Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the state capital of Chiapas, is not one of Mexico’s great colonial cities loaded with old-style charm and historic architecture, traditional images to provide an irresistible draw to tourists – much to its regret. Every so often, Chiapas’ politicians and state officials – nearly all of whom live in Tuxtla – express a vague annoyance […]
Remember the End of the World? Three years ago, in December 2012, you couldn’t avoid it. Every media outlet in the world had at least some half-garbled report about how the ancient Mayans had some prophecy that their calendar would end on 21 December 2012, and that this would mean a global finale. The History and […]
Mexico is a paradoxical country, where people can at times be brusque, sharp, smart-alecky, but more often show an elaborate, amiable courtesy. México es un país paradójico, donde la gente a veces puede ser brusca, acérbica, listilla, pero más a menudo te tratan con una cortesía elaborada. In the Colonia Condesa, a district […]
21 December 2012 was supposed to be the End of the Great Mayan Calendar Cycle. Everybody seems to have heard that, and that somehow this was supposed to mean the end of the world. Global attention was briefly focussed on the Yucatán in particular, where the local powers-that-are, feeling they had to do something, put […]
Here in Mérida everyone is on tenterhooks waiting for the big day tomorrow… well, no, actually most people seem to greet the idea with a snort and treat it as a big excuse for a party, or just doing something else special. In the meantime, not wanting to be narrow minded, I’ve been reading a book […]
Well, it’s only two days – or less, depending on your time zone – to the ending of the 13th Baktun of the current Great Cycle of the Maya Long Count Calendar, at least for those most enthusiastic about the event (many archaeologists and other Maya students say the date actually is more likely to […]
Whether or not you believe that something very special/awful/whatever is due to happen when the Maya Great Calendar Cycle ends on 21 December 2012, for the Yucatán’s capital of Mérida it will have one lasting presence: a brand new and very state of the art museum, the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya. Pushed through by […]
Recent Comments