Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, Vol 1

John Lloyd Stephens, an American explorer and writer is credited with a lot of discovery related to the Maya in Mexico. This book, in two volumes, describes his second expedition to Mexico in October 1841 and concentrates his efforts in Yucatan, where his previous expedition was cut short due to the illness of one of his companions.

I read the Project Gutenberg version which still contains the many engravings and map of the original publication. I enjoyed the engravings, because as well as Stephens explains what he finds the engravings make it all the clearer. The map wasn't present (maybe in Volume 2), which was annoying.

It is a pretty straight forward explanation Stephens gives. He describes preparations, accommodations and how they live, what they eat. He explains the issues with mosquito's and bedbugs and the like, as well with those people who assist and those who don't, or are untrusting of the foreigners. But most of all he describes the ruins. He explains how the trees and scrub grows very quickly and that a large part of the labour is clearing the trees and scrub even before any excavation can be made.

Mexico is a place I have not visited, so I have only limited knowledge of the Mayan culture. Not dissimilar to the Inca's of Peru though, where I spent some time as a tourist.

Step pyramids were common and large rectangular buildings with highly decorative facades and a massively thick but blank back wall, made up of many small rooms and a flat roofs. While there were plenty of buildings to expose and excavate, relics were fairly scarce. Pottery and sculptures were found, but rarely fully intact.

Appendices to this volume include temperature observations on the trip, statistics of Yucatan, an explanation of the triangular Mayan arch in construction, and a long explanation of Mayan time.

4 stars