Antique and Ancient...It's a Matter of Timing?

View of the parade from lunch,
through iron bars for effect. 

This morning we set out to travel to a new location, but appear to have traveled to a new time as well. We left Xela early in the morning, and by high noon arrived at our subsequent destination, the Western highlands town of Huehuetenango (pronounced way-way-ten-an-go). Shortly after our arrival we discovered that they take the "Western" part seriously. On the shuttle ride into the center of town, our driver was required to wend his way through residential back streets in order to avoid a band of horsemen navigating the main road. As we neared the central park we noted an inordinate number of people dressed in cowboy gear. It turned out, the horsemen were the main attraction of a parade through the city center, and we had the fortunate timing of selecting the very day of the parade to arrive. We viewed the parade from a restaurant along the route where we enjoyed our lunch (huevos rancheros, naturally).

The main temple of Zacaleu

After lunch we ventured to the main attraction of Huehue, the Mayan ruins of Zacaleu, a few kilometers from the city center. The ancient city was once a powerful Mayan jurisdiction, which eventually fell after a two month siege. Surveying the site from atop the main temple felt like a journey “way-way” back in time. The site boasts enough fully excavated and restored buildings to lend a taste of this once thriving city. Meanwhile, the unexcavated ruins partially submerged under grassy knolls remind the visitor of the passage of time.

Huehue, despite giving travelers the sense of temporal displacement, also boasts some modern innovations relative to Xela. For example, the snazzy stoplights here include countdown timers to warn motorists and pedestrians of an impending alteration in the flow of traffic. This considerably diminishes the times required to learn how to cross the street. Additional modern touches include far fewer people clad in traditional Mayan attire and paved (rather than cobbled) streets.