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
Record-Breaking 9-ton Chocolate Sculpture of...Chichén Itzá!
Yep, Chef Francois Mellet used over nine tons (18,239 pounds) of chocolate to break the world record—he sculpted a scale model of the Kulkulcan Temple, the main pyramid at Chichén Itzá archaeological site in Yucatan, Mexico. By doing so, he defeated the old Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Chocolate Sculpture, set in 2010. The sculpture is accurate, with the exact number of steps, and at 10 by 10 feet, is exactly 1/30 to scale of the real thing. So for those of you unable to travel to the Yucatan this year, Chef Mellet's creation will be on display in Irvine, California, at the Qzina Institute of Chocolate & Pastry until December, 2012. more >>
Speaking at Travel Writer Conference in Riviera Maya, Mexico
Last weekend, I spoke to the Society of American Travel Writers Freelance Council in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, as part of the professional development portion of the meeting. It was an honor to speak to such an experienced, savvy group of travel writers, right in the heart of the Mundo Maya -- I shared a few "how to" tips for writing about the region (style: "Maya" vs. "Mayan," how Mexico Tourism prefers the phrase "archaeological site" to "ruins", etc.); I also discussed the travel writing industry as a whole, specifically the sub-markets where writers can still make money. more >>
Visiting Rio Secreto Cenote in Quintana Roo, Riviera Maya, Mexico
The first thing you notice as you descend beneath the jungle floor is the clarity of the water. Our headlights pierce straight through the underground river to the calcite bottom, at the same time that they illuminate a million stalactites and stalagmites (I finally learned how to distinguish these words - stalagmites has a "g" for ground, so they are the ones that grow upwards). The Rio Secreto Nature Reserve is only a few minutes drive south of Playa del Carmen and is a popular half-day tour. more >>
"Visiting the Mundo Maya" on June 2, 2012, episode of "Travel with Rick Steves"
My interview with Rick Steves about "Visiting the Mundo Maya" on the June 2, 2012 episode of Travel with Rick Steves. It is program number 288 and is available here. "Get tips for visiting evocative pre-Columbian sites. Learn how you can be a houseguest of today's Maya, too. Plus, Rick joins a guide from Prague for a walking tour of the charmingly preserved 'Golden City of 500 Spires,' where sightseeing is fueled by some of Europe's best beer."
Beginning on June 3, 2012, the show will also be available to download any time. Please enjoy, and let me know what you think about traveling in the Mundo Maya! more >>
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