Barrhead Travel Destination of the Week: Mayan Mexico

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A question often heard in Mexico and Central America is, “Whatever happened to the Mayans?” They are surely one of the most hyped-up of all the ancient civilisations, with Mel Gibson’s 2006 film Apocalypto stoking the myth that the Mayans were a bloodthirsty race. What is for sure is that the highly advanced Mayan civilisation went into sudden decline around 1200 AD, when great stone cities such as Chichen Itza and Uxmal were abandoned.

But the Mayans didn’t simply disappear (or fly off to the moon as some fantasists believe). They melted away into the jungle, and you can meet their descendants today all over the region including the Yucatan peninsula in the south-east of Mexico. This is where Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Tulum (near the major resort of Cancun) and other lesser known Mayan sites are located, and many more are believed to be still covered by dense jungle. While these sites are the focal points of a Yucatan tour, there’s much else to see – and opportunities to meet modern-day Mayans.

Many still live in traditional thatched huts with earthen floors, sleeping in hammocks just like hundreds of years ago. Don Antonio, is a little old man who shows visitors around a traditional hut at Sotuta de Peon, a hacienda (country estate) an hour’s drive from the Yucatan state capital, Merida. Don Antonio spent his working life cultivating sisal, a spiky plant used in basket and carpet manufacture until man-made fibres replaced it. Sisal was a lucrative trade, and you can see the 19th-century luxury home of the estate owners before touring the fields in a horse-drawn tram. He is cheerful and down-to-earth, and says (in Mayan) that he still lives in a hut, cooking simple corn-based meals in a stone pot.

Many visitors are keen to make a spiritual connection with the Mayans, and this has created a new industry of Mayan-themed spas. You can also seek refuge from the tropical heat and swim in underground lakes called cenotes, which ancient Mayans believed were the gateway to the underworld. Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Tulum are now major tourist attractions, with Uxmal running a cheesy sound-and-light show and Chichen Itza being so popular you can no longer climb the pyramid. But you still marvel at the mathematical precision with which the pyramid was built, without use of the wheel or metal tools. Much is still being excavated, and a new area opens to visitors this year.

Ek Balam (Black Jaguar in Mayan), roughly halfway between Merida and Cancun, is a relatively unknown ancient city excavated as recently as 1987. Here you can still scramble up the pyramid to admire the intricate carvings, and many of the mounds in the jungle surrounding you are believed to hide pyramids as impressive as this one. Alfonso Morales, an expert archaeologist working for ground handler Catherwood Travels, offers private and group tours of the Mayan world. He cheerfully debunks some of the myths that have grown up around the Mayans, such as their love for chopping people’s heads off. No headless skeletons have been found. Alfonso also reveals that he has to employ guards to watch the guards who mind the excavations, such is the lure for bounty hunters.

Another place to meet the Mayans is the old town of Izamal (Mist from Heaven in Mayan), where all the buildings in the centre are a deep shade of yellow. It has a pyramid, and you can watch traditional jewellery makers at work. Fortunately the Mayans are still going strong, but get off the beaten track to discover them properly.

Set off on your Mayan adventure today by contacting Barrhead Travel. Call one of our friendly consultants on 0871 226 2673 or visit www.barrheadtravel.co.uk