Todos Santos Cuchumatán, Huehuetenango, Guatemala
A traditional Mayan village located in the Cuchumatán Mountains of Guatemala Todos Santos is a uniquely beautiful place. Men, women and children alike wear the fashions of their ancestors with a modern twist.
At 330 kilometers Northwest of Guatemala City close to the Mexican border, Todos Santos is far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. The views, hikes and traditions practiced here are distinct in Guatemala. For decades, international tourists have been drawn to Todos Santos for its culture, beautiful scenery, hikes and the famous drunken horse race, celebrated November 1 every year.
Most Todosanteros are very hardworking and relatively self-sufficient. While nearly everyone is a native speaker of Mam, many people, especially in the municipal center, are also quite fluent in Spanish. Most women are accomplished weavers and the artistic expression seen in their brocade work is often extraordinary. Women personally create most of their families' clothing as well as produce beautiful textiles for sale to others in town and tourists. Most significantly, they tend to be exceptionally attentive and devoted mothers (mother and baby are virtually inseparable during infancy). Women do all this while preparing tortillas, cooking meals, tending animals, washing clothes and a host of other chores. Men crochet elaborate handbags (pa', or "net" in Mam) when not occupied in their fields growing corn, potatoes, beans, squash, and numerous other crops or hauling wood from the surrounding mountains. Most people are in exceptional physical condition due to the rigorous nature of their daily routines combined with the region's relatively high elevation. On market day, families and individuals hike to the municipal center for as many as 4-5 hours across rugged terrain that varies from between roughly 1,300-3,500 meters in elevation. Due to the wide range of ecosystems in the municipio, market goers can purchase freshly harvested produce from the lowlands like bananas and coffee while shopping for potatoes from the altiplano. While most Todosanteros consider themselves to be Catholic, at least a third belong to one of several Protestant denominations in the region. Elements of Mayan cosmology pervade everyday life while the ceremonies of Mayan costumbre have become less conspicuous.
At 330 kilometers Northwest of Guatemala City close to the Mexican border, Todos Santos is far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. The views, hikes and traditions practiced here are distinct in Guatemala. For decades, international tourists have been drawn to Todos Santos for its culture, beautiful scenery, hikes and the famous drunken horse race, celebrated November 1 every year.
Most Todosanteros are very hardworking and relatively self-sufficient. While nearly everyone is a native speaker of Mam, many people, especially in the municipal center, are also quite fluent in Spanish. Most women are accomplished weavers and the artistic expression seen in their brocade work is often extraordinary. Women personally create most of their families' clothing as well as produce beautiful textiles for sale to others in town and tourists. Most significantly, they tend to be exceptionally attentive and devoted mothers (mother and baby are virtually inseparable during infancy). Women do all this while preparing tortillas, cooking meals, tending animals, washing clothes and a host of other chores. Men crochet elaborate handbags (pa', or "net" in Mam) when not occupied in their fields growing corn, potatoes, beans, squash, and numerous other crops or hauling wood from the surrounding mountains. Most people are in exceptional physical condition due to the rigorous nature of their daily routines combined with the region's relatively high elevation. On market day, families and individuals hike to the municipal center for as many as 4-5 hours across rugged terrain that varies from between roughly 1,300-3,500 meters in elevation. Due to the wide range of ecosystems in the municipio, market goers can purchase freshly harvested produce from the lowlands like bananas and coffee while shopping for potatoes from the altiplano. While most Todosanteros consider themselves to be Catholic, at least a third belong to one of several Protestant denominations in the region. Elements of Mayan cosmology pervade everyday life while the ceremonies of Mayan costumbre have become less conspicuous.