Guatemala may be “famosa” in New Zealand for a Shortland Street oneliner – “you’re not in Guatemala now Dr Ropata”! Despite its folklore status it is not a common travel destination for many Kiwis.
Bordered by Belize, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico, Guatemala is an easy four-hour flight from Los Angeles and is a country filled with natural wonders and great beauty. It’s a place where the Maya culture is strong and woven through the fabric of the nation both spiritually and literally.
I became a little obsessed with handwoven textiles to the point that we had to buy a suitcase to ship all our treasures home. Amongst the bounty were nine cushion covers – some made from recycled embroidered huipiles (tunics) – and others needlepointed with colourful cross stitch patterns of bluebirds and flowers, two pre-loved embroidered huipiles and one new, plus a blanket!
You may think it is all for the tourists but no. The Maya wear Guatemalan traje in everyday life and it is truly wearable art. The shops packed with floor to ceiling embroidered and handwoven garments at the market in Chichicastenango are the equivalent of our high street retailers. And each piece tells something of the wearer – identifying the region, even town that they are embroidered onto a cushion!
