Thursday, Our last day

Well, on Wednesday evening I sat and wrote and wrote and wrote, catching up on what we had done and my thoughts about it. However, a storm disrupted the power signal and the post was lost. I tried this morning in the computer room at the hotel and there was no connection to the internet. So much for not bringing my computer. Diego brought his and he is able to connect at all times. I will, therefore, wait until I get home where I can write about what I had written before and add additional information. Our journey has been a remarkable one, and I still have much to share. Until then, Lynda

8/17/10 - Merida to Villahermosa

We walked around Merida a little this morning before driving to the airport. At the gate a couple disembarked from the arriving flight. Raquel had left her seat and the woman asked, first in Spanish and then seeing we were from the states in English if it was available to set her belongings in for a moment. We explained that that would be fine. I asked her where she was from. She was fully bilingual with hardly any accent in either language, most likely Mexican, Mexican-American, or Chicana. She replied that she was originally from Los Angeles and her husband was from Merida and they had been living in Merida permanently since the late 80’s. Given that I also grew up in Los Angeles, we started talking. She even knew the neighborhood where I had lived! The world is indeed a small place.

Just a side note. I met an American doctor who was currently living and working in Merida and on our first night we met a man who spent half his time in Merida and half in NY, NY. He didn’t mention whether he was American or Mexican. Merida is a popular place.

Villahermosa reminds me of Louisiana. It's got a lot of swampy water surrounding it and is pretty hot. This hotel is not like the others. It's one of those modern international business class hotels with 6-8 levels. Across from us is a Holiday Inn :-( Also the hotel is located in a new, expensive area far from the historic center of town. We took a taxi to the zocolo where the locals hang out and had a dinner of tacos. At the zocolo there's a big pedestrian mall and lots of these taco joints that have the meat set up on a vertical spit similar to gyro meat. These were some great tacos! The strange thing is that, at least on a Tuesday night, Villahermosa turns in early. We were told that restaurants start to close around 7 or 8pm. This is not Merida! We got a local taxi back to the hotel and the driver, who had lived here for 42 years, was very amiable and talkative and was patient with my Spanish.

Chichen Itza 8/16/10 - Memory and Economics

Chichen Itza was not as I remembered from the previous two times I had visited, the last time over 20 years ago as a teenager traveling with my father and the time before that when I was 8, traveling with my parents. Both times there was a mystery about the place, a feeling of spinning back a thousand years with each step up the main pyramid.

Due to the number of visitors and an effort to protect the site for posterity, one can no longer climb up any of the structures, or peer at the red jaguar with jade eyes in a chamber deep inside the ‘Castle’ pyramid , or wander between the columns at the foot of the Temple of a Thousand Warriors. Further, the place is like an economic circus. There are hundreds of local vendors on the grounds selling their wares for way more than they are worth. Even our guide, José, who I enjoyed and liked, participated in the economic machine. Near the end of our tour at the famous ball court, we were joined by two young local girls, aged 12 and 16(?) dressed in traditional ‘hipils.’ Prompted by José, the girls sang us a song in Mayan and then in Spanish told us the meaning of the song, a simple child’s song. After this they asked if we would like to buy one of the little stitched handkerchiefs that were neatly folded over their arms. Asked how much, they responded 20 pesos; they were maybe worth 10. I wasn’t going to haggle with a 12 year old, although she probably would have kicked my butt in that barter!

José obviously knew many of the vendors. It seems that the guides are near the top of the economic structure of Chichen Itza. One building had a group of men nearby and when we got close to them, José gestured, choosing one to hold and display a notebook of photographs for him while he explained cultural aspects of the Mayan using the various photos in the notebook as reference. While I didn’t see an exchange of money at the time, I’m sure that the man received some kind of tip from José later.

Further, the site is carefully landscaped with raised pathways that lead to and from the different groupings of buildings as well as in and out of the site. There are also hotels that surround the area and one of which is directly adjacent to the grounds.

What did impress me was the fact that great effort has gone into restoring the structures as much as possible. Two sides of the main pyramid, called the El Castillo, are completely restored, but the other two are only partially restored. The view that the world sees in reproductions are the two famous sides that together create the shadow of a serpent’s body that connects to the sculpted serpent head at the foot of the steps after ‘crawling’ down on the solstice.

Archeologists have also dug into the great plaza in front of the pyramid to purposefully reveal the layers of foundation the Mayans built for the pyramid and the great plaza. A lot of stones from the various sites, including Chichen Itza, were removed to use in the building of local churches and cathedrals. The archeologists do not use new stones to complete restorations if they cannot locate the original. They simply leave those parts unfinished.

Despite the circus feel of Chichen Itza and the contrast to my admittedly fuzzy memory, it is still an impressive place. The scientific, mathematical, architectural, artistic, and political achievements are immediately apparent by the just the simple existence of the buildings.

