July in Rio Dulce and visiting Coban for the Rabin Ajau

PHOTOS LINK BELOW, 1st July in Rio Dulce, 2nd Coban for Rabin Ajau

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jBsAGZK2uhL5ngxs6

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9UGn1PpLstRB4o117

Once July came we knew it was just a matter of weeks before we headed home to Bermuda, so it was time to really get down to the business of boat chores.

A cover for Aeeshah

Well our AC died, it was actually the water pump that feeds it the cooling water that died and so we were faced with incredible heat cooking inside the boat. The deck was getting heated to a degree that you couldn’t walk on it and so the inside was up to 98F+, which is far from comfortable. Our main and cheapest option was to buy a tarp of some type and make a cover for the boat.

We bought a large tarp, which was really an old billboard sign which came as an incredibly heavy 30ft x 60ft. Within 2 days we managed to lay the thing out on the old tennis court at Catamaran, design our cover, measure, cut, fit and have Aeeshah under a shade cover. Phew! It was really worth it as the temperature inside the boat then stayed below 90F most days. Plus it funneled the breeze below keeping the boat ventilated even when it poured with rain. So we were then able to get the inside ready for our leaving.

Activities

John and I found ourselves busy many days with extra or rather optional activities. A friend started Yoga at Catamaran; so 3 mornings a week we would join the yoga class. Yes, John, yoga and he enjoyed it and found it beneficial too.

There were early morning walks. Meeting our friends at the dock across the way at 7:00am so as to try to beat the heat and walking the 2.5 miles to the cross – roads and back.

To be truthful I was one of the walkers and John opted to run with the runners. He really surprised himself in that he was still quite able to run well, even up the steep hills. I am sure the locals think we all are absolutely loca/crazy!

Then there were the trivia nights. Again we suprised ourselves, we won again and again, so out of 5 weeks we won 2 of those and had to be the “officials” twice, as if you win you have to “run” the triva the following week and did well another week. We won more than any other team! Our team mates, Gillian and Gordon, are real experts having years of trivia experience.

Mexican Train Dominoes became the regular Sunday afternoon activity. I found I enjoyed the game as it is partly skill and partly luck. Once again Gordon and Gillian are the experts.

There was a Catamaran evening cruise that was great fun. We left the marina on Sledgehammer the marina launcha with other residents, a staff of 5, a bar and pizzas. The Sledgehammer headed to Fronteras, Ram and Mar Marina where others joined us.

It was then off towards Lake Isobel where we enjoyed the setting sun and drinks with our friends. Heading back just as dark the rain started to fall and put a bit of a damper on the “party” but really was just a refreshing ending.

Sadly the wife, of the owner of Catamaran died. Louisa had been with Kevin in Guatemala City as Kevin was/is seriously ill. Louisa passed away one night and the family brought her back to Catamaran for the funeral and burial. John and I attended her service which was a lovely celebration of her life.

Louisa was buried on the hillside facing the marina, just across the water.

Coban and Rabin Ajau

Dream Catcher a Rio restaurant had arranged for a group of interested cruisers to travel together to Coban, to see the Annual Cobán Folkloric Festival which takes place in the last week of July. Cobán is situated in the highlands in Guatemala’s central cardamom- and coffee-growing region, quite a distance from the Rio. We were picked up from Catamaran by the Dream Catcher launcha and transported to Mar Marina where our little red bus was awaiting our arrival.

We drove the north/west route towards Coban taking a lunchtime detour to the Hun Nal Ye Ecological Park. This is a resort/park in the Alta Verapaz area, which offers all types of activities and has a restaurant.

The “road/trail” from the main road is a very, bumpy, slow, 11km ride. The restaurant offered all types of foods, but as we were late arriving we all ordered a quick sandwich lunch which was delicious. The grounds looked to be very lovely and during a short walk to the nearby river we saw howler monkeys in the trees.

When reaching Coban we could see the festivities were in progress. We dropped our bags off in our room at the Hotel La Posada and set out for a short evening stroll around the town square the Parque Central square.

We buzzed around the venders and craft stands stretching our legs and then headed back to meet the group for dinner.

After a wonderful breakfast the next morning we headed to the Parque Central Square to once again wander around the various stalls.

Catedral de Santo Domingo

The square is overlooked by the huge, whitewashed 16th-century Catedral de Santo Domingo. We joined together with friends Louise and Alan and went to visit the cathedral.

This cathedral was apparently rebuilt after an earthquake and this probably explains why I found it to be quite simplistic compared to most others we have visited.

El Calvario Temple

was our next stop. This is a hilltop church has panoramic views over Coban and of the Rocja Mountains in the distance.

It is the most sacred site in Coban and the focus of religious practices throughout the year. We were told that pilgrimages are made to this sacred church and that the pilgrims climb the 100 steps leading to the church on their knees.

There is also a story/legend that when a Lacandon hunter encountered two jaguars that were sleeping on a rock instead of killing them he left them in peace and when he returned the following day, the place where the jaguars had been he saw an image of Christ. It was this sighting that led to the decision to build a church on the spot.

