2012 Deadly Awakening: Crackling story set in Mérida and Chichen Itza

December 12th, 2011 | By Joshua | No Comments »

I met writer Beryl Gorbman over a taco lunch in the Chichen Itza Salon in the conference center in Mérida, Mexico, and I admit, I was skeptical when she handed me a copy of her mystery novel, 2012 Deadly Awakening (Intelligent Life, 2010). I’d just completed a self-guided crash course on Maya studies, plowing through a pile of non-fiction books, most fairly fascinating, regarding 2012 and Maya time-keeping, but also fairly dry and dense. There are hundreds of such titles out there, but never had I seen a fictional treatment.

When I finally cracked open 2012 Deadly Awakening a few months later, I was drawn in and swept back to the Yucatan. “The scene in Merida is chaotic and tense,” reads the description. “People think that the world is about to end, as it is the end of the Maya long-count calendar. Other people think humanity will evolve to a higher form of consciousness. You wouldn’t think these are ideals people would kill to protect, but they do. Thousands of spiritual tourists have descended upon this once-peaceful city, creating chaos. People die, and die very badly.”

Enter a New York City detective (more…)

Second Reference to 12/21/2012 discovered in Mexico? Probably not, say scientists.

November 25th, 2011 | By Joshua | No Comments »

As always, when it comes to anything having to do with Maya 2012, your first assumption should always be “don’t believe the hype.” That seems to be true with the new story by Associated Press today, “Mexico acknowledges 2nd Mayan reference to 2012.” Until now, the only known direct reference to December 21, 2012 is a 1300-year-old inscription on Tortuguero Monument 6, found near Tabasco, Mexico. Headlines today are announcing a possible second reference to 2012 on an artifact known as the “Comalcalco Brick,” the sketch of which is pictured above. Interestingly, the mere mention of a second ancient reference to 2012 (which, by the way, is probably NOT even a reference to 2012), even one which says nothing about any event or prophecy, is still apparently a license for the media pull the A-word (“apocalypse”) back out of their pockets.

But Dr. Edwin Barnhart, Director of the Maya Exploration Center and a former student of Linda Schele, who assembled the team which broke the code of Maya hieroglyphics in 1973, has seen photos of the brick and told me in an email that he is “of the opinion that [the Comalcalco Brick] does not reference 2012, or at least there is not enough information to say. It would be like finding a broken tombstone that said December 21st and concluding that it was said December 21st, 1968.” (more…)

My Maya 2012 Travel Blog at Moon.com

November 23rd, 2011 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Yes, I’ve been double-blogging. It’s been a few months now. I’m posting puro Mundo Maya travel in the year 2012 so be sure to bookmark it if that’s your bag, baby. There will be nuggets and spin-offs from my books, and updates and announcements as I hear about special travel opportunities in the year 2012. I suspect I’ll be giving away some free stuff too. Some posts will be duplicated here, since there it is plenty of natural overlap between the Maya world and tranquilo travel, but most will be moon.com exclusives.

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Upbeat World Music CD takes kids to the Caribbean, Latin America, and South Africa

November 8th, 2011 | By Joshua | No Comments »

I am a complete sucker for pretty much everything produced by Putumayo Kids, the children’s and educational division of the renowned music label Putumayo World Music (for which I am an equally eager sucker). In addition to their new Kids World Party CD, Putumayo Kids has launched a collection of sticker and coloring books. I LOVE the Latin America book — it is oversized with an alluring travel scene on the cover and big, simple drawings of animals and cultural landscapes inside.

“That looks like the Banjo Billy bus,” said my four-year-old when she saw the cover. She was referring to the funky, decked-out tour bus that we often see lumbering around the streets of Boulder, Colorado.

“That’s called a ‘chicken bus,’” I explained, loving this sudden teachable opportunity the book had given me before I’d even opened it. (more…)

Interview in today’s Charlotte Observer: Foreign Correspondent page

October 23rd, 2011 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Thanks to John Bordsen, Travel Editor of the Charlotte Observer, for interviewing me in his foreign correspondent column this week: “Mayan sites worth the trip” has me rating ruins and discussing the Long Count, Tulum, and extra-terrestrials. Enjoy.

