I have been been struggling with a problem of my own making, as it turns out. It really helps to consult with love ones, in this case, my very creative daughter-in-law, Cher. It was her help that gave my business the name of SunTopaz.
Now, I came to her with a problem that I considered to be intricate and complicated. I told her that it bothered me that the Yucatan travel video is comprised of footage taken during three visits to the Yucatan.
In the first visit, our daughter Miriam came with us. At the time, she had long golden hair.
However, Miriam did not come with us during the second visit, which included the trip to Palenque and Villahermosa to see the Olmec heads.
Then, the third and final trip to the Yucatan, which includes the wonderful Mayan elders equinox ceremony at Chichen Itza, also includes Miriam, but this time, with short chin-lenth hair.
Cher’s suggestions? She said that she has watched a lot of travel movies and she noticed that many of them jump around from place to place with hardly an explanation. For example, in one recent Lonely Planet travel video, the viewer is suddenly at an island – no explanation and no introduction ahead of time.
She suggested that I announce to the viewer near the beginning of the movie that it was shot in three visits to the Yucatan. She believes the viewer will figure it out.
Now I feel more relaxed as I review the extensive footage taken of our travels in Yucatan.
Carol Chapman
Copyright 2009 Carol Chapman
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I sit tapping on the keyboard beide the beautifully lighted pool at Dolores Alba Chichen Itza hotel after a very fulfilling day.
Today, I met and interviewed on videotape the owner of the Hacienda Chichen. Belisa Barancanche, who calls herself the “keeper” of the 300 hectare ecologically preserved area, described her respect of the Maya and all they have to offer us.
Her family have owned the Hacienda Chichen for three generations. The Hacienda was originally built with stones from Mayan temples by the Spanish in the 1500s. During the 1800s, it housed such impressive Chichen Itza explorers as the Le Plongeons. In the 1920s, the Carnegie Institute made the Hacienda their home.
I had read that Alice Le Plongeon had told workers where to dig in the dirt to find a certain chac moll statue. I did not know, but learned today from Belisa, that Alice Le Plongeon was a talented psychic. She remembered having been in Chichen Itza during its heyday, which is why she could tell workers exactly where to dig for certain artifacts.
One of my personal heroines, Tatiana Proskouriakoff, a wonderful artist who drew sketches of what the ruins looked like while the ancient Maya lived in them, also lived at the Hacienda. Tatiana also made important breakthroughs in deciphering the meaning of the mysterious Mayan glyphs.
Belisa had many wonderful stories to tell. Her husband, Bruce, who is an American, is devoted to making the lands ecologically sustainable, for example, purifying the waste water of the hotel to be used on fields growing animal feed.
Hacienda Chichen is adjacent to the official ruinas Chichen Itza. A private entrance leads from the hotel grounds, which used to be used by archeologists staying there. Although the Hacienda grounds are separated from the official ruins, there are also many ruins on the hotel property.
Belisa has made part of the grounds available to Mayan elders to perform their sacred ceremony. This is where I attended the Equinox ceremony yesterday. She said that the government will not also the Elders at the actual official ruin site.
I felt very happy to have the opportunity to meet and talk with Belisa and Bruce. Here is a link to the a site with information about the Hacienda, the Mayan Elders, archeologist, ecologicaly sustainability and much, much more . . . http://www.yucatanadventure.com.mx.
Carol Chapman
Copyright (c) 2009 Carol Chapman
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I know I said we were going to the ruins at Chichen Itza today for the big March 21st event. However, this morning I had the opportunity to attend a traditional Spring Equinox ceremony presided over by Mayan elders.
I felt afraid that my video camera might provide an intrusion in the sacred ceremony. However, when the grey-haired elder saw me, he asked that I tape the ceremony. I felt so happy to be of use to him.
It involved a walk into nature where five ceiba trees were planted – one for each of the cardinal directions and one in the center. I wish I could convey the mystical fragrance of the copal that was burned throughout the ceremony.
After the elder ceremoniously planted the trees, he continued with the second half of the event by smudging all of us with the fragrant smoke and then we were brushed with a small branch of green leaves dipped in water. The water splashed against my face to my surprise. The elder also brushed our torso and limbs.
Finally, we were given liquids to drink in gourds. One liquid contained the bark of the ceiba tree, cinnamon, honey, and purified water. I did not get the second drink because they ran out of it but Miriam did. She said it was made out of corn and water. Corn is very important to the Maya.
When we returned to the hotel, and after lunch, we were so tired that we slept all afternoon. I assume we had received a healing and our bodies were processing the changes. It had been important that we were in the sun and heat so that we were sweating during the ceremony.
During the event, I felt so moved that at times I was almost in tears even though I could not understand a word that was said since the event was in Mayan. I felt so grateful and full of love for the elder who was the leader of the ceremonies. There was also one man who kept feeding the clay burner containing the copal. He also sang at various times. Two men blew on conch shells whenever a ceiba tree was planted. Another man played hypnotically on a hollow log drum.
After the ceremony, I asked, through a translator, if I could ask the elder about 2012. He graciously accepted and told me his understanding of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for all of us.
It wasn’t only the healing that kept us from the event at Chichen Itza. Most of the afternoon was overcast. Clouds filled most of the sky. In the end, we awoke from our afternoon sleep just as the sun broke through the clouds at 5 pm, the time of the light on the serpent. It lasted for five minutes and then it began to rain.
When we drove to the restaurant for dinner, we were amazed at the number of people pouring out of the Chichen Itza ruins. Not only were they walking three abreast on the shoulders of the road, but an overflow parking area had been created where over a dozen buses were parked. It must have been crazy in there, just as a tour guide had said when we saw the light on the serpent yesterday. We were fortunate to have seen the light pattern on the side of the serpent for over 30 minutes yesterday.
Love and blessings,
Carol Chapman
Copyright (c) 2009 Carol Chapman
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