BootsnAll Travel Network
Add this blog to: MyYahoo, Google, Bloglines, RSS


Articles Tagged ‘North America’

More articles about ‘North America’
« Home

In Which Sarah and Megan Watch Footage of a Placenta Being Burried

Thursday, October 26th, 2006

Megan Discusses the Morning
We just made it back to our hostel, hustling, as a gigantic rainstorm rolled in from the hills. Sarah has a sixth sense about these things — I wanted to press on.

Today was filled with activity. We started off at Museo Na Bolom, the former home of a couple of anthropologists who worked extensively with the Lacadonians from the 1950s til today. Trusting in our guidebook one more time (even though it has so often led us astray) we arrived at 11 for a tour only to find that the tour only happened at 4:30 or if you had 4 or more people. So, we wandered aimlessly for half an hour trying to decipher the exhibits, cursing Lonely Planet, until we spotted a charming restaurant located within the hacienda walls. For less than 5 American dollars, we got fruit, orange juice, coffee, homemade bread, and the best huevos I´ve had in México. We even spotted a hummingbird.

Sarah Discusses the Afternoon
Sated and content, we wandered further north, past the municipal market, towards the Museum of Mayan Medicine, which, if I do say so myself, was totally awesome. It was run by an NGO whose mission is the preserve and promote Mayan medicinal practices. The museum is a series of six life-size dioramas of different healing practices, and your last stop is a video about how Mayan women give birth, on their knees embraced by the father of the child. I didn´t understand a word of the video, but there was a lot to see just looking at the footage: labor, newborns covered in blood and goo, and a placenta. Good times. Anyway, I´d recommend this museum to anyone who´s in San Cristobal de las Casas, definitely a must see.

While we were there we ran into our first true American travellers (I´m not counting the young man who we met upon our arrival to San Cristobal who is in Mexico to play for a pro-basketball team in Guadalajara. He lived the first six years of his life in Nigeria and I think he´s a liar… I don´t think there is a pro-basketball team in Guadalajara, plus he was kind of short, but what do I know?) So, now we know where the American travellers go… to the coolest, most socially-responsible spots. Once again, we´re number one.

We´ve set up a transport from our hostel to Huehuetenango on Saturday morning. There we will meet our college friend Zil who´ll spend the Guatemala portion of the trip with us. In the words of Max Hodes, here´s to Good Friends and Friendship.

-Megan and then Sarah

P.S. Click here for our latest pictures

Posted in American Identity, Mexico, Photography, Times When Lonely Planet Has Led Us Astray, Travel | 3 Comments »

Would you like some Zapatos with your Zapatistas?

Saturday, October 21st, 2006

Our last few days were spent in Tulum, Mexico, a once important Mayan trading port and currently a huge hit with the tourists. In the late 19th century to early 20th century, Tulum served as the symbolic center of the Mayan rebellion (War of the Castes) before Quintana Roo accepted Mexican rule. The town itself is ordinary — touts try and convince you to eat at their restaurants, taxi drivers honk at you, and children practice soccer after school, and men with large loud speakers drive around in pick-up trucks listing the many varieties of shoes they have for sale. “Tenemos zapatos para trabajar, tenemos zapatos para los ninos, tenemos zapatos para la escuela, tenemos…” At first, hearing only the Zapa… in the amplified voice, I assumed this was a run-of-the-mill political agitator, going on about the Zapatistas. My Spanish ear has become more sensitive in the last two days.

So far, staying at hostels has given us nearly unfettered contact with European travellers. We have yet to encounter any Americans, although we came close today, when we met two Canadians from Alberta. Sarah thinks they’re lying about their nationality so people will think they’re smart. She wants us to start lying about where we’re from, but we stupid Americans don’t know enough about Canadian geography to pick a hometown. Shoot.

Speaking of stupid Americans, we ran into hordes of them at the seaside Mayan ruins of Tulum. After spending time with Europeans, it became flagrantly obvious why American have earned their poor global reputation. For one, after a week of feeling totally obese next to svelte Swiss women, we suddenly felt like the belles of the Mayan ball next to the American tour groups. For two… well, there’s really only one. I’m sure we’ll be writing more about our conflicted national identities as the trip goes on. Maybe we’ll even talk to a few actual American travellers. For now, we’re leaving in five minutes to catch a 12-hour bus to Palenque. From there… the journey continues.

-Megan (Sarah came up with the idea to talk about Americans, but the zapato guy was all me)

Posted in American Identity, Mexico, Ruins, Travel | 3 Comments »