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

Lanquin and Candelaria Caves: Guatemala Underground

Caves aren't usually among the first things that come to mind when you think of Guatemala. This intriguing Central American country is more famous for its colorful Maya handicrafts, handsome Spanish colonial towns, and mysterious pre-Hispanic ruins. However, northern Guatemala is dotted with limestone caverns that are sacred places for the contemporary Maya, whose ancestors saw caves as entrances to Xibalba, a mythical underworld populated by the Lords of Death and their assistants.

Two of the best known series of caves are Lanquin Caves and Candelaria Caves in the department of Alta Verapaz, a mountainous region still covered in patches of primary cloud forest. The Lanquin Caves are located about 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of the city of Cobán. For most of the way, the road to Lanquin is paved. However, the last part of the drive descends into a deep valley via a precipitous dirt road that could easily have been built by the Lords of Death.



A fast-flowing, emerald green river flows by the mouth of the cave's main entrance, whose small size belies the labyrinth that awaits within. Dimly lit and very slippery walkways wind  through endless dank chambers filled with stalactites and other eerie formations, many of which have been given fanciful names by the locals. Lanquin is not a place for the claustrophobic, and it is not spectacular as caves go. But it does give visitors a good introduction to Guatemala's underground world.

Much more dramatic are the Candelaria Caves, which lie about two hours north of Cobán near the town of Chisec. Candelaria's main cavern is almost 60 metres (200 feet) high and 200 metres (650 feet) long, and it is illuminated by natural light streaming through soaring fissures draped with greenery. There is a cathedral-like feeling of peace and magic here. It's no wonder that the Maya continue to revere this cave and use it for religious rituals.

The Lanquin Caves are open daily from 8am until 5pm. Admission for adults is 30 Guatemalan Quetzales (about US$3.75).

Grutas de Candelaria (Candelaria Caves) are located in a national park by the same name. The Candelaria complex is administered by local Q'eqchi Maya groups as part of an ecotourism project. Knowledgeable Maya guides take visitors on tours of the caves and on tubing trips (floating on rubber inner tubes) along the Candelaria River, which flows through the caverns. In addition, there is a rustic ecolodge that also functions as a hotel school.

Below is a slide-show with some of my photos from a recent trip to Alta Verapaz. Move the cursor over the screen to view captions. Click on individual images for information about ordering prints or leasing photos for personal, editorial, or commercial use.


Alta Verapaz, Guatemala - Images by John Mitchell

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.

Move the cursor over the screen of the slide-show below to read captions. Click on individual images to see larger versions and for information about ordering prints or leasing photos for personal, editorial, or commercial use.


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.

Saving Cerro de San Pedro in San Luis Potosi, Mexico

It’s obvious that Marcos Rangel Mendoza loves the place where he was born. This unassuming, middle-aged man becomes passionate when he talks about the history of Cerro de San Pedro, an old mining town clinging to a rocky hillside in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí.

Señor Mendoza explains that the Spanish founded Cerro de San Pedro in 1592 after they discovered gold and silver in the area. The conquistadors established a royal mine in the nearby mountains, and Cerro de San Pedro flourished until severe water shortages forced most of the town’s population to move to the present site of the city of San Luis Potosí. As a result, Cerro de San Pedro became a virtual ghost town.

Today, Cerro de San Pedro is home to about 100 people. Many of them cater to a trickle of tourists who make the 20 km (13 mile) trip from San Luis Potosí in order to wander San Pedro’s deserted streets and soak up its colonial ambiance. There are also two 17th-century churches to explore plus a museum displaying historical photographs, antique mining paraphernalia, and work by local artists. The town’s other main attraction is a small store owned by Señor Mendoza. Named “El Huachichil” after the local indigenous people, this cave-like shop is crammed with handicrafts, photographs, minerals, and mining souvenirs.

On the surface, Cerro de San Pedro appears to be an idyllic spot. But all is not what it seems. High above the town looms a huge “open-sky” gold mine owned by a Canadian company called Metallica Resources and its Mexican subsidiary Minera San Xavier. This rapacious open pit mining operation is threatening to destroy Cerro de San Pedro and poison its inhabitants.

While we stand and chat in front of his store, Señor Mendoza points to ominous cracks in nearby walls, which he claims are being damaged by daily dynamite explosions in the mine. He also shows me nasty sores on his arm that he says he got from bathing in water contaminated by chemicals from the mine. Señor Mendoza’s greatest fear is that his hometown’s fragile buildings will totally collapse if the mine isn’t closed.

Señor Mendoza belongs to an organization that has been fighting Minera San Xavier and corrupt government officials for over a decade, but little has been accomplished. He now realizes that Cerro de San Pedro’s last chance for survival may be tourism. Increasing the number of foreign visitors will hopefully bring more awareness of the town’s historical significance, especially since neighboring San Luis Potosí, which was once one of the most important cities in New Spain, is being considered for inclusion in UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List.

GETTING THERE: Cerro de San Pedro is about a 30-minute drive from San Luis Potosí on good, mostly gravel roads. There is also a public bus that leaves on Saturday and Sundays at 9:00 A.M. from the Temple San José church on the Alameda Park in San Luis Potosí. This same bus makes the return journey at 6:00 P.M. Cerro de San Pedro has a few basic eateries that are open on weekends only. There are currently no places to stay in Cerro de San Pedro, but it is possible to set up a tent and camp. For more information, visit the San Luis Potosí Secretariat of Tourism website.

Move the cursor over the slide-show below to view captions. Click on images to see information about ordering prints or downloading images for personal, editorial, or commercial use.