Diego

Adiós Mérida, hola Villahermosa

Hola gente,

Hoy fue nuestro último día en Mérida ya que nuestro vuelo a Villahermosa salía a las dos y diez de la tarde. Como sólo teníamos muy poquitas horas antes de ir para el aeropuerto, decidimos madrugar y aprovechar la mañana para visitar el centro histórico de la ciudad. Paseamos por las calles entorno al Zócalo, visitamos la catedral (la más antigua de México, levantada entre los años 1562 y 1597), el Palacio de Gobierno y la Pinacoteca del estado Juan Gamboa Guzmán.

Como información básica, sólo deciros que Mérida, es conocida como la "Ciudad Blanca", fue fundada en 1542 por Francisco de Montejo y tiene más de 700,000 habitantes.

Por otra parte, contaros que nos ha encantado la comida yucateca de Mérida, que no es picante como la comida mexicana. Algunos platos típicos son la cochinita o pollo al pibil y la sopa de lima. Una planta que se utiliza mucho en la comida yucateca, por influencia de la cultura maya es la chaya, que es una hoja con muchas propiedades curativas y proporciona muchísimos beneficios al organismo... Hay cremas de chaya, bebidas zumos con chaya, sopas, etc. Aquí tenéis un enlace con más información sobre esta hoja curativa y otro sobre la gastronomía yucateca:

http://thematrix.sureste.com/cityview/merida1/articulos/chaya.htm

http://thematrix.sureste.com/cityview/merida1/articulos/cocinayu.htm


Bueno, mañana vamos a visitar la ciudad de Palenque. Es casi la una de la noche! muy buenas noche, gente!

Hasta la próxima.....

Raquel

Continued from to be continued:

One of the problems with dates in history is that different sources give different dates. And that is certainly true of Mayan history. Michael Coe (The Maya) gives dates different from the material I have purchased at the sites we have thus far seen. And, in some cases the dates vary considerably. So, the dates given will be approximate.

I left off last time with the collapse of the Classic Maya which occurs between ~800 - 900 CE. The Toltecs arrive in the Yucatan around 800. It is explained that while the Toltecs were the conquerors, the Mayan and Toltec cultures blended, which can be seen very clearly in Chichen Itza. Classical Maya architecture exists which predates the Toltec arrival. Then, when the Toltecs arrive, new architecture was built on top of the older structures and contained elements of both groups. It is during this period of blending that Chichen Itza reaches its height as a center of trade, culture and power in the Yucatan. It was during the Classic Period that economic and political power and control became centralized in urban centers over nearby settlements. These settlements were connected to the main centers by a series of roads. These roads also served to connect the major urban centers to one another.

In the case of Tulum, its position on the coast enabled it to develop as a major hub for seafaring trade all along the eastern coast as far as Belize and Honduras during the Late Classic and Early Post Classical Period.

Coba's development as an urban center began during the Early Classic (~250 - 600 CE) and in the Middle Classic it became a regional capital interconnected with many other centers including Chichen Itza and Uxmal (which we visited yesterday and the day before.) We visited Coba on the way from Tulum to Merida, on the 13th.

We must remember that these urban centers were places for religious and political affairs and also housed the elite. The largest numbers of the populations lived outside these centers in surrounding areas.

Uxmal began to develop as a political power ~100 CE by an elite who considered themselves intermediaries between the gods and the people. From this time on, Uxmal developed a more urban organization and there was a gradual increase in its poilitical, religious, economic, and cultural importance in the northern Mayan area. Between ~200 and 100 CE, Uxmal consolidated its position as an urban center and became the dominant city of the region. Uxmal went through an important transition between ~1000 and 1200 CE with the arrival of the Toltecs, who introduced new political and religious concepts such as the increased emphasis on the cult of the serpent god Kukulkan (Quetzalcoatl to the Nahua). Images of Kukulcan can be found on buildings from the early 10th century onwards. Around 1200 CE, Uxmal was abandoned (for reasons unknown) as a residential center and was used exclusively as a site for ritual ceremonies.

One of the things I have been struck by as I have learned more about the Mayan civilization is the similarities that exist between the Mayan religious concepts and those of the Hindus in early India. For both cultures, time is believed to be cyclical rather than linear. Both conceive of time as continuous cycles of creation, life, and destruction. There are similarities in symbolism, as well. Both have deities related to these elements. Both use the symbol of the mother giving birth and the phallus as fertility symbols. These are only a few of the similarities that I have seen. There are numerous others. There are other ancient cultures who also share many of these ideas as well. As a teacher of world cultures and world history, I always try to emphasize not only the differences between and among cultures, but also the amazingly numerous similarities.

We have benefitted greatly from the interaction we have had with the guides at Uxmal and Chichen Itza. In both cases the gentlemen were locals who were Mayan and clearly identified very strongly with these incredible places. They provided us with wonderful insights into the culture of the Maya. This continues to be an extraordinary journey.

