Joyabaj (August 15) in the department of
Quiché.
Sleeping & Eating
Posada Jaibilito $
HOSTEL
