The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-10-14
RECENT TRIP TO
GUATEMALA PROVES
OF MUCH INTEREST.
Man+eo Girl Tells Of Natives Gus
toms and Crafts; Visits Huge
Volcanic Crater Lake

~ Noe%S~sy NAAoo 4sAAA AeAAhA
bee last week visited her parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. j. E. Ferebee of
Manteo, before returning to Nash
vile, Tenn, where she is employ
ed. Miss Ferebee, who drove to
New Orleans and flew from that
city to Guatemala in Central
America with a former college
roommate, Miss Geraldine Hilburn,
says that the trip was both fasci-
mating and enlightening. Having
visited Mexico last year, Miss Fere-
bee found that the Guatemalans,
while friendly, were not as hos
pitable as the Mexicans, who rely
in large part on the tourist trade
for income, and whose rate of ex-
change is much lower. In Guate-
mala, she found the people more
self-supporting and the rate of ex-
change was almost dollar for dol
lar in American money.
In Guatemala the land is ex-
teremely fertile, due to the deposit
of volcanic ash, and there are
abundant crops Of fruits and vege-
tables, as well as coffee planta-
tons and cattle-raising farms.
Miss Ferebee's party visited a cof-
fee plantation, in that land called
a coffee finka. They found the
food extremely good, especially
the beef and the fruits and vege-
tables.
Landing in Guatemala City, Miss
Ferebee's party visited not only the
area surrounding the city, the ele-
walton of which is about five
thousand feet, but made a three
day trip into the highlands, where
some of the slopes they climbed
rose to eleven thousand feet. 1t
was the rainy season, and they
found the weather damp and
chilly. They saw two volcanoes in
action, but missed the most spec
tacular show by taking the day
time trip instead of the night trip
to view the sight. In Guatemala
'ere are "a volcanoes, six of
n 'ch are active. The highest OF
reaches height of IL thou
- ID feet.
In the highlands they saw the
various Indian tribes in their
native dress. Each tribe had its
own design, but all their costumes
were gay with bright reds and
blues The women carried huge
baskets on their heads, these con-
tanning food, clothing, pottery and
other items. The men sometimes
carry from 200 to 800 pounds on
their backs, the load being strap
ped to their heads.
They visited Antigua and Lake
Atitlan, a huge volcanic crater
lake, 10 miles wide by &c
miles long, and reaching
depth of Is thousand feet,
The lake has a strong under
ground current, which has proved
treacherous on occasion. This cur
rent is very close to the surface,
which makes diving a dangerous
feat. The lake has subterranean
outlets and anyone unfortunate
enough to get caught in the cur
rent stands little chance of ever
reaching surface again. Miss Fere-
bee, who has been accustomed to
being on the water much of her
life, having lived in Manteo, said
one of the few feelings of fear she
had ever had of water was while
on a short boat trip on that lake.
However, she considered it most
beautiful, the color a deep tur-
quoise, with volcanic mountains
surrounding it, Also, she felt it
a most unusual sight to find q
body of water that size at so high
an elevation.
The roads through the highlands
were narrow dirt roads, with many
sheer drops off the mountain
sides, and at places it was almost
impossible for vehicles to pass,
The party made the highlands trip
in limousine with a native driver,
to whom the tricky mountain roads
proved little problem.
One of the highlights of the trip
was a visit to Chickicastenango,
where a 400-year-old Catholic
church is regularly attended by the
Guatemalan Indians, the nation
being predominantly Catholic.
There they saw the Indians
- ging in their wares for market
These products consisted not
: of produce, but of Indian pot
sery, wooden goods and cotton
woven fabrics. Tots four and five
years old could be seen working
at hand looms, making cloth; and
five and six-year-old boys carried
large loads of wood. The pottery
and weaving, which are extremely
artistic, are an integral part of the
culture of that country and the
people are trained in creating
them, from early childhood.
Visiting schools in various parts
of the country. Miss Ferebee found