When planning a trip to Colombia, you might wonder if it’s worth adding Cali to…
La Pintada, Ch’orti’ Village: A Cultural Experience
Rich in cultures and history, seven native indigenous groups still remain in Honduras. I got a chance to visit one of them, La Pintada, a Ch’orti (Chorti) village, just outside the town of the Mayan ruins. There are around 4200 Ch’orti people living in Honduras, the second largest population in Central America.
About Ch’orti
The Ch’orti people are direct descendants of the Maya and speak Ch’orti – the indigenous language. Their belief is based on admiring and adoring nature. But the remaining Ch’orti’ people living in Honduras speak Spanish and practice Catholicism.
Corn (maiz) and beans (frijol) are the basic elements of food. Maiz, the essential ingredient is prepared in many ways: tortillas, tamales, and alcoholic drinks – chicha.
La Pintata
Located in a remote area, on single dirt footpath the village can only be reached by foot or horseback. Passing through cornfields, pastures, and vegetables and I still have not reached the village.
After reaching the Los Sapos, a small archaeological site that served as a Mayan maternity ward, on top of a hilly mountain lies La Pintada indigenous village.
The village has one small school, dilapidated homes and no electricity. The school is the only building with electricity. Candles and kerosene lamps are the main sources for lights. The Pintada people rely mostly on agriculture and selling dolls made out of corn husks to tourists, as their source of income. Since there are not many tourists visiting Honduras because of the perceived level of crimes, La Pintada is very much affected.
If you stay long, the kids will sing you a song in their native language and call out $1.00 dollar to buy their homemade dolls.
Besides from the poverty, there is beauty in the place. On top of the mountain is a breathtaking panorama view of the town of Copan Ruinás. The colorful murals tell the history of the people. The smiles on the children’s faces give you hope.
Ways to help
One way to help the Ch’orti people is to take a tour to learn about their culture and buy their beautiful crafts.
Also, there are non-profit organizations whose mission are to help these underserved areas.
- The Mayatan Foundation owns and operates the Mayatan Bilingual School. The Foundation is a registered non-profit organization in Copán Ruinas, Honduras. The Mayatan Foundation pool together resources every year to help sponsor these children.
- Hope For Honduran Children Foundation was established to help improve the lives of children ravaged by conditions of extreme poverty.
Tell us what you think about La Pintada. Post a comment on our Facebook!
Happy Reading,
Related Articles
Just in awe over your blog, checked it out yesterday and really didn’t know what to say! Lol!
Seriously, you’re so fortunate to be able to see the world like this. And thank you for spotlighting places in the non-trendy way most people tend to.
This is so refreshing, and beautiful.❤︎
Thank you!
I love learning about other cultures so thank you for sharing this! It is a great cultural experience to see how others live.
I loved learning about the La Pintada. I like how you teach about different cultures, so I’m going to follow! Thanks so much! 🙂
Thank-you!
Interesting to learn something new about People and culture. Thanks for sharing their plight, kids touch my heart, and I don’t like seeing them suffer….
oww look so natrural ı would like to see there ..thanks for share. I think learning about new culture is wonderful.
I had no idea about this place and sad how impoverished it is. I wouldn’t even think of visiting Honduras. Great you’re spreading the word
Honduras appears to be very similar to Mexico. Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing your experience there.
Thanks for sharing about this! I appreciate that you added ways to help at the end.
I’m curious about how they prepare their food if the only electricity is in the school. Is there a lot of communal cooking?
If there is no electricity, you use coal.
I love learning about other cultures, It’s good to be reminded how others live.
This is so breathtaking… very similar to some of the Indian villages!
This place sounds very interesting to visit. The chorti people has a lots of history and culture to learn.
It looks like you had such a great cultural experience. I look forward to visiting Honduras one day.
Interesting.Lovely pictures.I would love to visit this village for a volunteering project or something like that
I’ am really fond of knowing about different cultures of the people, especially which are not so popular. Ch’orti’ Village seems an unexplored beautiful place. Thanks for writing about the insights of the place.
Great information and beautiful photographs! I would love to visit one day. I never thought of Honduras as a vacation destination.
Great post for highlighting this little known destination.
Sending to my GF now for ideas for our next vacation 🙂 La Pintada looks like a great cultural experience.
Love learning about other cultures! Great post! Thanks for sharing!
Love it! I hope I can visit Honduras. It sounds like a great place to visit and experience lots of cultures.
Great post with so many interesting things about indigenous people from Honduras! I’ll for sure think about visiting one day.
Nice photos. Thanks for sharing the story of the Chorti people. I am surprised that people still live that way.
I didnt know that some people are living without electricity now also.
Hi Magdalena! Thanks for such a great blog. I’ve always wanted to make it to Central America and further explore South America. I speak a little Spanish so I’d love to be able to use it and see the place from the locals’ perspective. Thanks for sharing your insight, gives me a little take of what that adventure would be like!
Meg
Thank you. I hope you get a chance to visit Central America. There are so much to see and explore. Let me know when you start planning your trip.
Very nice posts. I love to read blogs that make me think and this was most definitely one of those 🙂 Good job! Hopefully I can enjoy reading more your posts in the future.
https://veeramatilda.blogspot.fi/
I have checked your site and i have found it very helpful. Thanks for sharing your experience and background of the native people of Honduras.