Drama in Panajachel.

Yesterday, Saturday we had a lot of drama in Panajachel, Guatemala.
Mayan Families, ( www.mayanfamilies.org) was on the way to give a Christmas party in Chaquija. We had the van and pick up piled high with toys, Santa Claus, a clown, tables, lots of bananas. When we arrived at the bridge there was a demonstration against the mayor. The roads were blocked by burning tyres.

We tried to go down another route and were stuck in a traffic jam down a very small lane way. Eventually we got into town, only to confront a group of people who had closed the road with a bus, a pick up and a tuk tuk. It as an angry crowd, we watched as they grabbed a tuk tuk that was trying to pass and threatened to burn it.

We had decided to turn back and wait to see what happened but just then a man in the crowd started talking to the men who were blocking the way, he told them that Mayan Families was on the way to give out toys and that a lot of children would be disappointed. He also said that we help the town a lot and this was their turn to help us. Much to our surprise, the crowd agreed to let just our two vehicles pass. We quickly jumped into the vans and were on our way, passing long lines of cars on either side of the blockade.

The road in one area being blocked by tuk tuks.

They Mayor trying to talk to a disgruntled crowd. The demonstration was against the mayor deciding to block the main street and make it a pedestrian area with only limited vehicle access.