THE PACIFIC COAST - Guatemala - page 309

general, it's not a good idea to wander in and around the fields of tall sugarcane stalks, as
they are prime territory for thieves and other assorted riff-raff.
Museo El Baúl
Although parts of this site lie among the sugarcane fields of Finca El Baúl, the highlights
can be seen at Museo El Baúl (tel. [phone], 7 A.M.-5 P.M. daily, $1.50), an open-air,
roofed-in exhibit housing Pipil stone sculptures, including a jaguar, several skulls, and a
smilinghead.Themuseumisbeingpreservedasaneco-archaeologicalattractionbyprivate
landowners and there are plans to remodel an old building to house visitors, build inter-
pretive trails through the surrounding jungle, and establish a steam engine museum. The
remains of old steam engines, one of which dates to 1914, can be found strewn about the
grounds.
To get here, take the road heading north of town from El Calvario church. An intersec-
tionjustpastthislandmarktakesyouaboutthreekilometers toaforkintheroadjustpasta
bridge. The fork is marked by a sign, which reads “Los Tarros,” where you make a left and
follow the road another three kilometers to the headquarters of Finca El Baúl. An armed
guard will greet you at the gate, where you'll have to identify yourself. Tell him you're
visiting the museum. The museum is on the right another half kilometer or so past some
old buildings. Buses carrying farm workers make their way out here from town at variable
frequencies.
Museo Cultura Cotzumalguapa
On the site of Finca Las Ilusiones, the Museo Cultura Cotzumalguapa (7 A.M.-noon and
2-4P.M.Mon.-Fri.,7A.M.-noonSat.,$1.50)hasavarietyofobsidianarrowpoints,ceram-
ic pots and figurines, and several monuments on display. Among these are several Olmec-
oid statues and a glass fiber copy of Monument 21—the original still stands among the
sugarcane fields of Finca Bilbao. The stone depicts a scene involving a ball-game player, a
shaman,andanobleholdingaheart.TherearealsophotographsofstelaemovedtoBerlin's
Dahlem Museum in 1880. The museum has some interpretive material and the caretaker is
usually on hand to show you around.
The museum is one kilometer east of town along the Pacific Coast Highway. The signed
entrance is on the left just before an Esso station. The turnoff leads another half kilometer
to the museum along a dirt road.
Accommodations and Food
Along the highway on the western edge of town at Km. 90.4 of the Pacific Coast Highway
is Hotel Santiaguito (tel. [phone], $26- 50 d). The large, comfortable rooms have
cable TV, phone, air-conditioning, and private bathroom set on spacious grounds with a
swimming pool. Nonguests can use the pool for $3 and there is a good restaurant where