Lynda

Chichén Itzá (la ciudad al borde del pozo de los Itzaes)

18/8/10

Buenas noches,

Hoy estuvimos de visita en la ciudad maya de Chichén Itzá. Este lugar es realmente maravilloso y nos dejó con la boca abierta. Hacia un calor insoportable y mucha humedad, pero valió la pena pasar todas esas horas al sol. Tuvimos un guia nativo de la zona, José, que nos mostró una serpiente de cascabel que había capturado cerca de un hotel. Nos dijo que, despu}es de haber llovido mucho, es bastante normal que los animales salgan de la selva,buscando calor y tierra seca. Para un maya, encontrarse una serpiente es buena suerte ya que la serpiente es símbolo de fertilidad, abundancia y la dualidad. José nos contó muchísimas cosas y nos describió con detalle sobre todas las construcciones. También nos habló de la profesía del calendario maya que cuenta que en el 21 de diciembre de 2012 habrá un cambio que supondrá una nueva conciencia cósmica. Algunas personas creen que en esta fecha llegará el fin del mundo. Según José,esta fecha marca el comienzo de una nueva conciencia humana más evolucionada. Bueno, en el siguiente párrafo os doy un poquito de información básica y general sobre estas ruinas mayas:

Chichén Itzá se localiza a 120 km de Mérida, al Oriente del estado de Yucatán. Esta ciudad maya fue declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad en 1988 y una de las siete maravillas del mundo en el año 2007. Chichén Itzá significa en lengua maya " la ciudad al borde del pozo de los Itzaes", aludiendo al cenote, símbolo de la entrada al inframundo. Los cenotes son pozos naturales que se han formado por las filtraciones del agua de la lluvia.

Esta ciudad maya cuenta con el Juego de Pelota más grande de Mesoamérica de cerca de 120 m de longitud y por 30 m de ancho, con forma de doble "T". El edificio más emblemático de Chichén Itzá es la Pirámide de Kukulkán o Castillo (24 metros de altura) que es una construcción de planta cuadrangular con escalinatas por los cuatro lados y orientada en correspondencia con los cuatro puntos cardinales. Esta pirámide se le ha relacionado con un calendario. Cada escalinata tiene 91 peldaños, que suman 364 y agregando el escalón del zócalo superior se obtiene un total de 365, los días del año solar.....

Hasta mañana,

Raquel

Uxmal, 8/15/10 - Wow!

Uxmal 8/15/10

Went to Uxmal today, about an hour’s drive south of Merida. The driving experience was much more relaxed, it being Sunday, although there was come confusion about which direction we were going in, but we figured it out eventually, making only one u-turn.

I imagine Uxmal to be one of the premier archeological sites of the world. It is spectacular. It is registered by the world heritage site by UNESCO, an international organization pledged to the preservation of important archeological sites around the world.

This time we decided to hire a guide to show us the site. It is not only a good way to help support the local economy, but it also gives us a chance to interact with a local person. Our guide today was Ricardo and we are grateful to him for his knowledge and kindness as he showed us Uxmal, sweating in the heat as much as ourselves. Ricardo is from a town near Uxmal called Muna and he is trilingual. He speaks Mayan, Spanish, and English. He was a wealth of information. He told us that there are many people in the Yucatan who only speak Mayan and that in the Yucatan both Mayan and Spanish are now taught in the schools. The mystery of the Maya is that in some places like Uxmal, the inhabitants seemed to have suddenly just up and left the big city centers, leaving everything behind. Ricardo told us the story of how his grandfather discovered an old house that had been taken over by the elements. There was an intact kitchen complete with unbroken eggs, plates, utensils, and even some clothes. A stone figurine about 12 inches tall from the discovery is now a family heirloom.

It’s not that the Maya disappeared, it’s that they seemed to have suddenly abandoned some of the sites. Other sites, such as Tulum were inhabited when the Spanish arrived. When asked whether there were any stories, legends, or histories among the locals about what happened, Ricardo responded no. The Maya had a complex written language, but there are no explanations in the records left to us. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t exist. The Spanish conquistadores destroyed most of the books they discovered. The surviving texts are not the original texts but texts that were written and translated into Spanish by Mayan and Aztec scribes. There are also some texts that were written by Spanish priests from dictations by Mayans and Aztecs.

I can’t even begin to describe how impressive Uxmal is, you’ll just have to look at the few pictures we end up posting. Or better yet, look at a book.

Diego

Merida, 8/14/2010 - And now for an adventure...

I was the first to get up and go to breakfast. I had finished my breakfast and was reading when Raquel and Lynda joined me. We continued talking about our trip thus far after the two of them finished their breakfast. While we were talking, a group of older gentleman began gathering in the back corner of the restaurant at a long table. They were laughing and greeting each other as they settled in. After a bit one of them began playing a guitar and then a singer began a song, a classic bolero. And then other songs, boleros and rancheras, began to follow accompanied by a mix of soft conversation and quiet attention. In between songs, there was laughter and conversation and halting starts as a new player worked out the chords on the guitar that was being passed around.

