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| | A Visit to Candelaria's House in
Santa Catarina Palopo, Guatemala
Also
check out the Huipils, Skirts
(corte), belts
(fajas), and doll
clothes that
we have for sale from Santa Catarina Palopo.
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Candelaria offered to
take Vanessa (my doll) and me to visit her village, Santa Catarina Palopo
and her family's home. Canderaria, her younger brother, Vanessa
and I walked up the long narrow path to her house |
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| Guarding the house was "Perito",
her family's dog. He liked to find the sunniest spot to hang out. |
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Her house is made of adobe
brick. It has three rooms that open out into a open patio. |
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The kitchen has a
wood table covered with a beautiful hand-woven tzute (cloth) and a basket
full of tortillas.
We meet Candelaria's older sister who is weaving a new huipil (blouse) and her
Abuela (Grandmother). |
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Candelaria also has 3 brothers.
Two are home today. Like other boys from the town, they wear blue jeans
and t-shirts.
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During special fiestas they may
wear traditional Mayan hand-woven shirts and pants.
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The kitchen stove
works great. It burns wood and usually has a pot going. The
kitchen cabinet has a good supply of pots and pans.
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The family has running
water.
The all-purpose sink is
outside in the patio. Its used for washing hands, dishes, clothes,
and watering the chickens.
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Near the sink is a small
hut. Candelaria's brother explains that the hut is a sweat house
that the family uses instead of a shower. Its reminds me of a Scandinavian
Sauna.
The bags in front of the hut are filled with corn |
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Mayan's call themselves the
people of Maize (corn). Candelaria's brothers help grow the corn
in the family's small milpa (farm plot). The milpa is located high on the steep hills
(see picture on right). Its a long walk when you carry the harvest
home. |
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In another room of
the house, Abuela
removes kernels from the corn cobs. This room also serves as a
bedroom
The corn is stored in a very
modern small metal silo you can see outside the window.
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When its time to make the corn into tortillas, Abuela and the girls will
grind the corn on the molino (grinding stone).
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We pause for a formal
picture of the family outside the house. The family speaks Kaqchikel, Mayan
together. Candelaria's Abuela doesn't speak Spanish, so we
communicate with the universal language of smiles and fun. |
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For Fun Check
out:
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Click
below to see examples of Santa Catarina Weavings
V V V
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Faje (Belts)
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Corte
(Skirts)
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Huipils
(Blouses)
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Doll
Clothes
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