Lacanja I - The Lacandon people and Las Ruinas de Bonampak

The Lacandon region is very close to Guatamala in SE Mexico. Until relatively good roads were constructed over the last 50-60 years, this area was largely unknown - dominated by once-impenetrable rain forests - literally blank spots on the map. Well into the 20th century, there were still populations of people - the Lacandon - living in a semi-nomadic manner, hunting, gathering, and growing traditional meso-american foods: corn, peppers, watermelon, pineapples, cacao, tomatoes, bananas, beans, mango, etc and also gathering the considerable bounty of the forest - fruits, nuts, and so on.

The state of Chiapas still has 60+ distinct native languages today, not counting Spanish. These people of the rain forest now share their name with the place: Lacandon. They live and look very differently than the other people that we can seen in Mexico. They often wear long, white, simply-cut robes, They speak Chol, or Tchol as their first language. They wear their hair long. They apparently still hunt in the selva at times with a bow and arrow, occasionally still eat howler monkey when they can find it.

The Lacandon most closely resemble the Mayan we see in the historic codices and hieroglyphs on carved into stone centuries ago - short, solid physiques, prominent noses and other facial features, a forehead that slants backwards a bit. But they have only lived here for 100+ years. 500 years ago, they lived on the Gulf Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. When the Spanish arrived, they fled south and east, over a period of several hundred years, eventually settling in what is now south-eastern Mexico. They are Mayan people, but from quite far away. For centuries, they actively sought remote regions to isolate themselves and protect their freedoms and lifeways.

The Lacandon today live on the edge of this huge protected forest, and apparently have special access to and use of the forest for traditional activities. We spent two nights in Lacanja Chansayab, a small, low-key Lacandon community near the Bonampak ruins, which they seem to co-manage as a tourism resource with the federal government.

We visited Bonampak (accessible deep in the selva only by bus (a bus with no windows, no shocks, leaky roof, driven by a Coca-cola inspired Lacandon man), Yaxchilan (accessible only by a 1 hour motorized canoe ride via the Ucintasima River on the border of Mexico and Guatamala). Both places are today deep in the selva, isolated from nearby communities, and quite amazing places to visit and ponder.

The daily rains seem to have arrived early to the Lacandon area. Mornings begin start cool, heat up as the day progresses, clouds and humidity builds into the afternoon, and then the lightning, rain and thunder starts. it rains (hard, warm, steady, soaking rains) and thunders into the night. And in the morning, it starts all over again.

The approach to Bonampak is 20 minutes on a narrow, pitted dirt road in a blown out bus - the only window is the wind shield, no doors, seat belts, cushions or shocks. Driven by a Lacandon, fired up with Coca Cola.

Bonampak is not a huge site, but it is beautiful - it is deep in the selva and the buildings and structures are in very good shape.

This is a stella - they are large stones, carved with images and hieroglifs that tell stories and record history: successes in war, succession of kings, birth of elites, etc. Nearly all major Mayan cities maintained them. Winners in warfare typically destroyed the losers' stelae - and their history and story and identity.

This is close-up of some of the detail on the stela. Very intricate, very beautiful.

Detail of the stonework, though these stones have been displaeed over the centuries. Original Mayan stonework was exacting.

This butterfly took a liking to J-man and stuck with him for more than 15 minutes. Who can blame it?

A jaguar sculpture - worn by the passage of time. The jaguar was  probably the most powerful and revered animal in the forest, and god in the Mayan cosmology.

Another view of the main temples rising up above the forest.

These very narrow and nearly vertical stairs rise up to one of the important buildings.

These frescos are extremely rare today in Mayan ruins. These survived 1000 years inside one of the temples, showing pictures of the coronation of a new king, warfare and torture, and finally, a big victory party and celebration. Though badly faded, these colors and images give a glimpse into what must have been powerful, beautiful, and intimidating images.

Looking from the inside out - over the forest.

L and J in front of another big stele. Bigger really IS better - Bigger stellae reflect more powerful leaders/cities.

We finished our day at Bonampak in a torrential downpour. Others huddled under whatever cover they can find.

The ride back through the forest, through the downpour, at breakneck speed, no windshield wipers, leaky roof. The same Lacandon man driving, fueled by more Coke, roaring through the forest.

We found this scarlet tanager in the afternoon, striking and beautiful...and dead.