The bathrooms were located in the same back corner. Raquel went to the restroom and when finished, she respectfully lingered during the performance of another song. We were all listening intently by now, us, the group of gentlemen, those few at other tables, as the oldest of the gentlemen performed in a quavering, yet still beautiful and gentle voice. We all applauded for him when he finished. Raquel began to engage them in conversation and the men soon invited her to join them at their table. Another woman, older, a friend around 50'ish, had also joined them by now. The songs and playing continued with conversation in between. At a certain point Raquel gestured toward Lynda and I and we also were invited to join them. As we did so, one of the players launched into a beautiful version of the famous adagio from the Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar. Everyone respectfully paid attention to his skill and artistry. We ended up sitting with them for a long time and joined in the drinking and conversation (as best as Lynda and could), while the guitar was passed among the players and various singers sang.

Turns out these guys come to the hotel on a regular basis from 11-2 to sing and play. They are all musicians and pictures from their younger days as musicians adorn the wall above the place they habitually sit at. The oldest with the gentle quavering voice is 92.

One of the gentlemen, Mario Urantia, one of the younger ones, 50 or so, insisted we come with him to Puerta Progreso, the beach town a half hour north of Merida to eat and see the sights. We decided to go along. He was somewhat smitten with Raquel, but he was a gentlemen and showed us around, took us to a restaurant that served typical food of the Yucatan, where we successfully insisted on paying the bill, which was incredibly reasonable. Progreso is very much of a local get away place, very few foreigners there.

The gentleman, Mario, then took us back to Merida, briefly stopping to show us the house he lived in, in the newer, northern area of Merida. This area is very modern, with a giant convention center and a giant mall and many American restaurants and stores such as Office Depot, Auto Zone, Bennigans, Fridays, Burger King, etc.

If it hadn’t been for Raquel and her Spanish we would never have encountered these musicians and we would never have had the opportunity to go with Mario to Puerta Progreso. Thank you, Raquel. Y muchas gracias a Mario Urantia, un hombre con un gran corazon.

Diego

Titular del Diario de Yucatán: Clima en los extremos

18/8/10

Buenos días,

Anoche llovió tanto que hubo grandes inundaciones en las calles de Mérida.En el periódico, Diario de Yucatán viene a primera página: "La lluvia de ayer, las más fuerte en veinticinco años". Bueno, sólo quería escribir unas lineas, pero tengo que dejarlo aquí por ahora pues nos vamos ya a Chichén Itzá ya! son las nueve de la mañana....continuaré....

Raquel

Uxmal, Estado de Yucatán

17/8/10

Acabamos de llegar al hotel después de nuestra visita a Uxmal, ubicada a 78 km de Mérida. Está lloviendo a cántaros y hace un calor tremendo!! Dentro de unos 40 minutos hemos quedado para cenar y posiblemente iremos a ver una actuación de danza, Romeo y Julieta, aquí en el centro.

Las ruinas de Uxmal son impresionantes! Ricardo, un autóctono de un poblado cercano a Uxmal, fue nuestro guia y nos explicó con detalle sobre el conjunto arqueológico. Nos contó que hoy en día no se puede subir a la pirámide del Adivino, de 35 metros de altura y base elíptica, ya que en el pasado cada año morían alrededor de siete u ocho personas al caerse desde dicha pirámide. La imagen de Chac (dios de la lluvia) aparece repetidamente en las construcciones puesto que en esta zona la lluvia era muy importante debido a la abundancia de sequías. Como nota curiosa,Ricardo nos contó que los mayas comían las iguanas que habitan por el Yucatán y que la carne de estos lagartos sabe a pollo!!!

Después de la visita a las ruinas hicimos algunas compras y nos sentamos a beber un jugo de frutas recien exprimidas. Nos encantan los jugos de frutas aquí!

Bueno, continuaré escribiendo más tarde. Ahora voy a prepararme para cenar con mis queridos amigos, Lynda y Diego.

Un fuerte abrazo,

Raquel

8/13/10 - Conned, Cobá, and Pinball Merida-style!

(For 8/13/10)

Today we drove to Merida.

We had to fill up with gas before departing Tulum. They still have station attendants here, who not only pump the gas but also handle the money. There is no paying for gas by credit card apparently. And these guys are aggressive! In fact I’m fairly certain our

“attendant” took me for 200 or 500 pesos or between $18 - $45U.S. I’m still not really sure. He came around from behind the car after pumping the gas and I was still seated in the driver’s seat riffling through my wallet looking for the proper bills. I swear I handed him a large bill, either a 200 or 500 hundred bill, not really watching and next thing I know he’s showing me that I’ve only given him 20 peso bill. I swear I heard a quick shuffling of paper during the exchange. I turned to him in confusion and started to argue, but then just acquiesced and gave him money in order to receive change. He was good because I don’t even know if it actually happened and I figure he probably needs it way more than I do. But from now on, I’m standing outside, facing the attendant, and I’m telling him how much gas in pesos I want ! Live and learn

Cobá is located about an hour east from Tulum. It is known primarily for four elements: 1) several Stellae, or large stone tablets, about 6’x3’, that are erected vertically and are memorials to Mayan kings, 2) the tallest pyramid in Northern Yucatan, 3) the many raised roads, or sacbé, leading in and out of the area, one of which used to connect Cobá to Chichen Itza, 60+ miles away, and 4) the large area the site takes up. I did climb up the tallest pyramid. Steps were about double the size of our steps and it was quite a workout. And another "Descending God!" Legs up over head, arms out to the side, looking out like a Meso-American Spiderman.

The town of Cobá is a small town in a remote area of the state of Quintana Roo, and it seems that you’re rich if you have a house with a cement foundation and walls. One of the informational signs in Cobá stated that today the descendents of the Maya live in houses with thatched roofs very similar to those of their forebears. The archeological sites seem to support the local economy. There are guides to the sites that can be hired and visitors are encouraged to either rent a bicycle, which I did, or hire a bicycle-taxi for two, which Lynda and Raquel did, in order to view the grounds. A good thing to, because it would have been a long and tiring walk in the heat if we hadn’t.

Just outside the grounds we stopped at a little cafe owned by a young Argentinean who was very nice and helpful. He had said that he had come on holiday to Cobá a little under a year earlier and liked it so much he decided to move and stay. He’s now a part of the community. While we were there a local farmer came by selling natural cheese. The owner said the farmer comes every 15 days and buys from him.

The poverty surrounding the site and on the road to Merida of Cobá is incredible. Some people literally live in thatched huts like people did a thousand years ago, only with cement flooring/foundation and walls rather than stone.

After Cobá, we drove the two and half hours to Merida, which was uneventful. However once we got to Merida... well, driving in Merida is like driving in a pinball machine, only you try desperately (and in this case SUCCESSFULLY!!!) to avoid hitting people, other cars, buses, motorcycles, horse carriages, bicycles... wow! Crazy and stressful! Made more so by the fact that we did not know where are hotel was only that it was near the center of town, which it is. In fact it is right off the Plaza Central. It's a bustling and exciting town and the hotel is right in the middle of it. It’s an old style hotel with a little courtyard inside that all the rooms face. We finally spotted it... then we had to figure out where to park the car. It all eventually worked out ok after navigating the one-way streets a few times.

Diego

Canción de amor y aventura en el puerto de Progreso, Mérida

Ayer llegamos muy cansados a Mérida, así que decidimos tomarnos el primer día en la ciudad con calma y descansar un poco.Después del desayuno, tuvimos la suerte de conocer a un grupo de amigos que se reúnen todos los días, con la excepción del domingo, para cantar y tomar café con licor en un rinconcito del restaurante del hotel. Nos contaron que el grupo, llamado "Peña Trovera del Hotel Caribe", fue creado hace unos 20 años por un grupo de compadres con ganas de compartir y alegrar el corazón con la música de la troba. Nuestros nuevos amigos nos deleitaron con canciones románticas tales como "La española cuando besa" y "la Llorona".

Aquí tenéis la letra de una canción preciosa y romántica, que cantó Manuel Jesús, trobador entrañable de 95 años de edad, que estaba sentado a mi lado y me dictó la letra para que la escribiera en el bloc. Su dulzura me llegó al alma.

Miénteme más
que al mentirme me das la ilusión
que me amas con el corazón
aunque no sea verdad

Hazme feliz
aunque sea un momento no más
que después de esta noche de amor
sé que voy a llorar

mientras exista el amor
habrá mentira
mientras haya placer
habrá dolor

Aquí tenéis también un enlace con más información detallada de la troba yucateca.

http://thematrix.sureste.com/cityview/merida1/articulos/trova.htm

Después de deleitarnos con la música, Mario, uno de los trobadores, nos llevó a visitar Progreso, que es el principal puerto del estado de Yucatán, localizado en el Golfo de México y a 36 kilómetros al norte de Mérida. La playa de Progreso es la más concurrida ya que es la más cercana a la ciudad de Mérida. Allí almorzamos comida típica yucateca en un restaurante con vistas al mar y Diego y Mario se tomaron un tequila con sus respectivas limas y sal. Después de la visita al puerto, Mario nos invitó a su casa y allí estuvimos un ratito charlando.
Por la noche, Lynda se quedó en el hotel descansando y Diego y yo salimos a dar un paseo por el centro, el cual tenía un ambiente buenísimo con tiendas de artesanías, música en la calle y mucha gente local en las plazas disfrutando del buen clima nocturno. Bueno, son casi las dos de la noche,estoy agotada y mañana tenemos que salir para Uxmal a las nueve, buenas noches a todos....

Visita a Cobá

De camino a Mérida, visitamos las ruinas mayas de Cobá, las cuales están rodeadas por la selva y junto a una zona pantanosa. Esta antigua ciudad maya fue la más importante metrópolis de la península de Yucatán entre los siglos V y X. El recinto arqueológico está rodeado de muchísima vegetación y de ceibas, el árbol sagrado de los mayas.

Para llegar a la impresionate pirámide de Nohoch Mul, la más alta de la península de Yucatán, Lynda y yo tomamos un taxi-bici y Diego fue hasta allí en bicicleta. A pesar del calor insoportable y del cansancio acumulado, Diego tuvo el valor de subir hasta arriba de la pirámide (42 metros de altura y 120 escalones!) Lynda y yo no fuimos tan valientes así que nos quedamos abajo, sacando las fotos pertinente de Diego en medio de su gran hazaña. El taxista del taxi-bici nos contó que hoy en día el poblado sólo tiene unos 1000 habitantes, pero durante el Imperio Maya llegó a tener unos 80.000 habitantes. Increíble!

Creo que lo que más nos impresionó a los tres fue las dos canchas de juego de pelotas, que están muy bien conservadas y poseen figuras de cautivos, inscripciones jerogríficas y una reproducción del craneo humano.

Después de ver las ruinas, nos tomamos unos zumos riquísimos con fruta recien exprimidas en un local en frente del lago Cobá. Estuvimos hablando con el dueño que era argentino y simpatiquísimo y nos dio algunas recomendaciones para nuestro viaje. Después de refrescarnos, seguimos rumbo a Merida....

A very brief overview, of the history of the Maya

Today is Saturday, the 12th. We have visited two sites and will go on to see tree more in the course of our stay here. I thought that giving everyone a brief overview of the development and peak of Mayan culture in the Yucatan would be helpful. So, here goes...

The Mayas occupied a very large territory that includes the present states of Quintana Roo (Tolum and Coba), Yucatan (Uxmal and Chichen Itza), Campeche (Palenque), parts of Tabasco and Chiapas, and the countries of Belize, parts of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The area is quite varied geographically: the Highlands in the south, the Central Maya Area, and the adjacent valleys of the North. The names of the archeological sites that we are visiting are named in the parentheses.

The ancient Mayas were members of different ethnic groups sharing similar cultural and physical characteristics with some local variations which arose from a single, "proto-Maya" group that had settled in Guatemala. Over time, this group broke up, migrated, and developed different languages from the common mother language. Later migrations resulted in the formation of the very large Mayan territory. These migrations also established contacts with other civilizations who shared cultural information, some of which the Maya adopted. Mayan history is divided into periods or phases of which there are three major ones each with subdivisions that encapsulate particular events, contacts, and cultural/artistic developments. The earliest of these is the Pre-Classic which begins around 2500 BCE and is characterized by the division into ethnic groups and the appearance of the first ceramics. This is the time when these peoples were becoming agriculturalists and settling in small villages. With the beginning of settled agriculture, the population increased and the first cities appeared. The development of cities is key to what historians define as "civilization." This also developed in other areas of the world with settled agriculture enabling the development of the earliest civilizations in the Nile, Tigris Euphrates, Indus, and Yellow River Valleys.

As I said, there were contacts with other peoples, so that this civilization did not develop in isolation. It is thought by many that contacts with the Olmecs were very close and that the Olmec culture is a kind of "Mother culture" to the Maya. The Olmecs created many religious ideas, symbols, and cultural and artistic elements that other MesoAmerican cultures, including the Maya adopted and built upon. The mathematical and calendar systems, for example, are two of these.

By the end of the Pre-Classic phase, the Maya had developed complex ceremonial/religious centers and a hierarchical social structure with clear social divisions. This period lasts until about 200 CE. The Classic phase or period is the time that the Mayan civilization reaches its peak. During the early part of the Classic Period, the influence of the Teotihuacan culture from central Mexico was considerable. Numerous cities arose and complex social, economic, and political systems developed. Cultural and scientific developments reached a pinnacle and most of the cities flourished. During the later part of the Classic period, the "Maya collapse" occurred. Why it happened is probably due to a combination of factors that have been theorized such as a prolonged drought, invasions by outside groups, depletion of the soil, internecine conflicts, etc. Cultural collapses in other parts of the world occurred for a similar confluence of social, political, and natural causes. For the Maya this meant that most of their cities were abandoned. It is only in the North of the Yucatan that we see that contact with groups from central Mexico enabled a revitalization of culture to some extent and enabled centers in that area to continue to survive for one hundred more years. One of these cities was Tulum, which we visited on Wednesday. Another is Chichen Itza, which we will visit on Monday.

