Rio Xumul-Ha, meaning "River of Blue Water", or in Spanish, Agua Azul, is a long series of glittering cascades coursing over kilometers of lush valleys in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas Mountains. The powerful, shimmering falls, white water and deep, clear pools, rush through steaming jungle about 50km from the town of Palenque. With sparkling turquoise water set against a deep green jungle background, the falls are probably one of the most spectacular natural attractions in México. The saturating sounds of the jungle life coupled with the voice of the water drown out conversation and activate an inner stillness.

YAXCHILAN

Yaxchilan, which means "green stones" in Maya, is a beautiful Mayan site nestled within the deep tropical rainforest of Chiapas alongside the Usumacinta River (similar to the Amazon in South America, this river contains the largest volume of water flowing in Central America). Along with Tikal, Copan, Piedras Negras, and Palenque, Yaxchilan is one of the most important Classic Period Maya cities in terms of its size and the number and quality of its monuments. It is best known for its sixty carved lintels. Distinctive aspects of the art and inscriptions of Yaxchilan are the inclusion of many women in ceremonial roles, the complex cosmological format of imagery on the stelae, the degree of documentation of the reigns of two Late Classic kings, Shield Jaguar and his son Bird Jaguar IV, and the unusual design of the city to mimic the passage of the sun over the earth.

Unique in its multitude of depictions of important female personages, Lady Xoc, in particular, is depicted engaged in numerous rituals. To quote Linda Schele and David Friedel from A Forest of Kings, "The depiction of a woman as the principal actor in ritual is unprecedented at Yaxchilán and almost unknown in Maya monumental art at any site."

The modern Lacandon Indians, of whom there are only 450 people remaining, still use Yaxchilan as a place of worship.

TIKAL

Seen from within the sanctuary atop Temple II, Temple I stands against a stormy sky background. Archaeologists found within it the rich tomb of the eighth century king Jasaw Chan K'awiil, although it is still unclear whether the building was originally conceived as a funerary monument or whether its use as such was an afterthought. The harmonious proportions of this temple have made it something of a symbol in present-day Guatemala, where it graces, among other things, the half-quetzal bank note. Photo and text courtsey of www.mesoweb.com

One of the most famous and beautiful of Maya sites, Tikal's massive and steep pyramids (one is over 200 feet high) loom above the lush jungle of the Petan where one can observe spider and howler monkeys and numerous bird species such as toucans, parrots and macaws. At its peak Tikal was home to an estimated 100,000 people and the site has over 3,000 structures within a six square mile area. Well preserved glyphic texts tell of a dynamic historical record spanning over 1,000 years, including a very old long-count inscription date of 292 BCE.

Tikal is the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Mayan civilization. Now part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Watch this YouTube video of Tikal.

ANTIGUA

Antigua may be the most outstanding and best-preserved colonial city in Spanish America with its natural beauty and historic monuments. The Spanish Colonial style permeates every part of the town: its houses, churches, squares, parks and ruins, also its traditions and folklore as well.

Sited in the Panchoy Valley, Antigua was designated "La Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala" by the conquistadors in 1543 and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The festival of the town's saint (Santiago or St James: Patron saint of the conquistadors) is celebrated July 25 th. After the conquest of the Maya by the Spanish, the races intermingled and their customs and traditions gave rise to a singular form of life, art and culture that is today reflected in every aspect of Antigua.

CHICHICASTENANGO

Chichicastenango, located about 140 km and 2-3 hours drive northwest of Guatemala City, is home to what is surely the most colorful native market in North and Central America, perhaps in all the Americas. Market days are Sundays and Thursdays, and draw not only the K'iche' Maya of the surrounding region, but vendors from all over Guatemala, representing many of Guatemala's linguistic groups such as Mam, Ixil, Kaqchikel and others, each hawking his or her products in a riotous cacophony of color, dialects and costumes, smoke, and smells. In Chichi one can see traje, that is, beautiful traditional native costumes, from all over Guatemala. Those knowledgeable of the textiles can tell where the wearers are from, because many of the costumes are village-specific or group-specific.

The Market spills down the steps of the 400-year old church of Santo Tomas and Shamans still use it for their rituals, burning incense and candles and, in special cases a chicken for the gods. Each of the stairs that lead up to the church represent one month of the Mayan calendar year.

Just a few minutes walk from the church of Santo Tomás in the center of Chichicastenango, there is a wooded hill. Atop this hill is an ancient rock [abaj] with a carved face, known all over Guatemala as Pascual Abaj. Daily there are Maya priests and priestesses performing ceremonies there. People come there for all sorts of things: to bless a marriage, to pray for a good harvest or to give thanks for a good harvest, or to remedy a problem such as preventing thieves from stealing your corn. The rites are conducted by the aj'itz (Maya priests).

LAKE ATITLAN

English novelist Aldous Huxley described Atitlan as, “the most beautiful lake in the world.”

Lake Atitlan takes its name from the Mayan word, “atitlan”, which translates to, “the place where the rainbow gets its colors”. Although the bottom of Lake Atitlan has yet to be completely sounded for depth, it is commonly recognized as the deepest lake in all of Central America, with a known maximum depth of 1,115 feet. Volcanic in origin, the surface of Lake Atitlan Guatemala is approximately 5,125 feet above sea level, and the lake measures around 12 miles long and anywhere from 4.4 to 7.5 miles wide. It is framed by the Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro volcanoes.

The small Mayan villages that lay along the lake shore give insight into Mayan culture, and the Mayan people are known for both their friendliness and their high-quality, hand-crafted products.

When the Spanish Conquistadores arrived in America, one of their main drives was to eliminate the native religions; The Mayan concepts of life and death were just too outrageous for them to understand. However, the Mayan religion managed to survive, hidden under the traditions of the Catholic Church. In the lakeside town of Santiago Atitlan, the yearly cycle of rituals is still followed, part of the Mayan concept; that humans have their place and duty in the greater scheme of things and, in order to ensure that the sun is going to cross the sky and the seasons are going to change, it is necessary that the humans do their part.

We will take a scenic boat ride across the lake, passing by the three impressive volcanoes of Toliman, Atitlan and San Pedro. Upon arrival in Santiago, we will walk with our guide to find the house where the Maya God Maximon is living. Each year a different “brotherhood” has the privilege of taking care of their God, so his location changes. Once with Maximon, you may see local shamans performing rituals for local people.

ZUNIL

We will spend a day enjoying and experiencing the healing volcanic waters in the area of Zunil in Quetzaltenengo. For centuries the Mayans have used medicinal waters to purify the body, maintain health, strengthen bones and cure diseases. In the Zunil region we will bathe in the volcanic mineral healing waters and experience their soothing, invigorating, nourishing medicinal powers. Established in 1529 Zunil is famous for its textiles and is one of the homes of the unusual cigar-smoking Mayan saint, San Simon.