Guatemala - 2011

Day 18 - July 29 - Cemetery and Park

Here is the entrance to the municipal cemetery.

The cemetery used to be dangerous. Now there is a guard. Seems to be enough.

There are few actual in ground graves here. Most are in above ground mausoleums that are owned by families.

I wondered where the bodies were. My first thought was that they were put them under the structures. Here the rough concrete shows that bodies are placed horizontally from different sides of the mausoleum. It is then sealed up again with concrete and a head stone is placed over it.

Head stones on the other side.

Arreola: that's Hugo's family name. This is Hugo's family mausoleum. Families can also sell these structures. The bodies are then removed and placed somewhere else.

 

Like maybe here.

These are along side the cemetery church.
They are tombs of childrem.

Thought the dalmatian spots were interesting.

This used to be a dormitory. Hugo said that he used to climb these walls to visit a girlfriend of his.

Back at the Mercado there are clean bathrooms for Q2 (25 cents). You are given toilet paper when you go in. I found it useful to keep the extra paper I didn't need in my bag. You never know when you might need a bathroom and it doesn't have paper.

The poster on the wall. It says: "Don't be a [not certain, but I think: female body part]! Not spit. Don't stain the walls or doors. Be a gentleman. Show your education and take care of the the bathroom..."

This is one of the food stalls in the Mercado. Maria Elsa says that all of these are dangerous for tourists. She doesn't eat here. Hugo says he only eats here because he knows the owner.

After lunch, Hugo and I wandered to the park. I was a little tired and thinking of my limited time. So I wasn't pushing hard.

Here is a school showing off its technology.

A remote controlled R2-D2.

And ever Friday the municipal band comes and plays. I recognized "New York. New York".

This is how crowded the park was this day.

There are many people selling trinkets and shoe shines. Hugo gets his done for Q3: 50 cents.

Some of the indigenous who come to sell flutes, necklaces, and other wares. They are in the park for most of the day. A tourist will be approached over and over and over.

The cathedral.

Inside the cathedral. This is an old pipe organ.

I'm not sure what they call this, but they carry it on their shoulders during Holy Week. It will hold a statue of Jesus.

Back at the house I show Manuel (Elsa's husband) pictures of my trip to Europe, namely the art work I saw The Netherlands.

He shows us one of the pieces he is restoring. He has to figure out how to match the paint exactly the first time. He also restores ceramics and other artifacts for wealthy families and museums.

Manuel is also a fine artist. All of the pictures in the house were painted by him. Most are simple pictures of the city that I'm sure require very little thought. But this is a masterpiece. It is the "Pescador Esperanza" (hopeful fisherman).