Before this trip, in my total ignorance, I thought that the Mayans were an ancient civilisation who had completely disappeared in a pretty mysterious circumstances. Turns out, their descendants are still very much around and are supported by the local Mexican government. We had the absolute privilege of visiting a local family's compound and cooking with them. It was a wonderful, enlightening experience.
One of the best parts of the trip was our tour guide.
There was nothing that he did not know and he was so enthusiastic about answering any questions. It was wonderful to see his heart for the Mayan people and hearing some of his own incredible story.
His father had worked for National Geographic and as a teenager he begged to accompany his father on one of his trips. They both headed into the Mexican jungle to stay with a Mayan community for a couple of weeks. When our tour guide saw the treatment of the Mayan people and got to know them, he fell in love with their way of life and begged his father to let him stay behind for a couple of months to begin to learn the language. A couple of months turned into eight years living in the jungle. He is fluent in the languages of the Mayan people and has such an evidently close bond with them.
To begin our trip we floated down the river in life jacket 'nappies'. It was super relaxing until a storm rolled in and we got trapped running into the jungle on slippery wooden planks (!).
Next, we went to visit the local ruins. Not quite as dramatic as Tulum but our tour guide made it so interesting and it was great to pick his knowledge about the demise of the great Mayan civilisation.
After visiting the ruins, it was time to visit the lovely Mayan people themselves. We were asked to bring with us small gifts of rice as a thank you gift for letting us into their home. I believe that they are also given a financial contribution from the cost of the trip, with the rest of the profit being donated to local schemes that support the Mayan communities.
Walking into the village, it was a very similar set up to some of the villages I stayed in in South Africa; simple mud buildings arranged in a family compound. This particular family compound consisted of the patriarch, his two sons and their families. His daughter and his family lived on the adjoining plot.
The village had a number of sleeping huts, a church hut (which the local compounds also come to - our host was a big deal in the local community) and cooking huts.
Children are educated at the local Mayan school but we were pleased to see them on our visit. They were so cute and welcoming and so eager to show Steve their home :)
The local women weave traditional blankets and hammocks to fund their lifestyle. I begged Steve to let me sneak home a hammock chair for our garden but alas no joy! Swinging in the hammock chair in our rainy English garden probably wouldn't have the same effect anyway.
The grandmother of the family making traditional tortillas. The maize ferments for a day before they are pounded into the flour to make tortillas. They are then cooked on hot plates to become the freshest tortillas on the planet. SO yummy still warm with freshly chopped guacamole.
This was the church hut, decorated with christmas trees (even though it was August!). Catholicism is the main religious expression amongst this group of Mayan people, although this is mixed in with a dose of traditional ancestral worship in some cases. I loved how precious this hut was and how tangible the spirit was here in this community's sacred place.
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