Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Along the Usumacinta

The young man in the above picture is from Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state; he is the operator of a motor boat that takes tourists to the Mayan ruins in Yaxchilan. I guess I caught him in a contemplative mood. We were traveling along the Usumacinta River: the river forms the border between Guatemala and Mexico. Mexico is to the left; Guatemala to the right. On either side of the river is a rainforest so fecund, it consumes everything. That morning, the mist hung low and veiled the treetops.

One wonders how the Mayans built their city states in this environment. Their ruins still exist, covered in moss and under the protective shroud of the rainforest. Above: one of the better preserved Mayan stelas in Yaxchilan.

No comments: