Mundo Maya 2012 Celebrations

The ancient Maya viewed time as cyclical, and on December 21, 2012, the Maya Long Count calendar will reset itself to zero like a cosmic odometer, thus completing a cycle of 5,125 years. This portentous date may or may not herald a new age of enlightenment for mankind or signal the end of the world as various self-proclaimed prophets and doomsayers predict. But one thing is certain: there are going to be celebrations of all things Maya held throughout 2012 in the region known as the Mundo Maya.

To help travelers plan for these diverse events, Avalon Travel has just released MOON MAYA 2012: A Guide to Celebrations in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize & Honduras. The guide's author Joshua Berman manages to pack an impressive amount of information into this slim volume's 115 pages. There are chapters devoted to all four countries comprising the Mundo Maya. Included are descriptions of Maya archaeological sites, maps and directions, plus sections on 2012 tours, community tourism, and hotel packages. Each of these chapters begins with a first-person narrative -- something seldom found in today's guidebooks -- based on Joshua Berman's extensive travels in the region.

Sprinkled throughout the guide are interviews with archaeologists, authors, and other experts on the Maya. A concluding chapter supplies background on history and the Maya Long Count, as well as lists of relevant books, websites and films. There are even glossaries of words and common expressions in Yucatec and Tzotzil, two of the most widely spoken Maya languages. In short, this innovative and useful guide belongs in the backpack of anyone heading off to experience the Mundo Maya in 2012.

Also check out my post on Ten Places to visit in the Mundo Maya Before December 2012

Lancetilla Botanical Garden: Honduras' Green Treasure

On a recent trip to Central America, I had the opportunity to visit the Lancetilla Botanical Garden on the verdant Caribbean coast of Honduras. This 1680-hectare (4151-acre) green space and research center harbors over 1200 plant species and is said to be the second largest tropical botanical garden in the world.

Lancetilla, which gets its name from a palm tree native to Honduras, was established in 1926 by American botanist Doctor William Popenoe and his wife Dorothy. An employee of the United Fruit Company, William Popenoe set out to create experimental plantations for the study of economically important fruits and other plants. His garden has grown from modest beginnings to include species from tropical regions around the globe.

At the heart of Lancetilla lies the Biotic Reserve with 1281 hectares of protected Honduran primary and secondary humid forest. There are also 322 hectares of experimental plantations, plus the Wilson Popenoe Arboretum, which conserves tropical species from four continents. In addition, Lancetilla is home to many species of animals, including troops of endangered howler, spider, and white-faced capuchin monkeys. Some 250 species of birds have been spotted in the garden.

Our Honduran guide Salvador led our small group through the park-like Arboretum, the garden's most-visited area. On either side of meandering natural stone paths grew plants of all kinds, each identified with a sign giving both its scientific and Spanish names.



Along the way, Salvador pointed out medicinal, ornamental, and even poisonous species such as strychnine. We stopped to examine the infamous coca plant from which cocaine is made, plus we admired several national trees of Central American countries, including a giant Guanacaste tree from Costa Rica and the Honduras Pine. Salvador made sure to show us an ackee tree, the fruit of which is poisonous if improperly prepared. This tree is infamous at Lancetilla because Dorothy Popenoe, whose grave is in the garden, died in 1932 after eating an unripe ackee fruit.

Lancetilla Garden has a Visitors Center housing plant-related exhibits (signage in Spanish only) and a cafeteria. The center sells a trail map of the garden for 10 Lempiras (about US$0.50). Admission to the garden is 115 Lempiras (about US$6.00) and opening hours are 7am to 4pm daily. Guide services are available as well as birding tours. Air-conditioned cabins can be rented for overnight stays. Bring mosquito repellent, bottled water, and protection from the sun. Lancetilla Botanical Garden and Research Center is located about 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) southwest of the beach resort town of Tela.

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Lancetilla Botanical Garden, Honduras - Images by John Mitchell

Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Population at All-Time Low

According to a census taken by World Wildlife Fund - Mexico, the number of monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico has fallen to the lowest on record.



Every autumn, tens of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from as far away as eastern Canada to the states of Mexico and Michoacan. Here, they hibernate in the mountainous terrain, coating the oyamel fir trees in brilliant orange blankets. When air temperatures warm in the spring, they begin their long journey back to their northern breeding grounds.

The recent drop in the number of monarch butterflies over-wintering in Mexico is being blamed mainly on drought plus abnormally high and low temperatures in parts of North America where the monarchs reproduce. Also, the insects' Mexican habitat continues to be illegally deforested in order to harvest valuable timber and clear land for agriculture.

Although scientists say that the monarch butterflies are not in danger of extinction, they think that their declining numbers may threaten the annual migration to Mexico.

Mexico has four monarch butterfly sanctuaries in Michoacan and the Estado de Mexico. They were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 and now comprise the 56,259 hectare (about 139,00 acres) Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.



For tourist information on Mexico's monarch butterfly sanctuaries, visit the WWF- Mexico website.

Reforesting Chichen Itza

It appears that even the ancient Maya ruins at Chichen Itza are feeling the effects of global warming. The heating of the Earth’s atmosphere has reportedly changed the rain patterns and lengthened the dry season at Chichen Itza. Resulting drought, along with lightning storms and hurricanes, has taken a heavy toll on the sprawling archaeological site’s trees and other natural vegetation.

In response to this loss of greenery, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology (INAH) has reforested vulnerable areas of Chichen Itza with 3000 trees indigenous to the Yucatan. Included among the species are mahogany, cedar, flamboyant, plus other trees and bushes traditionally used by the Maya for food, construction, and the making of handicrafts. An additional 1000 trees will be planted in 2010, and seeds are being conserved to eventually stock greenhouses with saplings. Grass in heavily trafficked areas of Chichen Itza is also being regenerated.

Mexico City Goes Green

Mexico City doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being a pedestrian or bicycle-friendly city. In fact, most of the time, crossing the teeming boulevards of La Capital makes me feel like a lone matador being charged by a herd of enraged, snorting bulls. Consequently, I was amazed one recent Sunday morning to find the eight-lane Paseo de la Reforma completely closed to traffic and awash in a sea of happy bicyclists, rollerbladers, walkers, and joggers.

Every Sunday from 9am until 2pm, the city now bans motorized vehicles on the Paseo de La Reforma, one of Mexico City’s busiest arteries, and on several streets in the Centro Historico (Historical Center). This allows cyclists to go all the way from Chapultepec Park to the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main square. On the third Sunday of every month, more streets are closed to create a 30 km circuit (19 miles) called the Cicloton. The city rents bikes and hands them out free to people, so it’s no surprise that these outings attract thousands of participants. I saw pedalers of all ages, including entire families and even punk rockers whizzing down the usually traffic-clogged Paseo de la Reforma.

This project is part of an ongoing plan to make Mexico City’s transportation infrastructure greener and more sustainable. Bicycles are now allowed on the Metro (subway) and on the new Metrobus system that traverses the city along Avenida Insurgentes. Other initiatives include increased parking for bicycles and the establishment of additional centers where people can borrow bikes.

On my visit, I was also heartened to see leaf-green, environmentally friendly pedicabs gliding through the smoggy downtown streets. These new hybrid taxis, powered by both leg power and electric motors, take sightseers and regular passengers along predetermined routes in the city center. Kudos to Mexico City for improving the livability of one of the world’s largest and most polluted metropolises, and for setting an example for the rest of the planet to follow.

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Mexico City Goes Green - Images by John Mitchell