The Children of the Sun

Dear Readers,

One of the perks of going to Spanish school is that they have afternoon activities or excursions. I decided to go on one of these to the neighboring town of Zunil. There weren't very many students at my school at the time, so I was the only one going on the trip. Marvin, the school manager, drove me in his car to the town which was about fifteen minutes away. Zunil is a small somewhat charming town, inhabited mostly by farmers who work in the nearby fields. The town is not that exciting but it did have some interesting tidbits.

First, we walked up a very steep lane to Zunil's cemetary which was set a top the hill the town is built on. Unlike US cemetaries the ones in Guatemala are colorfully painted and decorated.













From the cemetary we went in search of San Simon, whom you might remember from an earlier entry. San Simon is an effigy that people pay respect to in order to receive love and fortune. He wasn't in the spot where Marvin last remembered. They had recently held the celebration of San Simon, so now he was in his new home somewhere else.

We then walked into the town plaza where a handsome church stood.














I think the people outside where selling some sort of moss like material for use in Nativity scenes.

From the church we walked into the market where all the local produce is sold. Zunil is in the heart of a very rich agricultural area so the veggies looked excellent. Besides the produce, I also saw two albino Guatemalans. To some this may not seem very interesting at all, but earlier that day my Spanish teacher, Martha, told me that Zunil is known as the villiage of hijos del sol, the children of the sun. In Mayan culture it is highly auspicious and celebrated to have an albino child, because their pale features are a sign that they are direct decendants of the Sun. For whatever reason, Zunil seems to be genetically blessed with albinos, therefore receiving this title. Martha had built up the specialness of these people so much, that I was surprised to see them working away like normal people.

From the market we went to the new home of San Simon. Unlike Maximon, this San Simon had a much more human appearance. He was more mannequin like and, that day, was dressed in an outfit that I felt was part Texas Ranger, part Military Man. (The clothing are gifts from patrons.) Another neat thing about this San Simon is that he had the ability to drink. If you gifted him with some booze, you could tip his head back and pour it straight down his throat. While you wet San Simon's whistle you can ask him for all of those special favors in your life like a good man, or some money. Out of respect for the two women watering the saint, and as Marvin liked to point out, "asking for a husband," I decided against taking any pictures. I did, however, take a picture of this dog, with something disturbing looking in his mouth.



Next Time: Noche Buena!

xx,
gwen