During a transfer from the beautiful UNESCO heritage site of Antigua, the 16th century former capital of Guatemala, to Lake Atitlan in the Guatemalan highlands we stopped at Iximche for a tour of this fascinating site. The Mayan archaeological site of Iximche was declared a Guatemalan National Monument in the 1960s. Walking around in the spring sunshine (late October) the area includes excavated areas and moulds of earth which haven’t yet revealed their contents. Towards the back of the site is a lesser known (to visitors) yet extremely important Maya spiritual, ceremony site.
We were met by a local Shaman who was absorbed in arranging candles of various colours into a large circle. He then performed an authentic Maya ceremony in a local Maya language encouraging each of us to consider our lives and our hopes for the future. Even the cynics amongst us were moved by the spectacle of the burning candles, the chanting, the rum and cigars! And it seemed wholly appropriate when the heavens opened right on cue at the end of the ceremony.
