On Thursday we went to Quirigua, a very interesting site of an ancient Mayan city. It was in it's peak economical age around 760-784 A.D. For years before this date (maybe centuries) the city had been an outpost of Copan and was a major tax benefit to Copan. Quirigua was situated on the banks of an important river that transported goods for the Mayans and every boat that went up or down the river was required to pay taxes. For a very long time the taxes went to Copan, until a smart leader of Quirigua severed his city's ties to Copan by killing the king of Copan (in a sneaky ambush). After this bold move, the leader of Quirigua became a "king" and was able to keep the taxes all for his own city.
Now the Mayan site is known for its large rock stelae (tall, monolithic carvings), they may be the largest that are known from any Mayan city. The steale were carved with very intricate hieroglyphs recounting stories of the time (between 730 and 810 A.D.). In addition to busts of the kings, the carvings had beautiful feathers to represent the quetzal (sacred bird of the Mayans), elements of frogs, jaguars, snakes, as well as mythological figures. Our tour of the stelae and the crumbling buildings of the city was very much enhanced by our excellent guide, Carolina, who has a strong personal interest in the culture and history of Mayans. I hope that we can visit other Mayan sites with Carolina, in any future visits to this region.
On Friday night, after our exhausting day going through the judicial system, the marina where we have been staying had a potluck going-away-party for us! It was really nice to relax with the friends we have made down here and know that all of our work (mostly Mom's work dealing with the judicial system) is complete.
Thank you to ALL for your strong and continuous support while we have been here in Guatemala. The many emails, web site posts of stories and photos of Dad, and the continual prayers for us has been A TREMENDOUS help. Though there have been many judicial delays, our emotional and physical strength (most importantly Mom's) has been strong and unwavering. I am sure that your support from afar has greatly contributed to this well-being.
Thanks from our Hearts,
Jessica, Nancy, and Brian
