History Revisited in Tak'alik Ab'aj '

Saturday, February 12, 2011

A day off? How can we take a day off when there is sooo much to see, hear, learn and do?

As a result, today is the day 10 tired stove builder's hire Adrenelina Tours to take them toParque Arqueologico Tak'alik Ab'aj... a pre-Columbian archaeological site about 2 hours from Quetzaltengo (Xela). I'm tired but I join in. My motivation has as much to do with zip-lining as it does with witnessing a wildly historical site.

But Saturday means that we can move slower, and we do. Caked in sunscreen to protect my already peeling nose and ear tips, water bottle in hand, I am full of wonder as our guide begins to share knowledge passed down through centuries. The site flourished from about 9th century BC to at least the 10th century AD. At one time it was an important centre of commerce. Today it is surrounded by coffee, rubber and sugarcane plantations.

In its day, Takalik Abaj (meaning "place of standing stones") was a sizeable city with the principal architecture clustered into four main groups, spread across nine terraces. While some of these were natural features, others were artificial constructions requiring an enormous investment in labour and materials. The site featured a sophisticated water drainage system and a wealth of sculptured monuments.

This is a National Site for the Mayan culture. The land -- 22 units or acres-- was donated to Guatemala in 1987. Archeologists began excavation in 1988, but it is a painstakingly slow and methodical process. One day there will be a museum here displaying an untold number of pottery shards etc.

The site is divided into 10 sections, spread out over approximately six kilometres. The terraces are in the middle of two rivers. Most of the city still remains under about three feet of debris.

Mildly remarkable facts I am told on this day: Ceiba is the national tree of Guatemala; Gybo is a strange looking tree with no bark and no fruit; the Palo Quote tree has red bark; the fruit of the Palm tree are used to make oil; #7 is a sacred number; a sweat lodge facing toward the setting sun is associated with the after life; frogs are a sign of fertility;west-facing represents the underworld and if a person was mistakenly buried facing the rising sun their family would die; Mayan priests still do services here because the site is still one of religious importance for the Maya; in the observatory, monuments were all aligned to better facilitate star-gazing...

It is really hot. After three hours I am spent. The sun's rays are seeping into my skin, working their way past every layer, sucking the moisture from me.

So I don't say anything when our driver begins the treaherous one-way-only dirt road trek to Reserva El Patrocinio (http://www.reservapatrocinio.com/) the nature reserve and coffee plantation where we are to have lunch. Actually, I think I have probably become desensitized to dangerous travel. Vehicle safety in Guatemala is a stick-your-head-in-the-sand kinda free-for-all. This day is really no different from any other: Where we are headed is about 14km off the main road, 18km north of the town Retalhuleu. I am shocked that the van makes it to the top. I am shocked that we make it still in a sitting position and relatively unscathed!

At the top the view is spectacular. It's like being on the top of the world. The air is clear. This is a 140 acre The buildings are neat and well maintained. This is a private "finca" and I, as always, have questions. But lunch is served and we are a hungry bunch. Questions must wait.

We eat on a covered terrace, on a long table. The meal seems elaborate for lunch, but there are no complaints. A fresh, cool drink, chicken, mashed potaoes, and beets are a delightful treat. For dessert we enjoy a quarter section of banana stuffed with beans and fried in butter.  Bananas are plentiful in Guatemala so they are a mainstay in desserts. They are one of my "sensitivity" foods, but my new motto is: What is consumed in Guatemala stays in Guatemala." I figure this covers my latest propensity to seek out and devour local cocoa beans in whatever form I can find them. Plain and simple...chocolate in Guatemala can melt anyone's resolve! No chocolate here though. And you can bet I ask...even in Spanish!

Instead, there are macadamia nuts. The guide shows us how to crack them open and eat them raw. The woman at the store offers to sell us a small char of the roasted variety for 40Q (about $5). We've learned to be wary of anything raw in this country. Often they irrigate the plants with sewage water. Even drinking water is untreated. It is a real danger for us "antibacterial soap" generation of westerners.

We see a hockey rink sized concrete area laid out with coffee beans. They are drying in the sun. (I don't know anything about coffee. It makes me puke. But if anyone want some of the Guatemalan variety let me know and I'll be sure to bring some back for you.)

My mind is still stuck on the tropical setting when we step into the zipline prep area. We all joke while putting the harness and helmet on. I test out several pair of work gloves with special hand-sewn palms. It is all unreal to me. My life affirming fear of heights doesn't even cross my mind.

Until it is my turn, of course. I step down to get hooked on with growing trepidation. I AM SUDDENLY TERRIFIED! I can do many things--I have proven this to myself over and over again on this trip -- but I can't do this. Looking out I see only jungle. I can't see the end of the rusty metal rope I am to slide over to the other side on. I turn to my executor and beg him with my eyes to unhook me. He tries to push me forward. I don't doubt he's seen this look before. I resist. The edge is near. The cable hovers high over a scarey canyon. Or maybe I am repeating myself. THE CABLE HOVERS OVER A SCAREY CANYON. THE CABLE IS RUSTY!

My comrades are understanding. Liz tells the guy to unhook me and Phil helps me back to safety. The rest take their turn. Everyone survives. Some even ham it up a bit...not mentioning any names of course, Phil! Margaret amazes me. It is only days before her 67th birthday and she doen't even hesitate. Good on you Marg The Amazing.

I walk with one of the workers to the receiving area for another zipline. We meet them there as they take a second run at it. I don't even take pics. I simply can't do it.

The rest of the day is somewhat of a blur. The site guide is a "birder". He has a chart with pictures of area birds he has seen. His English is pretty good and he takes us on a jungle walk that is both enlightening and enchanting. Here I take lots of photos. I can't believe the lush vegetation. It is so opposite to the dank, dark and dusty surroundings we have been working in each day. I had a sense of this country's beauty, but it wasn't until this very moment that I saw its potential.

The evening is full of eating, socializing and trying to get an internet connection so I can download pics and write. I am writing in my journal every day. Sarah helps with this because we are roomies and we have the same agenda. Document. Experience. Document.

Sarah, however, went on the zipline.