To be continued... Lynda

Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico - Iguanas in Paradise

Visited Tulum today. Struck by the idea that although a small site when compared to places like Chichen Itza and Uxmal(?), there are some interesting tidbits that are highlighted. Tulum was a trading center and participated with other coastal communities in the establishment of the ocean trading routes that went from Honduras, up and around the Yucatan Peninsula, and to what is now the state of Tabasco, which added, alongside over-population, warfare, and environmental over-exploitation, to the downfall of the large city-states established in the interior of the rain forest by 900AD. The Maya did not venture far off the coasts but instead hugged the coastline in their large canoes.

When one enters Tulum through a tunnel in the outer wall that surrounds the site, one immediately notices that it is a fairly small site, especially when compared to Chichen Itza and similarly expansive sites. But this is because only the political and religious center was considered worthy of permanent stone structures. It was here that the elite lived. The rest of the population lived on the periphery in impermanent structures. Also of note is the fact that within the center are the remains of stone platforms upon which were built structures of organic materials.

These facts are striking to me because when one looks inland from a highpoint all one sees is an unending expanse of incredibly lush green. It must have taken considerable effort to stave off the ever-encroaching jungle and keep the land and roads open for agriculture, housing, and communication. This immediately implies a thriving civilization, dispelling any notion, of which there are many, that the indigenous peoples of the Americas were less knowledgeable and that, without the arrival of the Europeans, would have remained in a primeval state, unevolved. The indigenous peoples of the Americas landscaped their surroundings with alacrity, built cities with large populations, practiced complex irrigation techniques, and had highly complex social structures. Seems to me they were doing just fine.

It is extraordinarily beautiful here. The people of Tulum must have realized the sheer beauty of the beaches. They must have had leisure time, at least the elite.

There are lots of iguanas just crawling around - and lots of tourists, including myself, taking close-up photos of these creatures. At one point I was sitting on the ground in a shaded spot and happened to turn slightly and realized a large iguana was not three feet away from me. While sitting in the same spot opposite one of the buildings, I noticed a medium-sized iguana poised high up on a corner ledge of the building like a living gargoyle.

Tulum is not known for its facades and art and there is really only one building with any art left on it. It is the Temple of the Descending god, named for the image of a primary figure that seems to be crawling down the face of the building due to its legs and feet extended above its head, arms outstretched to the side like a Mesoamerican Spiderman, its face looking directly out. The mysterious and beautiful quality of the depiction excites the imagination. Why is it going down? Why not just depict the face? Two questions that will remain unanswered.

The town of Tulum is like any other beach town really. Shops filled with tacky merchandise and locals enjoying life in shorts and sandals in the many restaurants lining the main drag. It’s a bustling little town with lots of people from all over the world visiting, intermingling with friendly locals. I hope to come back. Ciao!

Diego

Llegada a Cancún y visita a la bellísima Tulum

Nuestra aventura yucateca está siendo increíble! Ayer llegamos a Cancún después de un largo viaje y de haber madrugado muchísimo (partimos de Winston-Salem a las cuatro de la mañana!!!!!!). Nuestro avión salió de Greensboro a las seis, tuvimos una conección en el aeropuerto de Chicago y finalmente llegamos a Cancún a las 12:35 de la tarde. Nos dirigimos en coche a Tulum, ciudad prehistórica portuaria ubicada al sur de la Riviera Maya y a 128 kilómetros de Cancún. Cuando llegamos al hotel, estábamos hambrientos y súper cansados, así que nos relajamos un poco y cenamos muy temprano. A pesar de nuestro cansancio, no nos pudimos resistir a las aguas azul turqueza del mar Caribe, así que fuimos a la playa por un rato. Después de la playa, fuimos a visitar el centro de la ciudad por la noche y a hacer algunas compras en el supermercado más cercano al hotel.

Hoy hemos visitado las impresionantes ruinas arqueológicas de la ciudad, las cuales están ubicadas sobre un acantilado a pie del mar Caribe (la vista es realmente impresionante!!). Tulum significa “muro” y cuando los españoles la divisaron por primera vez en 1518, era conocida por Zama, que significa “amanecer”. El navegante Juan de Grijalva la comparó con la ciudad andaluza de Sevilla. Esta comparación me resultó muy curiosa, ya que me hizo imaginar mi ciudad natal, Sevilla, en el siglo XIV. Y yo me pregunto, ¿cuáles son las similitudes que Grijalba encontró entre esta ciudad portuaria maya y Sevilla?

Bueno, me despido de todos por ahora, sólo deciros que lo estamos pasando muy bien y aprendiendo muchísimo de nuestra aventura. Mañana queremos visitar la ciudad maya de Cobá, la cual está rodeada por la selva y ubicada a 42 kilómetros de Tulum.

