After our trip to Todos Santos, Toby and I decided to take advantage of our time in Huehuetenangango and visit the ruins of Zaculeu, the former Mayan Mam stronghold, on our 1 year anniversary.
Zaculeu was established around 1200 AD, and eventually conquered by the Spaniards on October 27, 1525, after a 4 month siege, by Gonzalo de Alvarado. Their battles were pretty crazy, with people being killed and shoved into any old location. The on-site musuem even has a cut-out view of a clay pot with a human skeleton inside, showing one person's death, and also many other tools, pottery, and things found amongst the structures.
Oddly enough, the United Fruit Company did some very poor renovation of the structures around the seventies. Most temples and altars are covered with a thick layer of concrete/plaster so that the original stones are not showing. Nevertheless, the monuments are quite large and impressive, and the grounds are kept very clean and beautiful. It makes a great place for a picnic for locals and foreigners alike.
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