Unintended Consequences in Mexico

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(CANCUN, MEXICO) - Our around the world trek began on August 25, 2008 in Cancun, Mexico.  We had been planning the adventure for nearly three years to the day, and it was now officially underway.  It was a bit overwhelming in the beginning, as we were still thinking and acting like tourists, not travelers.  Understanding what was on the menu, negotiating the local bus system and finding a cheap hotel room for five people were all daunting tasks at first.  After a couple of weeks we hit our stride and began working together as a team.  For example, when we arrived by bus in a new community, the boys would fan out to identify potential restaurants while my wife and I looked for a hotel.  Once we agreed on a place to eat and where we would spend the night, the sightseeing could commence.  That's how we knew we'd transitioned from tourists to travelers.

Sadly, Mexico seems to be in the news for all of the wrong reasons these days.  In reality, what the press chooses to cover represents only a tiny minority of the country and its people.  Mexico is one of the most naturally beautiful countries on the planet and its people are friendly and ever welcoming.  Interestingly, as we watched the news from around the world during the trek, it was easy to draw the same negative conclusions about living in the U.S.

I made many observations during our time in Mexico and here are just a few.  They are in no particular order and are intended to help demonstrate the differences between the ancient Mayan culture and modern day.  Based on these observations, I can report that we are not necessarily getting smarter.  To the contrary, many of the new approaches and techniques have resulted in a variety of unintended consequences, which have made life even more challenging for the people we met.

For starters, the traditional Mayan house is a one-room structure made of stripped tree limbs approximately two inches in diameter, which are vertically planted in the ground and bound together with vines.  No nails are used and the huts are built in a rectangular shape with rounded ends.  It is topped with a framed roof of larger limbs, and is covered by thatch made of palm fronds.  There is a vent at the top of the roof to allow the smoke to escape from the cooking fire, which is usually built in the center of the room.  In addition, there are two doors opposite each other to create a breeze.  Each opening has a covering that can be drawn when needed.  The homes usually have dirt floors and are designed to stay cool in the summer, retain heat in colder times and withstand hurricane force winds.

During a tour of Ek Balam, a small village about two hours East of Cancun, we were told that several of the traditional homes had succumbed to age and collapsed during the hurricanes a few years ago.   The government built new cinder block structures believing this would help improve the villager's living conditions.  In most cases the reverse was true.  Due to lack of proper ventilation, the houses were so hot in the summer the inhabitants had to sleep outside.  There were also many other issues that in some cases caused the owners to build a traditional home and use the cinder block structure for other purposes.

Corn or maize is a staple of the Mayan diet and is primarily made into flat tortillas cooked over an open fire.  For eons, the women have been grinding corn in hollowed-out structures made of limestone.  The tool they use to pound and mash the corn is also made of limestone.  In the late 20th century the process was mechanized and the tortillas were made in factories by machines.  Years passed before it became obvious that people were suffering from brittle bones and osteoporosis.  Some clever person finally deduced it was due to lack of calcium and they began adding it to the corn during the manufacturing process.  However, this was never a problem when making tortillas the traditional way, as calcium was naturally released from the limestone while grinding of the corn.

Another observation was that the people who lived in many of the villages we passed through lead very simple lives.  Their food options were uncomplicated and healthy; they traveled mostly by bus and lived in homes that required little if any electricity.  Running water was a luxury and outside toilets were the norm.  Unlike our lives, theirs do not revolve around the price of oil, the collapse of the housing market, the whims of Wall Street or the current prime rate.  They are survivalist, and in many ways are insulated from the trappings of the so-called civilized world.  After all, you cannot lose what you don't have.  Another valuable lesson learned during the trek.

Next week we move on to Guatemala and will tell about living for several days in a remote village.  We stayed with a wonderful family and learned much from the people in the village including the politics, the way they handled heath care and how a little vigilante justice can go a long way to righting a wrong.

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