THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS - Guatemala - page 250

you walk the town's streets and see new construction funded with dollars sent from abroad
byexpatriaterelatives.Despiteitsremoteness,it'snotuncommontoseegroupsofvillagers
intheirdistinctiveattireatGuatemalaCity'sinternationalairportwaitingonthearrivalofa
returning family member. Huehuetenango supposedly sends more of its inhabitants abroad
than any other of Guatemala's departments.
As always, you should be careful not to photograph Mayan people (especially children)
without permission, nor should you show undue interest. It can be tough at times, because
Mayan children (and Mayan people in general) can provide some wonderful opportunities
for portraiture. In 2000, a Japanese tourist and the Guatemalan tour bus driver who tried to
protect him were lynched in Todos Santos by an angry mob after the tourist tried to pho-
tograph a child. The incident was certainly an isolated one and was attributed to a rumor
about satanists who were supposedly in the area snatching local children at the time. If
anything, it serves as a grim reminder that the old photographer's rule contending that it's
easier to apologize (for taking a candid photo) than to ask permission doesn't really apply
in Guatemala.
Sights
Museo Balam (tel. [phone],7A.M.-9P.M.,$0.65)istothe left 150meters offthe main
street one block from the park. Run by a friendly local family, it features marimbas, cos-
tumes for traditional village dances, and old leather sandals, bags, plows, and saddles, af-
fording a glimpse into the town's history and traditions.
Todos Santos is one of very few places in Guatemala that still largely adheres to the
260-dayMayancalendarknownastheTzolkin.Therearefrequentrituals,includinganimal
sacrifices, performed at a small Mayan site just above town known either as Cumanchúm
or Tojcunenchén. The ruins look out onto the 3,650-meter (12,000-foot) Chemal peak
(also known as “La Torre” for the radio mast atop it), which is the highest nonvolcanic
peak in Central America. To reach the summit, hike or take a bus east to the neighboring
villageofLaVentosa,fromwhereatrailleadspastadobehousesthroughsylvansettingsto
the top, a journey of about 1.5 hours. Your reward on a clear day is a breathtaking view of
Guatemala's volcanic chain from Tacaná on the Mexican border all the way east to Agua
and Acatenango, near Antigua.
TodosSantosiswellknownforitsannualNovember1horseracescappingoffweeklong
festivities that include plenty of drinking, dancing, and general merriment.
See ALL SAINTS' DAY IN TODOS SANTOS
Shopping
Housed in the Hotel Casa Familiar, Artesanía Todosantera (tel. [phone]) is a local
weavers' cooperative displaying a fine array of handicrafts at reasonable prices. The gift