Cerro San Pedro, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Coffee Ecotourism in Nicaragua

Coffee growing and ecotourism seem an unlikely brew, but this is just what two innovative fincas in the highlands of Nicaragua are experimenting with. On a recent visit to Finca Esperanza Verde (which means "Green Hope Farm") and Selva Negra, both situated in misty cloud forest near the city of Matagalpa, I was able to experience firsthand how coffee production can be complemented by sustainable tourism.



These two plantations offer comfortable eco-friendly lodging, home-grown organic food along with birdwatching, hiking, and numerous other outdoor activities. Guests can learn about where their morning cup of organic, shade-grown coffee comes from. They also get to see solar power, waste recycling, and other green technologies at work. Both these fincas have been certified by the Rainforest Alliance, an organization dedicated to conserving biodiversity and building sustainable livelihoods for local people.

The Lodge at Pico Bonito in Honduras

On my recent trip to Honduras, I was fortunate enough to stay at the The Lodge at Pico Bonito located in the buffer zone of the Parque Nacional Pico Bonito, the largest National Park in Honduras. This luxurious ecolodge opened in 2000 and is now considered to be one of the finest in the world. The lodge’s mission is not only to give its guests a comfortable base for exploring Pico Bonito but also to protect the region’s flora and fauna. Presided over by 8000-foot-high Pico Bonito, the park covers over 264,000 acres of unspoiled tropical jungle and cloud forest that is home to more than 325 species of birds as well as peccaries, tapirs, jaguars, and many other rare and threatened animals.



Highlight of my stay was an early morning bird walk, where we spotted an assortment of exotic birds, including parrots and toucans, followed by a tour of the lodge’s extensive grounds with a local guide. Trails winding through orange and cacao groves took us to a butterfly farm where butterflies are bred and then exported to collectors around the globe. We then spent time in the adjacent Butterfly House, a spacious netted enclosure filled with fluttering butterflies. Next stop was the Serpentarium, which houses a variety snakes – both harmless and venomous – found in Honduras. We also visited an organic vegetable garden that supplies fresh produce for the lodge’s gourmet restaurant. Our excursion ended with a blissful swim in a crystal-clear mountain stream only a short hike away.

For more information about The Lodge at Pico Bonito, call toll free 1-888-428-0221 or visit their Website.

Macaw Mountain Bird Park near Copan, Honduras (Updated January 2011)

One of the most inspiring places that I visited during my recent trip to Honduras was the Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Nature Reserve located on the outskirts of Copan Ruinas, not far from the famous Maya ruins of Copan. This forested reserve is home to 110 exotic Honduran birds, including macaws, parrots, and toucans that have been rescued from captivity. A true labour of love, the bird park was created by American biologist and businessman Lloyd Davidson. He operated a bird park on the island of Roatan for over four years before purchasing a ten-acre patch of old growth forest near Copan Ruinas. After two and a half years of planning and building, Davidson and his business partner chartered a plane and moved the birds to their new home in 2003.



In addition to large flight aviaries with ample space for the colourful birds to fly around in, the park has nature trails, elevated platforms for viewing wild birds, and open encounter areas where visitors can interact with uncaged macaws and parrots. The park’s gift shop carries souvenirs and packages of “bird friendly” coffee from Finca Miramundo, a highland coffee farm partly owned by Davidson. Proceeds from the shop go towards the reserve’s upkeep.

The Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Nature Reserve is located about 2.5 km north of Copan Ruinas, a short taxi ride from the main square. The bird park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is US$10, which includes a tour with an English-speaking guide. The entrance ticket is good for three days.

2011 UPDATE

Lloyd Davidson, the owner of the Macaw Mountain Bird Park, told me on a visit in October 2010 that he now has between 160-170 birds and is no longer emphasizing breeding. Rather he is organizing moves to release more endangered Scarlet Macaws (the national bird of Honduras) into the Copan Valley. He will also be working with the World Parrot Trust on a ten-year plan to repopulate the wild with Scarlet Macaws, whose populations are seriously low due mainly to habitat destruction and illegal poaching of chicks for the tropical bird pet trade.

La Venta Park's Colossal Olmec Heads, Villahermosa, Mexico

Not long ago, I had the opportunity to visit Parque-Museo la Venta, a one-of-a-kind outdoor archaeology museum and ecological park in Villahermosa, steamy capital of the the Mexican state of Tabasco. La Venta Park-Museum is home to a fascinating collection of pre-Hispanic stone sculptures rescued from the ancient Olmec city of La Venta located about 130 kilometers (80 miles) northwest of Villahermosa.

In 1957, oil exploration threatened to destroy much of La Venta. A Tabascan poet and preservationist named Carlos Pellicer took it upon himself to truck most of La Venta’s irreplaceable treasures to Villahermosa. Pellicer arranged the sculptures in roughly the same order in which they were found at La Venta and surrounded them with indigenous flora and fauna.

La Venta Park’s star attractions are four colossal Olmec heads, the largest of which is 2.4 meters (8 feet) tall and weighs about 24 tons. Seated like Buddhas atop rocky mounds, these enigmatic heads stare impassively into space with their large almond-shaped eyes. Despite all manner of theories, no one knows whom exactly these mysterious carvings represent. Also a mystery is how the Olmecs transported enormous pieces of basalt needed to make these sculptures from the distant Tuxtla Mountains.

The entrance to the Parque-Museo La Venta is on Avenida Ruiz Cortines, a few minutes by taxi from downtown Villahermosa. Admission is 30 pesos (about US$3.00) and the park is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily. You can buy a map at the entrance and take a self-guided tour or hire a guide. Bring plenty of mosquito repellent and wear light-coloured clothing because dark colours attract mosquitoes.

Move the cursor over the screen of the slide-show below to view captions. Click on individual images to see larger versions and for information on ordering prints or leasing images for personal or editorial (commercial) use.


La Venta Park Museum, Tabasco - Images by John Mitchell