Mayan Temple at Zaculeu

We started off the new year by traveling on New Year's day to an ancient Maya temple area called Zaculeu close to Huehuetenango (that is pronounced like 'way way ten ango').  Jeff and Lezlie Brady were here from Utah and had rented a 12 passenger van which carried the 9 of us just fine.  We drove first to Huehue where we met Hermano Vasquez and his wife who had been temple workers here at our temple earlier.  They were our guides around this amazing place.   These ruins date from 250-600 BC which puts them during Book of Mormon times.  They are many mounds which have not been touched yet.

The one in the center here is a tomb where they did find some mummies.  The museum was closed that day so we didn't get to see the mummies though.

This is on top of one of the temples and we were told it was the sacrificial altar where they slit the throats of the sacrificial victims.  Chrys and I were glad we weren't in line for that.

This is one corner on top of one of the tall temples that shows what the construction looked like.  One of the reports I read on line said that the reconstruction in the 1940's was poorly done as they just plastered and white washed over the exterior of the temples without regard to what it originally looked like.

Underneath all this area is a labyrinth of tunnels. This hatch is one of the entrances but they have been sealed off so no one can go in them now.  Hna. Vasquez told us that she and a girl friend decided to explore the tunnels when they were teenagers and were lost for several hours going through these narrow tunnels in the dark with just a small flashlight.  They finally came out in the center of Huehuetenango several miles away!  Not something I would want to try!

It seems all these Mayan ruins have a ball court where they used to play a competitive sport.  We were told that the ball they played with was flaming!  Who would want to play with that?

This one was a palace residence of one of the leaders which must have been elaborate in its day.  When the Spaniards came to this country, they threatened to kill anyone who would not convert to Christianity.  A faithful group of Mayans held out here for several months but they were finally starved into submission.  

From Zaculeu we went to prolific spring near Aguaton that poured out at the base of a mountain at such a rate it looked like it had a huge pump bringing it up.  It was a family holiday place and there were lots of families enjoying the day there.

And of course there were people taking advantage of the chance to sell their wares.  Don't you think their dresses are as beautiful as their vegetables they are selling?  I just love their tipica clothes!

We are certainly not dressed as colorfully as the natives but here  are four great friends who have enjoyed their friendship for decades.  Ken and Chrys Meadows and Brannick and LaVonne Riggs.  

And now we are off tomorrow to explore some even more amazing ruins but we'll be gone for a week so check in later for some more temple adventures.