There is an attraction in Santiago – it’s the statue of Maximón which is in theory hidden, and which they move from time to time, but which every tout at the pier and every child on the street offers to take you to for quetzals equal to from 50 cents to 12 dollars. I gave a kid 50 cents. See the window furthest down on the left. That’s it. You’d actually have to be mighty tall to look in the window but still, I couldn’t see any other effort to hide it.
From a guidebook: “Folk Catholicism plays an important role in the life of Santiago and the town is one of the few places where Maya still pay homage to Maximón, the ‘evil’ saint.” People bring him cigarettes and cheap rum which I suppose is eventually consumed by the men hanging around, the same men who make sure you don’t take a picture without paying!