Saturday, February 21, 2009

Temazcalteci


I finally made it to Yaxuna. This is a little Mayan community and archaeological site around 20 miles south of Chichen Itza. There you can stay at the camp that the archeologists occupied while excavating the site.

Since the excavations undertook by the California State University (Hayward) in 1996 and 1997, the site has been pretty much abandoned to its own luck, and is very much overgrown by jungle. It is a shame because it's an impressive site, but the INAH doesn't have enough resources to open it for visitors, nor to continue the excavation works.

I spent a night at the camp as the sole visitor of the week, and was overwhelmed by the noises of the jungle at nigth, as well as by the amazingly clear skies. I was even invited to a wedding! In the morning I'd arranged with Sr. Ignacio, a local, a tour of the ruins and what I saw, did not dissappoint me at all. We went by bike, and that was the best part of it. To be able to ride through those Sac-Bec's was pretty neat.

I'm writing all these because I published a long entry about the Temazcal rituals among the Mayan people, and it happens that Yaxuna is one of the few places where remains of a dedicated Temazcal permanent structure have been found.

A round stone oval building with a big hole in it was found by the archeologist. And according to my local guide, this sculpture was found right in the middle. If that it's correct, then this must be Temazcalteci or Mother Earth. The goddess of the Temazcal.

I was very excited to see it, and also quite shocked that such a treasure can be abandoned in the open. It's made of soft limestone, and I estimate that or INAH does something soon to preserve it, or it will "melt" beyond the point of recognition in just a couple of years. It is quite damaged already, and it's just such a shame... It's a link with one of the very few Mayan rites that we can still celebrate, and it will be such a loss if it disappears one day...
It was the perfect weekend adventure: I drove over 400 miles on nice country lanes, did some good cycling, and met a very genuine bunch of people. What else can you ask for?

Friday, February 20, 2009

Running Report


It's a long time that I don't post any updates on Willoby Bronco (yes, I know: it is totally childish to put names to cars. Isn't it? Well mine has, and I don't care what you have to say about it). I didn't have time to post any updates, because well... I was driving it!

February has been a busy month for Bronco, and together we've covered over 2,000 miles all around the Yucatan Peninsula. We've been down to Tulum twice, plus another trip down there with Frank and Ros at the wheel, we drove to Izamal and Rio Lagartos too, and I finally made it to Yaxuna's ruins and Mayan community.

Bronco drove like a dream, except for a long drive in the middle of a horrible storm... mud tires and concrete motorways don't mix well. The thing was almost undriveable. Not much fun really.

Problem is that last weekend after returning from Tulum I noticed that there was freshly spilled oil all over my rear right fender... (see pic) coming from the differential. Not good. But easy enough to fix. I recently replaced the rear axle shafts, so I'm guessing that one of the seals gave out...

I'm taking care of this, so I hope to be back on the road soon!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Just when you thought that your car restoration was nearly done...

...somebody goes and hits a pillar while parking it. I'm now thinking about painting the whole truck, as poor old Bronco also received some parking dents on the right hand side door.

Is it worth it? Absolutely not. Am I nuts? Absolutely yes!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

A night at the temazcal

Last Saturday I went to my first Temazcal with Kenali and Mario. It was set in the middle of the jungle, close to a cenote. I didn’t really know what to expect from it, but what I can tell you is that I loved it and can’t wait to do it again.

The fact that it was set in isolated wilderness (as opposed to a luxurious Spa in one of those 5 star hotels) made it really special. It was like returning back in time and embracing the path of our forefathers.

For me it was a very impressive evening, surrounded by friends, by good spirits and by beautiful nature. It was a night to remember.

A Temazcal is basically a Mexican Sweat Bath which is, in many aspects, very similar to the Lakota People (one of the seven related Sioux Tribes) rituals.

Vestiges in the Mayan world have been found in Palenque (Chiapas) and in Piedras Negras (Guatemala). However “temazcal” it’s actually not a Mayan word at all, it’s Nahuatl (the ancient language of the Aztecs).

A temazcal is a round hut, built with 16 vertical poles (representing the 16 sacred spirits of the Lakota People) and covered with leaves or even the skin of animals. The 4 bands of branches that cover the bath represent the 4 worlds: mineral, vegetal, animal and human (and by correlation the physical, mental, spiritual and sacred worlds).

In the center of the Temazcal there is a hole, representing Earth’s belly button, where you place the hot stones (volcanic usually). And where in ancient times an image of Temazcalteci, the goddess of the sweat bath would be placed. This was a Nahuatl culture goddess, regarded by them as the Mother of the Gods, or also referred to as “our grandmother” or Mother Earth. It was the principal of all Nahualt deities. The cult of this goddess extended all through Mesoamerica, and parallel cults can be found among Mayans, Zapotecans and even Mixtecans.

The Temazcal wasn’t only a religious ceremony. Cosmology played a broad role, not only on the way the bath was constructed, but also on the way it was used. There are 4 distinct steps on the rite (also called “doors” as at the end of each, the temazcal’s door is opened to allow for more hot stones to be placed at the middle of the bath). These are: earth, wind, fire and water.

A Temazcal should in fact be oriented taking into account these four elements. The fire which heats the stones has to be placed towards the east (the sun raises from the east), as the Temazcal it’s in fact the representation of Mother Earth's womb (and Father Sun is the light that fertilizes Mother Earth's womb). The temazcal’s door has to face south (or right of Sun’s path) which is the way of the dead, that begins at birth and ends at death.

All starts with the Man of Fire, heating up the stones on the sacred fire, over four logs placed east to west and south to north. The women usually enter before the men, but before that, they are all purified by Copal's smoke (represented on my first image, at the top). After the purification, mud can be applied to the skin, to help the sweating (as in my second picture, at the bottom). Before entering the temazcal a little bit of tobacco or other herbs are burned on the fire and offered to the four cardinal points.

When you enter the Temazcal, you are returning to your mother’s womb. As such, the entrance is small, low and dark, and the interior is warm and humid. Temazcaltoci, or Mother Earth, should be placed in the middle, as she’s our beloved mother, worried about our wellbeing and health. She will receive us inside her womb to cure us (spiritually and physically).

Upon entering the temazcal, each person must ask permission to enter (for himself and for all his relatives), as you can never enter the temazcal alone. Why? that's easy! Because you always carry within your heart all those people that are, or have been, an important part of your life.

Inside the darkness, the prayers, the songs, the music of the drums or the perpetual reverberation of the metal “cuencos” will assist you in your journey to heal yourself. Our ritual lasted well over 3 hours, but it didn’t seem long at all. It was like time stayed still, like if we were out of time and in another dimension.

Finally exiting the temazcal represents to be born again, and abandon the darkness, while leaving our worries and illnesses behind.

We ended up by jumping into a gorgeous cenote. I couldn't possibly imagine a better ending...


You may be asking yourself if it did work for me. Did I leave all my sorrows behind me? The answer is positive. Yes I did feel much better after the ritual.