We found there were indeed many folks visiting this lovely, quaint, church. Many were taking offering that were burned in the designated pyres, or they carried candles that too were burned for loved ones. Outside the church on the wooded hillside there was also a shaman conducting rituals with folks. It is indeed a sacred place for many.

Las Victorias National Park

Nearby is Las Victorias National Park; a wooded nature reserve with a network of trails was our next stop. Here we really didn’t know what to expect. We paid our entrance fee and headed down the first trail. This led us to a large pond where we spotted a crocodile basking in the sun.

After a wander around we hunted for the other trails, which led us to the park, headquarters, a troupe of scouts and some lovely flowers. I believe the flowers were a form of irises or lilies.

The Ermita de Santo Domingo de Guzman

This is a small chapel dedicated to Coban’s patron saint and it just happens to be next to Las Victorias National Park. There were a few men preparing the area for the following day’s festivities, so we decided to have a quick look, as we were right there. I never really figured out the name of the patron saint, nor the significance of this small chapel, but it was obviously quite revered by the locals who were there.

Kaphe Koban

This was where we had lunch that day. It is at a traditional Mayan restaurant where we were served an ancient dish called Jocon. It was wild hen in a cardamoms flavored sauce, rice, vegetables and a hibiscus flower drink. This chicken was as tough boot leather, most of us could not even cut through the chicken part we were given, but what I could get did taste quite nice.

The Annual Cobán Folkloric Festival/Ceremony; Rabin Ajau

Rabin Ajau is considered the largest and most important of the Mayan festivals. It is celebrated on a grand scale, with firecrackers, cofradia processions and traditional dances in Cobán. Meaning ‘the daughter of the king’ in the Mayan Q’eqchi language, the Rabin Ajau festival is the crowning of the country’s Mayan “beauty” queen.

The contenders for the role of Reina Indigena, (indigenous queen), are not only judged by their looks, but also the languages they speak, their knowledge in traditional customs and ceremonial presentations. Mayan young ladies from all over Guatemala travel to Cobán for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Parading in their traditional huipil and headdress, they show off their skills in weaving baskets and handicrafts.

We went as a group in our bus at 3:00pm towards the auditorium where the festival was to take place. Our leader Lizelle said from past experience that we needed to secure our seats early as it would be packed. We arrived, had to line up for security, even had to take a photo with my camera, which was really bizare, guessing it was to prove it really was a camera and not a bomb? Anyway we got our seats and sat down to wait the beginning.

Weellllll, we waited, and waited, some of our group disappeared at 5:00pm, the rest of us politely sat and sat. Finally around 6ish some speaches were begun, speaking in Spanish and Mayan dialects.

There were some important government figures introduced, including the Presidents wife and Mayan leaders. However we were seated in and area where viewing was difficult and the judges table was elevated in front of us.

The process was just dragging along and the rest of us deceided to leave to have dinner. We got our bus back to the hotel. I later found out that the actual ceremony never starts till 8:00pm, this year it was delayed until 10:00pm and the Mayan Princess was finally chosen at 5:00am. Anyway we did get to see some lovely ceremonial clothing, and that was fine with us.

The following day we wandered around with Louise, poor Alan was ill. We looked all around the Parque Central square,

watched the Mayan dancers in front of the Cathedral and enjoyed the market.

The ceremony at La Ermita de Santo Domingo de Guzman PAA – Bank Festival

Then it was off to the ceremony at the Ermita de Santo Domingo de Guzman. On the way there we saw the dancers making their way past the El Calvario Temple followed by a crowd who were periodically letting off large noisy firecrackers, which would BOOM!! Upon arriving we found our group already having lunch.

It was another traditional Mayan dish, this time it was a hunk of turkey in a cardamom type sauce with a tamale wrapped in a leaf, which one had to eat using fingers. I believe it was called Subanik. Plus we were served a type of sugarcane and cinnamon drink that was special to the celebration. Both of which, food and drink were very good.

After we had eaten we went to the outside area where the men in their traditional costumes were dancing. There appeared to be 3 distinct groups each dancing different dances.

Again, the language barrier meant we were left to really interpret what we could from the festivities. The costumes were very colorful and intricate. The music was quite basic, almost like a circus carnival sound.

A while later in the inner courtyard the last years and the new this years Mayan Princesses were doing traditional dances with what I guessed were the elders and the chosen young girls from different groups/tribes.

Again, there was obviously a story to the rituals but just no way for us to find out. We both enjoyed watching the Mayan festivities and I just love their regional dress. When you understand that they stitch every stitch, weave every thread, it is just amazing!

The following day we travelled back to Rio Dulce via another route.

We then had 5 days to finalize all the boat chores, sort tidy and ready everything before our travel to Guatemala City and our return back to Bermuda.

We did the usual 6 hour bus ride to Guatemala City, and were very happy there were no delays. I had chosen Sunday to travel as apparently there aren’t any strikes, demonstrations and fewer accidents….least that was what I was told. We spent a day in Guatemala City and my hair/locks were finally cut off!