Indigenous Theater in Ticopó, Yucatan, Mexico

One of the most rewarding things that I did on my latest trip to the Yucatan was attend the Teatro Indígena in the small village of Ticopó near the colonial city of Mérida. While the Yucatan’s spectacular ruined cities such as Chichén Itzá and Uxmal offer glimpses of the ancient Maya world, the Indigenous Theater shows what life is like today in Maya communities. This weekly presentation takes place in a natural outdoor setting made to look like a typical Maya village and involves 470 people ranging in age from four to over 90 years old. More than simply acting, the performance is an invitation to take part in the daily life of the Maya. The participants, all of whom come from surrounding villages, combine humor, play, religious rituals, and traditional dances to produce a moving tribute to a people who have endured on the Yucatan Peninsula for over 2,600 years.

The Teatro Indigena (Indigenous Theater) is in the village of Ticopó at Kilometer 21 on the Mérida-Cancun highway. Shows are given every Saturday at 5 p.m. (4 p.m. in the winter). Admission is about US$10.00 (120 pesos) at the box office. Handicrafts and traditional Maya snacks are sold at stands lining the path to the theater area.

Ek Balam and its Maya Angels, Yucatan, Mexico

Anyone with a passion for offbeat Maya archaeological sites should not miss Ek Balam on Mexico's Yucatán peninsula. Located just 30 kilometeres (19 miles) north of the colonial city of Valladolid. Ek Balam, which apparently means "Black Jaguar," was not surveyed until 1994 and is still being excavated. An ancient Maya road or sacbé (sack-bay) leads through tropical forest to Ek Balam's stone temples, ceremonial platforms, and compact plazas. Unlike nearby Chichén Itzá, which gets mobbed by tour groups, Ek Balam sees relatively few visitors. Tangled vegetation still covers many of Ek Balam's partially restored structures, giving an idea of what abandoned Maya cities must have looked like when early explorers first stumbled upon them.



A low stone wall surrounds Ek Balam, and an unusual kiosk with four arched doorways guards the city's main entrance. About two-thirds of the way up a 32-metre-high (105 feet) structure known as the Acropolis, archaeologists recently uncovered the tomb of Ukit Kan Lek Tok, one of Ek Balam's rulers. Menacing fangs of a huge earth monster ring the tomb's door, which is flanked by a wall covered in intricate carvings and Maya glyphs. A headless figure seated above the door is thought to be Ukit Kan Lek Tok himself. But truly remarkable are large statues of what appear to be winged warriors. Reminiscent of Christian angels, these unique sculptures predate the arrival of Spanish missionaries by hundreds of years, but you can't help wondering if the ancient Maya didn't have inkling of what was to come.



The Ek Balam archaeological zone is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. Admission is about US$2 (22 pesos).

Muros Cultural Center, Cuernavaca, Mexico

It's always refreshing to hear a "corporate good guys" story like the one I came across during my latest stay in Cuernavaca, Mexico. While there, I had a chance to visit the new Muros Cultural Center which stands on property owned by the local Costco and another company called Comercial Mexicana. These two giant corporations joined together to buy an abandoned old casino and hotel, the Casino de la Selva, built in the early 1930's. They tore down the dilapidated complex in 2001 and replaced it with the Muros building, which is now home to the Natasha Gelman Collection of Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art.



Inside the hotel were some spectacular murals depicting Mexico's history from pre-Hispanic times to the mid 20th-century. The damaged paintings were stripped from the walls using an Italian method called strappo and then reapplied to the ceiling of the new Hall of Murals in the Muros building, where they are currently being restored. On display on the center's upper floor are paintings by the likes of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Rufino Tamyao. There are also prints by well-known Mexican photographers such as Manuel Alvarez Bravo and Tina Modotti. Avant-garde installations plus other works by contemporary Mexican artists occupy the main floor. In all, there are over 300 works of art in the collection, and it continues to grow.