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The Quetzal :Radiant Bird, Revered National Treasure
Thursday, January 12th, 2012 / Linda Patterson

The tropical highlands of Central America are home to one of the natural world’s most remarkable and elusive species of bird: the quetzal. Well-known to the ancient Aztecs and Maya who inhabited southern Mexico, its fame has declined with the march of history, but this plucky and beautifully-plumed specimen still makes its home throughout much of Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Guatemala. The encroaching presence of man and the constant threat of predation has made it a master of concealment despite its colorful feathers, and anyone with an aim to glimpse this rare and resplendent avian will have their work cut out for them :if, that is, they don’t know where to look.

Nahuatl Namesake

The quetzal, of which there are six species, is named for the brilliance of its feathers, especially in the tail. In the Nahuatl language spoken by the ancient Aztecs, the word “quetzal” is a reference to this plumage; “quetz” means literally “to stand up,” as the long feathers covering the bird’s hind quarters can be seen to do. The resplendent quetzal, perhaps the most recognized of this still rather obscure breed, was the first species to be given this title; along with its sibling genera, its population skirts the edge of ecological jeopardy, due to a combination of human encroachment and low birth rates.

Bird Apotheosis

Because of its beautiful plumage and unusual appearance, the quetzal was highly regarded by Pre-Columbian Mesoamericans. The Maya and Aztec both worshiped gods which adopted the bird’s name :for the Maya, Kukulkan, and for the Aztec, Quetzalcoatl. In both cases, this was a feathered serpent god, responsible for lofty ideals and accomplishments such as learning, the introduction of corn, rebirth, and the creation of mankind.

National Bird

Not only is the Quetzal the national bird of Guatemala, but the country’s currency has shared its name since 1925, when President Jose Maria Orellana instituted the quetzal as a replacement for the peso. Both coin and bill forms of the quetzal exist, and it is divided into 100 centavos, or “lenes” as they are popularly known. The bills themselves do not carry the image of the quetzal, but rather famous leaders and historical scenes important to Guatemalan national identity.

Catching a Glimpse

Those who merely wish to glimpse this remarkable specimen of tropical fauna must arm themselves with patience, as the quetzal has survived this long only by becoming extremely adept at hiding. It’s bright green plumage would be a disadvantage anywhere but the lush, verdant jungle habitat it calls home. The high temperatures of the Northern Yucatan restrict the quetzl’s nesting grounds to the cooler forests of southern Central and northern South America. Instead of spending days on end crouched behind ferns and jungle foliage, hoping to catch a fleeting glimpse of this adept and nimble bird, consider hiring a bird-watching guide to get the upper hand on the elusive quetzal and increase your chances of making a successful sighting. Contact a local bird-watching agency when planning your trip; they’ll be able to offer advice regarding the best time of year and most favorable locations. However, if your aim is merely to hear the song of this sought-after species, you needn’t make such elaborate preparations; a visit to any of several ancient sites, such as the Kukulkan pyramid at Chichn Itz, or the plaza at Tikal, will suffice. Simply clap your hands, and you’ll be rewarded with the resounding call of the quetzal echoing across the ancient stones.

Linda Patterson is a birding enthusiast from the USA. The Mexican Yucatan Peninsula offers amazing birding opportunities. Check these birding tours for more information on this great destination.

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Visit Mayan Ruins in Mexico
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 / Frank D. Gardner

Playa Del Carmen is an infamous tourist attraction which in fact a lot to offer. It’s positioned merely south of Cancun, bordered by the coastal regions looking at the Caribbean Sea.

A Mexican state found in Quintana Roo known as Playa del Carmen is truly famous for tourists who seeks adventure. There are several destinations to visit around the Playa del Carmen, although the most often visited are the Mayan ruins.

Mayan Ruins Destinations

Tulum is a walled city which worked as an outpost for the city of Coba; in native Yucatec tongue it is called Tulu’um. Tulum is a fortress city, closed in with 39 ft protective walls. The outbuildings and the primary structure of Tulum are fairly small, and that’s why archaeologists write it off as a significant military post, although not a highly significant city. Archaeologists guess that Tulum is a port city due to its apparent location in the coastal areas of the Xaman Ha. What makes Tulum interesting is that it has survived for 70 years right after the Spanish colonization period while the rest of the Mayan cities began to fall down. Later in the timeline, the diseases that the Spaniards brought with them caused the citizens of Tulum to become obsolete.

Coba

Coba is among the larger cities of the ancient Maya civilization, this city was named by the Spaniards who colonized the city . The significantly large settlement is located 90 km to the east of the Mayan site Chichen Itza, in the North of Quintana Roo. And 40 km west facing the Caribbean Sea. Coba is a central settlement which is near to most Mayan cities and is 44 km northwest of Tulum. According to historians Coba used to be a trading center of some Mayan settlements in the area.

