Mundo Maya Blog
About this blog
Travelers to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras in 2012 can expect a yearlong celebration of Maya culture, past and present—and Moon Maya 2012 author Joshua Berman is blogging about all of it.
Recent Posts
- Maya 2012: A Round-up of Celebrations in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize & Honduras
- Reporting for National Geographic on Maya winter solstice in Belize
- Maya calendar cycle celebrated throughout Central America
- Feliz B'aktun! The New Dawn is Here: The First Sunrise in Caracol, Belize
- Maya Calendar 101: What Does “December 21, 2012” Really Mean?
- Gifts for Mayaphiles
- Books on the Maya: Suggested Reading for 2012
- Izapa Sunrise Story by Mary Jo McConahay
- Tranquilo Radio Tour 2012: Seven hours straight of talking about travel
- Tune in this Wednesday! Maya 2012 author Josh Berman on a radio show near you!
- End Maya-Aztec calendar confusion now!
- Q&A with Maya Experts on Satellite Imagery of Archaeological Sites
- Maya response to 'doomsday' 2012 stories
- Only a couple of rooms left for "The Great Return: Copan 2012" tour of a lifetime!
- 5 Questions about Traveling in the Mundo Maya for Rafael Garcia
Maya Calendar 101: What Does “December 21, 2012” Really Mean?
The hour is upon us. This Friday at the stroke of solstice (4:12 a.m. Mountain Standard Time), the Maya Long Count calendar will “click over” to read “13.0.0.0.0,” read as, “thirteen b’aktun” — for the first time in 5,125 years.
The event has captured the world’s curiosity and imagination and this week, all eyes are pointed toward Mesoamerica: southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. So much attention being showered on the Maya people and their unique history, cosmology, and culture, presents a wonderful opportunity to ask a few questions.
What is “13 b’aktun”? more >>
Gifts for Mayaphiles
Wondering what to get that friend of yours who loves traveling in the Mundo Maya? Besides, of course, a couple of plane tickets and a copy of my book, Moon Maya 2012: A Guide to Celebrations in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize & Honduras.
If they're a reader, you can start with one of these suggested books by the world's top Mayanists, perhaps accompanied by a Maya-inspired Mayalma soul bracelet from the Yucatan (pictured above, part of proceeds go to benefit children in a village near Coba). more >>
Books on the Maya: Suggested Reading for 2012
From the moment foreign adventurers encountered the “lost” cities of the ancient Maya, there have been many wonderful, worthy books written about the region and its people — both ancient and living. 2012 opens up an entirely new subgenre of Maya-related books. Here are a few of my favorites to get anyone started with a diverse variety of informed perspectives on the subject: more >>
Izapa Sunrise Story by Mary Jo McConahay
Veteran journalist Mary Jo McConahay, the author of Maya Roads, One Woman's Journey Among the People of the Rainforest (Chicago Review Press), has published a narrative on gadling.com (one of the best travel blogs ever) entitled "Sunrise At Izapa, Mexico: The Place Where Time Began." The reference is to the unique structure alignment of the temples at Izapa archaeological zone, in southwestern Mexico. The site is the focus of John Major Jenkins' galactic alignment theory, and considered by some to be the birthplace (or one of several pre-Classic birthplaces) of the Long Count Calendar, which is ending in a few short days. more >>
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