get to lisp via to_lisp() in xmaxima..
MAXIMA> (defpackage :r (:use "ga"))
Maxima encountered a Lisp error:
Error in LISP:USE-PACKAGE [or a callee]: "ga" is not of type (LISP:OR
LISP:SYMBOL
LISP:STRING
LISP:PACKAGE).
It seems to me that "ga" IS of type STRING.
RJF