Bienvenidos a nuestra aventura maya

Bienvenidos a nuestro bloc! Soy Raquel Maqueda, la profesora de español de secundaria de la escuela de arte. Esta parte del bloc va dedicada a nuestros seguidores hispanohablantes, a todas aquellas personas que estén aprendiendo español, y, por supuesto, a mis queridos alumnos de la escuela de arte. Mis otros dos compañeros del proyecto “Respira”, Diego Schoch (profesor de danza moderna) y Lynda Moss (profesora de historia), contarán sobre nuestra aventura mexicana en la lengua inglesa. Yo por mi parte, lo haré en español. Espero que sigáis con entusiasmo nuestra aventura maya!!!!

Un saludo cordial,

Raquel

On the eve of our departure...

8/10/10
I have spent the day madly getting things together to be able to leave tomorrow morning at 4:15 am! We three are wonderfully excited about going and being there together. I know we will have lots to share.
As Diego said in his post, going to the Yucatan to visit these ancient sacred sites has been a dream of mine for a very long time. I was an Anthropology major as an undergraduate and studied Mesoamerica. One of my texts was Michael Coe's wonderful book, The Maya. It was the first edition of that text. Dr. Coe is a renowned expert on Mayan history. This book is probably the best source to gain a basic understanding of pre-Columbian Mayan history, culture, art and architecture. I read it in its entirety in 1967. It was then that I promised myself that I would get to the Yucatan to visit these magnificent sites. The book is now in the seventh edition. I bought it and read all of it, recalling my love for it the first time and being facinated by all of the new discoveries and new theories that now offer either different theories or deeper and more fully realized explanations of these amazing people and their culture. So, my dream is coming true. I an looking forward to sharing that experience with my students, colleagues, and friends. More soon! Lynda

... Oops, Important Imformation!

Perhaps I should have mentioned that the actual trip happens August 11 - August 20. The plan is to post entries, photos and perhaps some video during the trip. So much of what you will see prior to those trips, at least on my part, will be reflections, expectations, and maybe images and articles in preparation for the trip. Hasta luego!

To Begin: an introduction

I think for this, my, and our, first blog, it would be helpful to identify who we are beyond the limited space in the “About Me” section. And beyond that, to summarize the aims of our project, the criteria of the grant we have received as a team, and state why I think the Yucatan is good place to visit in the context of the Breathe Project.

First, as noted, the three of us are teachers at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) in three different disciplines.

Raquel is from Spain and teaches Spanish in the High School Academic Program at UNCSA. She has been interested in comparing language and culture in the Hispanic world and has previously visited Peru and Chile in her research. For this trip she wishes to investigate the Mayan culture and its linguistic influences on the Spanish language in Mexico as well as experience the arts, people, and culture of the Yucatan in order to enhance her and her classes. She plans to create a unit that examines how the Catholic Church and Spanish culture impacted the Maya.

Lynda has a varied background in anthropology, art, cultural studies, and education, and teaches World History in the High School Academic Program at UNCSA. Ever since studying the Maya in college, Lynda has long dreamt of visiting the Yucatan Peninsula and experiencing first hand its unique culture and a few of the archeological sites in the region. Lynda plans on creating a new unit on the rise, splendor, and fall of the Maya for her World History course and a new unit on indigenous cultures with the Maya as the principle case study for her World Cultural History course.

A Chicano from southern California, I (Diego) am a dancer and choreographer currently teaching Modern and Ballet Technique, Composition, and Dance Perspectives in the School of Dance at UNCSA. In recent years I have realized that my choreographic work exhibits Chicano themes and therefore I must identify myself as a Latino artist. I will explore these two ideas in greater detail in other entries. It is my plan and expectation that my research and short immersion in the culture of the Yucatan Peninsula will inform a new work I will be creating for the School of Dance’s 2011 Winter Dance concert as well as propel me on my present path of exploring my heritage.

“The Breathe Project of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts is a project that provides opportunities for creative renewal and professional development for the teaching faculty at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) through collaborative, multi-disciplinary summer intensive projects. The deliberate partnership of faculty participants from different arts and academic programs aims to develop new perspectives; question old assumptions; experience different artistic locales, contexts and culture; and integrate disciplines from multiple aesthetic viewpoints.”

In the context of the above quote from the website of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, why travel to the Yucatan? Beyond our individual reasons, what other reason might there be to go to this particular place? Here is a theory that will serve as one answer: due to its geographic location, the Yucatan has served as a terminus for various cultures coming and going from: the Gulf of Mexico; the Caribbean; Central and South America; Mexico and North America; the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. As such, this region exemplifies the core idea of the Breathe Project in that it is a place that has had to negotiate different perspectives. Throughout its history, the Yucatan has had to find a way to negotiate the art, music, language, food, history, and religion from a variety of cultures. At least, that's my theory. A pretty good place for three teachers from three different backgrounds and three different disciplines to collaborate and inform each other’s cultural and aesthetic viewpoints.

We hope that you follow our blog with interest. We will continue to post various entries that are of interest to us individually and as a group. Watch for them. Hasta luego!