Uxmal Archaeological Site: A Maya Beauty in the Yucatan, Mexico

June 25th, 2011 | By Joshua | 2 Comments »

Uxmal is considered one of the most beautifully designed cities in the Maya world, located 70 miles west of Chichén Itzá (and only an hour’s drive from Mérida). Its name means “Built three times,” and it was indeed destroyed and rebuilt at least that many times. Rich soils in the region allowed for large populations to thrive at Uxmal, whose highest glory was in the Late Classic (a.d. 875-900) before the Toltec overran it around a.d. 1000. I got to visit one fine, hot morning in June, 2011. Here are some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tranquilo/sets/72157626921000751/

Merida, Mexico: New photos from the capital of the Yucatan

June 24th, 2011 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan, totally lived up to the hype I’d heard — namely, that it was such a lovely and remarkable colonial town. I had a chance to visit in June, 2011. Merida is not only a fun-loving city of over a million Yucatecans who love to eat and dance in the streets, it is also one of the best bases for exploring the Yucatan Peninsula’s Mundo Maya, with day trips galore to archeological sites, caves, and haciendas. Enjoy these shots.

Volunteer Opportunity! Alternative Breaks in Nicaragua and Mexico

April 21st, 2011 | By Joshua | No Comments »

One of the best volunteer programs out there: American Jewish World Service. I used to lead spring break trips for them. They write: “Attention 18 to 25-year-olds: Want to have a transformative travel experience to learn about social change in the developing world? Apply for AJWS’s May Alternative Break programs in Nicaragua and Mexico! Applications accepted on a rolling basis.” http://bit.ly/h1JKWh ”

2012 Book Focuses on the Living Maya’s Ancient Wisdom

March 8th, 2011 | By Joshua | 2 Comments »

The quantity of 2012 literature out there is mind-boggling. There are hundreds of books about the Maya calendar cycle ending on December 21, 2012, but few give a rational, researched, big picture of the 2012 phenomenon and its related aspects.

Fewer still focus on the eight million living Maya and how they look at 2012, and are written by such a respected and experienced author as Robert Sitler, PhD, a professor and Director of the Latin American Studies Program at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.

Sitler began his career studying Maya culture 40 years ago while traveling in the rainforests and ruins of Chiapas, Mexico. He continues to draw lessons from his decades among the Maya, and his latest book, The Living Maya: Ancient Wisdom in the Era of 2012 (North Atlantic Books, 2010) is a fine example of how he does this—and also a refreshingly grounded approach to the history and implications of 2012. For these reasons, if you haven’t read anything about this subject, The Living Maya is a great place to start, especially for anyone planning a trip to any of the Mundo Maya countries: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, or Honduras.

The book begins with the Yukatek Maya greeting, “Bix a bel?” which means, “How is your road?” And that’s right where the author puts us—in the vivid landscapes of the Guatemalan highlands and southern Mexican villages, traveling through misty, surreal scenery and interacting with modern-day Mayans of all types. (more…)

Día de los Muertos: What I’ve learned about Day of the Dead (so far)

October 28th, 2008 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

This afternoon, a colleague of mine described Día de los Muertos as “the only time during the year when the veil that separates our world from the next is lifted.”

We were sitting in a classroom, surrounded by maps of Spanish-speaking regions, paintings, books, masks, and icons. Don Claudio was rushing home to prepare the dough for tomorrow’s pan de muerto. But first, he explained to me how Mexican families visit with the souls of their parents, friends, and children who have passed on. They cook meals for them, like mole, but make it extra strong; during the night, while the families sit by candlelight in the graveyards, the deceased imbibe the essence of the food left on the altars, which the family then eats the next day (though by then it is insipid).

I also heard from Rough Guide and Footprint author Richard Arghiris, who is traveling across Mexico to research his next book. When I told don Ricardo that I was looking for details to share with my students, he reported, “I had a wander around the zócalo today and they’ve set up the most amazing altars. The place is completely overrun with skeletons. (more…)