one of the most picturesque villages in Central America
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Many of the houses in Santiago are painted bright or pastel colors

These three young women were stunning and they knew it.
Who was it that said that youth is wasted on the young?

Santiago Atitlan without a doubt is one of the most picturesque villages in Central America. Recently I went there to take photographs.

After a night of hard rain and the sky was crystal clear.

Santiago was the original capital of the Tzutujil Mayans. When the Spanish arrived they and the Cakchiquel Mayans, who live in most of the villages around the lake, were at war. The Spanish deftly exploited that division and later eliminated the ruling class of both groups, thus putting themselves in control.

The church door.

Once what gold there was taken and the Catholic Church was securely in power the town was essentially left alone. The priests couldn't speak Tzutujil and the Tzutujil couldn't speak Spanish so as long as the Mayans went though the motions of Catholicism and didn't cause any problems they were pretty much left alone.

She saw me with my camera and scampered away in delight.

A strange blend (or at least it is strange to us) of Mayan and Catholic religious beliefs and practices evolved out of this. The "Atitecos" ask "brujos" or witch doctors to beseech Mayan gods for help when they are sick or need rain while Catholic priests conduct services just as they would in Spain.

The twentieth century brought many changes. Certainly years of civil war took its toll, but the people of Santiago Atitlan are better off in the way of public health and in the development of tourism, to name just two examples.

Whether or not the benefits of the last century outweigh the damage is an another question, but if democracy in Guatemala holds the new century should bring peace and some degree of prosperity to the people of Santiago.

They deserve nothing less.

Sleeping though mass.

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