Bent's Old Fort was a trading post for trappers, traders and travelers on the Santa Fe Trail back in the 1830's. The National Park is a reconstruction but it looks pretty authentic to me. This place is amazing! You can go into all the rooms and they are decorated with period artifacts. Bent's Fort was constructed of adobe bricks and was a meeting place for traders and travelers. Beaver pelts were traded and when the Beaver supply diminished Buffalo furs took their place. In the middle of the fort was a press that flattened out the furs for shipping. The two story structure was made up of guest quarters, dining room, a bar complete with billiard table, a blacksmith shop and storage rooms filled with gun powder and food stuffs.
Lake Atitlan is surrounded by many villages, in which Maya culture is still prevalent and traditional dress is worn. The Maya people of Atitlán are predominantly Tz'utujil and Kaqchikel. The Maya weave textiles and each group has their own pattern. Santiago Atitlán is the largest of the lakeside communities, and is noted for its worship of Maximón, an idol formed by the fusion of traditional Mayan deities, Catholic saints and conquistador legends. The institutionalized effigy of Maximón is under the control of a local religious brotherhood and resides in various houses of its membership during the course of a year, being most ceremonially moved in a grand procession during Semana Santa. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lago_de_Atitlán The rain was starting to let up as we walked through a maze of cobblestone alleyways to the house of Maximón. The courtyard was was thick with the smoke of incense and the light drizzle of rain collected on the blue plastic...












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