IXIMCHÉ Ruins
The June 26 and 27 we were able to take a little trip with some senior missionary friends (Trapnells...mision nurse, Dalys...Guatemala South Mission, and Breretons,..the other executive secretary) to Atitlan, Guatemala which is 120 kilometers and about two and a half hours northwest of Guatemala City. What a wonderful two days we had as we "scouted out" what we are planning to do with our children when they come down to visit. We had a fantastic time!
FIRST, we stopped off at the Iximche (Shim-Shay) Mayan ruins on our way to the lake. What a treasure! We had a wonderful guide who spoke English and gave us great background information. The city's name actually means "corn" and "tree" and was located in a thick forest. For centuries, the city was hidden in the forest. The region was called "Quauhtemallan" which means tree and was later called Guatemala. There were six plazas and they all lined up side by side in a continuous line. The ruins of pyramids, government houses, ball courts, and 3 palaces are all that remain of this once important city. All other inhavitants lived outside the city in the forest area. At its height, there were about 40,000 people and they controlled about 2,000 square kilometers. The city was established in the early 1400´s and was invaded by the Spainards in 1524 and burned by them in 1528. The area was totally abandoned by 1540.
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