On Our Way to a Mayan Village

Seen on our way to our next stop––a Mayan village.

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

Seen on our way.

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

Our Lady of Gualaloupe bus shelter.

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

Seen on our way.

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

Seen on our way.

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

Seen on our way. After leaving the main highway, we drove at least 10 if not more miles into the jungle on a two–lane road to reach the Mayan village.

On Our Way to a Mayan Village

Mayan Village

At the Mayan village. Visiting this Mayan village was definitely the highlight of all the tours I took in Mexico. The Mayans make up about 1/2 the population of the Yucatan and most of the Yucatan Mayans still live in villages and many live in a “na”––a traditional home with a palmed roof. There are also washhouses, toilet areas, and animal pens. The building in this photo is the main house and the girl is one of the Mayan children living here.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

The Mayan children lined up to have their photo taken––they seem to like having photos taken.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Walking around the village.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Close–up of the statue in the last photo.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

The swine pen.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Close–up of the swine.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Maybe this one is a pet––it was just walking around.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Natasha’s house––Natasha is a monkey, so this is the monkey house.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Natasha the monkey.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Natasha likes to play with the village dogs.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Natasha playing with her friend. (I don’t know what the yellow streak is in this photo and in the next photo.)

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

With her tail around one dog, Natasha tries to latch onto to a bigger dog. She wasn’t successful.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Natasha on the loose.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Natasha is grabbed by one of the tourists. I don’t think she was all that pleased by being held. These two people are from the other tour group––the girl on the right is from San Francisco.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Peacocks and wild turkeys were kept in this pen.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

This animal was in another pen.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

And this one in still another pen.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

More of the village. You can see how rocky the ground is.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Another building in the village.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

And some more.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

We were invited to go into the main house.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Pumpkin seeds drying.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Inside the main house. They are taking water out of a gourd and mixing it with corn flour to make tortillas.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Yes, that was a deer that you saw in the last photo.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

And a second deer in the main house. There are no beds in the house, only hammocks, which are strung up in the morning.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

A gourd containing water hanging from the roof.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

A Mayan woman is patting the tortillas. The women cook, tend the animals, make hammocks, and embroider. They are in charge of selling some of the things that they make. Most Mayan men are farmers. Parts of the forest are cut down, then the fallen trees are burned, and the plots are tilled and corn, beans, etc., are planted. When the men are not busy farming, many work in construction or in the tourist industry. Some of the women work as maids in the hotels.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Cooking the tortillas over rocks. We were each given a freshly made and cooked corn tortilla––very good.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Hammocks and embroidery for sale in another building.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

This Mayan boy decided that Natasha should pose for me.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Another deer. The front building has corn stored in it.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Close–up of the deer.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

They all came to say good–bye to us.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Even coming out to the road. I don’t think that you can visit a Mayan village on your own. You need a tour guide to take you there. Not many villages welcome visitors. It may look like this village was set up the way it was for the tourist trade, but I looked at other Mayan villages on our way to this one and they looked very similar.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Close–up of the Mayan children on the left of the last photo.

Mayan Village

Mayan Village

Close–up of the Mayan children on the right of the last photo. The rest of my day’s tour appears on the next album.

Mayan Village