Ek’ Balam

Located in Yucatan Mexico, this Mesoamerican archaeoligical site is found in the municipality of Teomozno. Others believed that it was the Mayans who constructed the structures found in Ek’ Balam and there were claims otherwise. Found 30 km to the north of Valladolid and 2 km from a small Mayan settlement, the Ek’ Balam is a quick place to explore. Ek’ Balam can be easily reached and a rather large city which is nice to explore.

Archeologists concluded that this city is the seat of power which controlled the countryside. The settlements in the proximity of Ek’ Balam are successful, too. Furthermore, they have got extremely extraordinary architectural styles. The city alone was made in the Late Classic Mayan, a period around 900 AD to 1500 AD.

More Mayan Ruins

Coba, Tulum and Ek’ Balam are simply the 3 famous ruins of Mayans in Playa del Carmen. You can find a lot more remarkable cities such as Chichen Itza. Archaeologists furthermore assume that there might be several undiscovered locations in Playa del Carmen-and the whole Yucatan Peninsula, for that matter. Of course, discovering these places will take some time. For the time being, nevertheless, Playa del Carmen will be enough.

Duende Tours operates active tours to Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. You can Visit Mayan Ruins from Playa del Carmen through them.

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Outdoor Adventures Mexico
Saturday, October 08th, 2011 / Frank D. Gardner

Mexico has plenty of things to offer apart from their delicious tacos and strong tequila. You will definitely learn ancient wonders, like old stone ruins from the once fantastic Mayan civilization. When you’re the an outgoing type, you may also find that Mexico has even more to provide. Believe it or not, you’ll probably see the blend of Mayan Ruins along with adventure recreation an incredible experience.

Moreover, you will surely enjoy watching howler and spider monkeys play in the canopy of tress or snorkeling in the crystal clear waters in the Mayan Riviera. The wealthy nature and extremely diverse flora and fauna of countless adventure locations in Mexico will make you speechless. Amongst other things, you can go to excellent bird watching locations, national parks, biospheres, ocean parks, as well as crocodile parks. Other great activities to do are boarding in marshy mangrove lagoons as well as gaining more knowledge about the history of the Mayan people.

The Yucatan

One of the most well known tourist destinations in Mexico is the Yucatan Peninsula as it is where most Mayan Ruins were built. It’s got a lot of things to provide from ruin structures of the age-old Maya civilization to large biospheres as well as natural sanctuaries filled up with a myriad of creatures. The enshrouding tropical jungle is likewise house to hundreds upon hundreds of species of animals. There are lots of places in Yucatan which are ideal for adventuring and birding, such as the Colombia lagoon and the Sian Ka’an Reserve. Merida, situated at the northern most part of the peninsula, is additionally among the must-see locations in Yucatan.

Great Outdoor Activities To Enjoy In Mexico

Chichen Itza

In the northern inland plains of the Yucatan Peninsula is where you can find the Chichen Itza which is one of the most monumental sites of the ancient Mayan civilization. Chichen Itza has by far the most stunning ceremonial places the Mayan people established. While in the heights of the civilization, the temples located in Chichen Itza functioned as commonly reverenced ceremonial centers. Nevertheless, when merely stone ruins holds up from this enormous civilization, the remains of the Chichen Itza is still held in awe. A number of travelers enjoy exploring the ancient site and exploring the nearby jungle that is certainly overflowing with flora and fauna. Other than having an incredible history, the area around the Chichen Itza ruins are fantastic for enjoyable outdoor adventures such as treking, hiking and bird watching.

Palenque

With regard to architecture, Palenque is thought to be essentially the most exceptional pre-Columbian site in all of Mexico. The ancient ruins within Palenque talk about the truly amazing elegance of the people, who once resided there, had made. Set pretty deep in the dense tropical jungle, surrounded by a chain of hills, the ruins of Palenque is an awe-inspiring spot to explore. The ancient city itself gives off that brooding mystery which makes you want to examine further and also uncover more. In all directions, the jungle is filled with innumerable varieties of wildlife.

Whale Sharks

From island Mujeres and Holbox island you can visit the whale sharks by boat or Hol Box island. Check this video to see it in action!

San Cristobal

For several years, the Tzotzil as well as Tzeltal Indian settlements, situated in a valley between the high mountains of Chiapas, has been one of the most well known tourist places in Mexico. The city of Cristobal has an 18th century feel about it and it is nested in a valley between high pine forests and surrounding hills. The hills as well as surrounding forests close by also create amazing tourist tracks.

2Adventuretravel.com is a great source of Mexico travel information. travel community is there for active travelers that enjoy the outdoors. To read more on traveling to Mexico see Adventure Travel Mexico.

