Not far from the metropolitan capital up in the highlands of Guatemala, Chichicastenango exists on the seam of Roman Catholicism and Mayan faith. In the cathedral there is strong evidence of syncretism, the merging of two faiths. Of course the church features the expected niches with statues, the cross, and main altar. However, in the main aisle there are five or seven altars used for Mayan rites inside the church.

So I decided to light a candle for my mother, and purchased several candles from an old indigenous lady on the steps of the church. She didn’t speak Spanish so her granddaughter translated for me.

Then I met a man who offered to pray for my mother’s soul. He promised a long session of prayer in the Catholic tradition. The cost would be ten quetzales. Or, if I wished, he would do a mayan ritual for the same ten quetzales. I asked him if he could do both, he said yes, for 18 quetzales. A deal was struck. My mother’s repose was prayed to in Spanish and Quechua.

Anyway, about this cemetery. In general, Guatemala has some of the most colorful and interesting cemeteries I’ve experienced. Chichicastenango’s is a must visit. It can be dangerous, so I took a guide. It’s colorful and you never know what you’ll find. I took this photograph on the way out. We had witnessed a ritual that included singing, a sacrificed chicken, and much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Smoke and death.