CHAPTER TWO
Guatemala City is a surprisingly beautiful city. The ancient aqueduct built by Pope John Paul II stands as a memorial to ancient engineering. Its graceful brick arches parallel the main street through the city reminding one of the city’s history.
Litter is rarely observed in the clean parks and street medians as there is an effort by the province leader to make this province and city a green environment. The new green electric bus system will soon replace the multitude of chicken buses. (Jorge reminded us that “soon” in Guatemala is five or more years) What are “chicken” buses and why do they have such a strange title? These vehicles were formerly the familiar yellow American school buses. When discarded in our country, they are purchased by Guatemala and other small countries. The natives buy them, paint them with bright, gaudy colors and designs and add racks on top for luggage, crates, parcels, even more passengers. One might also observe chickens or pigs on the bus being carried to or from the markets. Hence the name, “chicken bus”. Individuals own and operate their own buses for profit and there appears to be no limit for the number of passengers allowed. Instead of “the more the merrier”, it seems to be “the more the money”. It was rare to see a chicken bus that didn’t have people hanging out the doors, the windows, sitting on top or standing on the bumpers. My favorite part of the “bus culture” was the name they would paint on the front of their vehicles. They used to be named for patron saints or common Spanish names like Rosalie, Carmen, Esmerelda, etc. As US culture meandered below the borders and native Guatemalans visited or moved to the US, the names have changed. Now you see Tiffany, Brittany, Ashley, Madonna and so on. Jorge told us of his favorite bus name. A local bus owner had visited the United States and saw a sign that sounded melodic in his native tongue. It sounded like this oos’-nah-vee’. When he returned home with his new bus, he painted on the name as he had seen it, US NAVY.
The street medians in Guatemala City are miniature parks. Vendors with wheelbarrows, carts, bicycles and scooters are everywhere on the streets. Several people were dressed as clowns with faces painted, juggling or tumbling to earn their living by the tips they receive. As there is no welfare or public assistance in this country, everyone works in some capacity. During the entire ten days we spent in this country, we only witnessed two crippled, elderly women begging for a handout.
Evidently, sanitarios, (restrooms) are not readily accessible in most areas as men were observed sprinkling the trees in the parks or along the streets with their own personal watering equipment.
A similarity in the driving habits of the Guatemalans was observed at all the ALTO (STOP) signs. Just like Americans, stops were generally just rolling stops and on most occasions, it was noticed that whoever arrived at the intersection first sped through to beat the other guy.
Scooters, motorcycles and bicycles frequently split lanes. I am told this is how you describe it when these smaller vehicles drive between vehicles on a two-lane highway balancing precariously on the dividing line. As the lanes were very narrow, this was done with only inches to spare. Each moment on the road earned more respect for our bus driver.
As we drove through Guatemala City to the Ixchel Museum, we were told it was located on the grounds of the Universidad Galileo. This university was established in 1675 and was the third institute of higher learning in the new world. Hearing dates like these still sounds surreal to me and is difficult to imagine a time other than the present.
We arrived at the museum and our eyes feasted on the color inside. Samples and displays of all the Mayan costumes and head-dresses were visible. We were fascinated to learn that early Mayan women of royalty had their heads bound tightly from birth to form cone-shaped skulls. This was done so their heads could balance the heavy, elaborate royal head-dresses as they grew older. Inside the museum , we were treated to the entire collection of artist Carmen Peterson’s watercolor paintings of the Mayans. The colors in her artwork is so vibrant and the figures so realistic, they almost appear three- dimensional. The paintings are entirely of the people, their daily life and native costumes.
Learning that Cacao is the beverage of the gods for the Mayans and chocolate is their sacred food and liquid, I considered changing my religion. No wonder these people are always smiling. They have great taste. Go Mayans!
Guatemala has 14 million people and only 60,000 policemen. We observed armed guards on almost every corner and in front of most business establishments. The country hires foreign security, ie. ex-guerrillas, ex-military. Most are from Israel and we were told the crime rate has decreased profoundly since they started this practice.
I noticed that most autos had license plates with the year 2004 embedded on them and asked Jorge if they no longer issued plates in the country. His answer was hilarious. He said in 2004, five million plates were made but since the country had only 60,000 vehicles, they were still using up the same plates. He said a yearly renewal sticker is placed in the front window.
Other than housing in the wealthier areas, most housing had some look of being unfinished. Jorge explained that all houses generally appeared that way, even if the inside was plush. The reason for this was because of local laws. If your home is unfinished, you pay no real estate taxes.
After lunch back at the hotel, we boarded the bus again and headed for Lake Atitlan.
Hope you’ll return for Chapter three.
Gypsygma 
Loved it! Can’t wait for Chapter 3!
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Sooooo interesting and humorous too! Loved this, Shirley!
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