Yucatan Mexico | Carol Chapman

UK Tourists Encouraged to Try Yucatan

Here’s an excerpt from an article in the Liverpool Daily Post, which is a newspaper in England.

Direct flights from the UK usually take about 9 hours to the Caribbean side of the country where you can visit resorts such as the Riviera Maya, stunning island of Cozumel and Cancun.

Viva la Mexico! Holidays in Mexico

The article also says, “Holidays to Mexico have become increasingly popular over the last few years as tourists become more adventurous with their destinations.”

I’ll say they are. Not only are tourists from the UK coming to Yucatan, but also tourists are coming there from all of Europe. While filming the Yucatan Travel Movie, we met numerous European travelers. It’s not only that they are becoming more adventurous, it is that the Euro and British Pound compare very favorably with the Mexican Peso.

Itzamna, the Bearded One

Isn’t it strange that the Maya’s creator god, Itzamna, is also called, “The Bearded One,” especially when you consider that Maya men do not have facial hair? How could the ancient Maya have ever envisioned a man with a beard? I guess it’s another one of those mysteries associated with the ancient Maya. In the Yucatan Travel Movie, I have included images of Itzamna found in ruins both with a beard and without.

Itzamna on War, Violence, and Human Sacrifice

In the Yucatan Travel Movie, a continual thread of Maya mythology runs throughout with information about, carvings in Mayan ruins, and images of Itzamna, the ancient Maya creator god. Although Itzaman is thought of as being a god of the ancient Maya, I also discovered that there continues to be a reverence for him among modern Maya. I heard one woman say that her grandparents used to honor Itzamna.

As founder of Mayan culture, Itzamna refused to have anything to do with wars, violence, or human sacrifices.

Story and Origin of Itzamna

Fascinating Itzamna

While doing research for one of the Special Features, Mayan Gods and a Goddess, accompanying the Yucatan Travel Movie, I came upon this intriguing information: that Izamna was considered a god of the sky.

Yucatan Travel Movie Editing Continues

The main Yucatan Travel Movie is done. So is the 2.5 minute Preview for the next movie in the series, which is called, Yucatan Peninsula Travel. I am happy that the Bloopers Special Feature is also done today. Yay!!! I’ve had a lot of fun with sound effects .

The Ancient Maya View of the Cosmos

Here is a link to an intriguing essay on the Maya-Cosmo Vision, which parallels the lore of the ancient Maya tradition with modern-day quantum physics view of the universe.

Maya-Cosmo Vision: A Living Universe Consciousness

I met and interviewed one of the authors of the article, Belisa B. Gordon while filming the Yucatan Travel Movie.

Fantastic Birdwatching next to Chichen Itza

On our last Yucatan Travel Movie filming visit to Yucatan in March 2009, we visited Hacienda Chichen adjacent to the world-famous Mayan ruin at Chichen Itza. We had the good fortune to interview Belissa Baranche, who calls herself the “keeper” of Hacienda Chichen, and her husband Bruce, who is the driving force behind the greening of the spa/resort.

During the interview, we learned that Belissa is passionate about birdwatching. Therefore, I am delighted to discover that Jim Conrad, a respected naturalist who is also passionate about birding, is staying at Hacienda Chichen as a volunteer. Here is an excerpt from his post on their blog site:

On one such late-afternoon birdwalk I photographed the fast-foraging bird: Rose-throated Becard, PACHYRAMPHUS AGLAIAE, common at forest edges, in open areas and the like, from Mexico to Panama. The Rose-throated Becard male has the rosy throat, making it easy to identify.

Jim Conrad’s Naturalist Field Work at Hacienda Chichen, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

Follow the link above for a gorgeous photo of the rose-throated Becard male – really cute.

Tarpon Fishing in Yucatan

Although I am more interested in pondering ancient mysteries when travelling in the Yucatan, and therefore concentrate on visiting gorgeous colonial cities, intriguing ancient Mayan ruins, and places of exquisite scenic beauty, which I also have recorded in the Yucatan Travel Movie, some people go to Yucatan for fishing. All you fisherfolk, here’s an excert from an interesting blog post:

For years Barb and I had heard tales of tarpon fishing in the Yucatan, seen photos of tarpon jumping, read articles about them in fly fishing magazines and now we had a chance to find out for ourselves. We joined our friends, Jay and Paula, to spend a week fishing for these elusive game fish in southern Yucatan near Chetumal.
Tarpon: Megalops antlanticus

The Narrator is Here!

I am happy and grateful to be working today with Miriam Balsley , the narrator on the Yucatan Travel Movie. We also worked on the Preview for the next Yucatan Travel movie, From Merida to Palenque. It is a joy to work with Miriam. She is delightfully creative and insightful. Here is a link to her travel blog: http://www.MiriamTravel.Blogspot.com.

1

Speed Bumps in Yucatan

I love this blog post in which those pesky speed bumps on Mexican roads are mentioned:

The towns have road humps called topes, which can creep up on us if we’re not vigilant. They’re pretty big speed humps and can jar the back if we’re going too fast, or the sign is overgrown with foliage.

Campeche Yucatan Peninsula Mex, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

We encountered many of these speed bumps while filming the Yucatan Travel Movie. This is the Yucatan’s answer to “reduce speed ahead” signs. In Mexico, you have to reduce your speed or else the bottom of your car will get wrecked, in other words, the speed bumps are very effective, but also nerve wracking.

Tag Archive