Lake Atitlan as seen from the cave Nimalaji
October 24
After the party at the home of Rosa, I ran into the hotel together with Cesar, Pigio all my things inside the backpack, I greet the hoteliers and childbirth. Cesar takes me to his house in Santiago Sacatepéquez. We arrived early enough, because the bus passes right away.
Cesar on the doorstep
Cesar lives with his wife and six children in a house very simple, without many comfort but with a spectacular garden. I have dinner and I prepared the bed.
we wake up at five in the morning to visit the cave Nimalaji (name of an ancient Maya site magic, is pronounced something like "nimahai" and means "great house"). In this place is venerated Maximon / San Simon. Some say that the syncretic cult of St. Simon has been started right here!
The journey is more than two hours, strictly carried out with the local bus sgangheratissimi. We arrive in Los Encuentros, and change to Sololá.
the city of Sololá
Another bus, and we are in San Jorge la Laguna. We walk toward the cave.
Cesar brings the heavy box with the material for the ceremony
go down a path very steeply through the woods, when I get to Lake Atitlan in all its glory!
Lake Atitlán
Maya Two beautiful children have joined us: the boy brings up the box and takes us with her little sister a smile (he wants to carry my backpack, but I do not have the courage to charge the little one!). We arrive at the cave.
The entrance of
Nimalaji is considered a sacred place. E 'assets protected by the state of the Mayan culture. Since time immemorial (perhaps thousands of years) the Mayan priests are here to celebrate their rituals. It is not a tourist site in no way whatsoever. And it is also dangerous, because in its vicinity is in danger of being assaulted and robbed by bandits.
We enter the cave and I remain amazed by the energy that dwells there ...
the inside of the cave (1)
the inside of the cave (2)
The ground is covered with the ashes of countless quemas (some are still smoking) and there are some lighted candles. In the cave we do not find anyone, but it is clear that here last night of the Mayan priests celebrated their rituals. The walls are encrusted with time and I do not know how many layers of soot, the residue of thousands of years of sacrificial fires ...
Some of the crosses of reinforced concrete (half broken) mark some places on the site. They give him a vaguely from the cemetery, but I know no one here is not buried.
snap some pictures and I remain puzzled, contrary to what you see with the naked eye, appearing in the images of the kind of transparent bubbles. One thing I had never happened, and Cesar tells me that those are manifestaciónes espirituales , or of spirits. I do not know what to think, but actually documentaries dedicated to ghostbusters (the "ghost hunters") the appearance of bubbles of the kind in photos and movies are judged as a manifestation of spiritual entities.
manifestaciónes espirituales in the cave (1)
manifestaciónes espirituales in the cave (2)
manifestaciónes espirituales cave (3)
Cesar opened the box begins to prepare the Quema . The two children helped him happy: I got the first five quetzal head, is at its height of joy and want to do as assistants to the priest Maya.
The preparation of the ceremony
the sacrificial fire is ready
The fire is lit and the ceremony begins. Taking pictures and I am increasingly amazed: one can see the flames of the figures of men and animals ...
flames with the face of a bearded man
flames with horse head
Cesar, reciting and offering prayers to Maximon puros candles and fire, carries out the ceremony with great skill and concentration.
Cesar say the invocations Maya to Maximon
participate with attention and concern. The purpose of this ceremony is to open my way and improve my ability to channel healing energies. As the ritual goes on I feel that something important happens ...
participate in the ritual, and other photos appear manifestaciónes espirituales
The ceremony comes to an end ...
final prayer
We leave the cave and we were walking in the woods, to a magical site where there is another altar Maximon.
Maximon altar in the woods
Back in San Jorge la Laguna, and go to visit the "Cofradia" of Maximon . Here the statue of the saint is enclosed in a glass case.
Cofradia the altar of St. Simon of San Jorge
Maximon of the statue of San Jorge
We offer candles, aguardiente and a note. Cesar smoke puros some rituals and recited his prayers and invocations Maya.
Cesar smoke pure
The chapel is led by some Maya, "butlers" of Maximon. It 'easy-going and gentle, with a heart of gold. Caesar offers him a glass of aguardiente. Accepted moved by the gesture of friendship. My priest friend then asks permission to sing some song to me Maximon (I have my guitar with me just in case). The "butlers" declare themselves delighted to have some music for their saint.
pull out the instrument, the agreement with great care (it seems disrespectful to play tune) and attack the first song. Singing one, two, three songs ... The "butlers" are excited and clap their hands. Perhaps San Simon is enjoying himself: I take photos Cesar e. .. voila! They look the other manifestaciónes espirituales dancing the rhythm of my music.
Choral Maximon, and manifestaciónes espirituales appear again in the photos ...
a manifestación espiritual larger
An important note: for years I always use the same digital camera, a 10.2-megapixel Kodak. However, these "bubbles transparent" only appeared in photos taken in the cave and Nimalaji Cofradia Maximon chapel of San Jorge (who is near them). The light conditions of the cave are very different from those of the chapel of Cofradia. The only thing in common is energy, because in the places to worship ambedure Maximon / San Simon.
After the pilgrimage, let Sololá, lunch and take yet another bus to return to the home of Cesar.
What a day guys!
Next morning we go to an ancient Mayan holy site, the cave of Nimalaji (which means "Big House"). There the Mayans have been celebrating their rituals for hundreds or thousands of years! Now the cave is a site for the worship of Maximon/San Simon.
We catch a bus to Los Encuentros, and from there another couple of buses to Sololá and San Jorge la Laguna. We walk for a while in a bush, and we reach the ancient cave. Inside we can easily feel a tremendous energy.
This is an INCREDIBLE site! With the help of two small Mayan children Cesar prepares our ritual fire. It is another cerimony to Maximon, to open my way and help me in my work as a spiritual healer.
I take many pictures, and in some of them appear some strange "bubbles". Up to now, I never had such a thing with my camera. Cesar informs me that these are the "spirits" of the place. They actually look like the bubbles in the photos and videos of the "ghost busters".
On top of that, some strange human or animal shapes appear in the ritual fire... WOW!
At the end of the cerimony we visit another altar of Maximon in the woods, and after that we go to Maximon's chapel, in the Cofradia of San Jorge.
Cesar smokes some ritual puros, and we offer aguardiente, candles and some cash to the Saint.
I am asked to sing some songs to Maximon. I tune my guitar and start. The servants of the chapel (some very nice Mayan gentlemen) enjoy it the most. Probably also Maximon and the Spirits of the place like my songs: Cesar takes a picture of me singing in the chapel, and other "bubbles" appear...
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