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Birding Basics - Want To Become a Birder? Know The Equipments Needed
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 / Duende Adventure Travel

Bird watching is popular around the globe. This is no real shock, since in the busy and hectic lives many individuals lead there is certainly a need to be with nature and also look at creatures in their natural habitat, which as well as gratifying a need for solace, also makes folks feel rejuvenated. Many people become interested in bird watching; they want to see many different birds and discover what nature has to offer.

Yes, this hobby is quite different and has a lot to offer, but if you want to become a better birder and experience the best of this hobby then it is important to learn the birding basics:

You don’t need lots of products, however several items are nearly mandatory. What you will need are binoculars, a field guide as well as a suitable set of clothes and shoes which can create a camouflage in the natural surroundings.

Binoculars

In terms of selecting your binoculars, you must have in mind the very fact that the most challenging part for the majority of birders is merely getting to to see the birds, particularly if you’re an amateur. Having a good set of binoculars having a wide field of view will enable you to locate birds easily and follow their movements.

Your binoculars must also give bright enough images, simply because that is definitely very important for distinguishing subtle features, color variations and also small details, particularly if there’s insufficient sunlight and the surroundings are offering you with only limited dim light.

When you happen to be donning glasses, get binoculars that have a long enough ?eye relief?. This is a significant feature, simply because an indefinite view is amongst the fundamental elements to take into consideration any time you’ll be making use of a tool for many hours.

Preferably, you ought to steer clear of purchasing pocket-size binoculars. Despite the fact that the weight and also the size of pocket-size binoculars can be attractive for numerous individuals, the truth is that they’re inferior in quality to the view and features of numerous full-size binoculars.

Field guide

In case you are an inexperienced birder then know that there are lots of birding guides to help you know where to go, what to look for and spot some specific species of birds. It truly is a very good idea to have one of these, at least at the beginning while you are still learning the birding basics, specially if you’re curious about tracking down migratory or perhaps rare birds.

A lot of these guides many times have aerial maps as well as routes that the migrating birds take, and also having the times marked for when during the year these birds can be spotted. To find rare species, birding guides provide thorough information plus maps of the habitats where the birds you’re hunting for have highest population density thereby the most beneficial opportunity of watching it.

Apparel

In case you’re planning to take a journey into the countryside in order to observe birds, you must get a very good pair of shoes and clothes which in turn blend with the surroundings. It is significant not to don clothes made out of polyester because that will make a great deal of noise when you move, mainly because chances are you’ll scare the birds when approaching them. If perhaps you are planning to take a trip to an area of marshland, swamps and also other sorts of wetlands, you’ll also need an insect net for your face, for the reason that many of these areas are very often packed with mosquitoes, flies and also other insects.

Personal expertise

Personal skills is not really required but patience is, owing to the fact that these birds are naturally shy and may take an hour or longer before you can actually spot and see them in the area.

By adhering to the birding basics mentioned above, you are going to be on your way to becoming among the more effective birders and will be able to have several relaxing and also enjoyable hours in the countryside, blending with the natural environment and also keeping an eye on birds in their natural habitat.

Birding: nature at its best and an experience you don’t forget. See birding articles for more information. In case you’re looking to go birding right now, look for the birding tour from this Riviera Maya tours page.

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Part 4 - Mexico’s Architecture
Monday, August 15th, 2011 / Robert Nickel

In the first three parts of this series we discovered the beginnings of architecture in civilisation with the existence of the Aztec pyramids. With the arrival of the Spaniards most of the pre-Columbian structures were destroyed and replaced with Baroque style palaces and cathedrals. The Second Mexican Empire saw the influence of French design, but most profoundly in the area of urban planning. Mexico’s first president, Porifirio Diaz, sought to make Mexico City the Paris or London of Latin America. The initial result was a set of buildings designed by Italian French architects, with little to no Mexican influence.

When President Diaz had realized his mistake he made a decree that called for the placement of Mexican hero statues erected in prominent positions around the capital city. This was the beginning of a long tradition of adding historical monuments to public places. As the 20th century approached, more governmental figureheads and prominent artists were encouraging Mexicans to create a unique Mexican style of design. The message was to look at the pre-Columbian era for inspiration, the result was an out-flowing of design that incorporated elements of Aztec geometry, colonial architecture and regional characteristics to form a decidedly unique and genuine Mexican design style. President Diaz would have been proud.

At the beginning of the 20th century functionality and expression were the main schools of design in Mexico. Social service buildings were simple, yet practical and with decoration that spoke of Mayan themes. As with any new and independent stream of design, there is experimentation. For example, architect Felix Candela designed several thin-shelled structures like Church of the Miraculous Virgin in Mexico City. The courtyard of the Museum of Anthropology is a fine case of Mexican modern architecture, designed by Pedro Ramirez Vazquez. These examples are on the modernistic side of Mexican design, with square corners, simple lines and stark surfaces.

The other side of Mexican architecture carries more of a colonial edge, as is evident in Camino Real Hotel in Mexico City. With courtyards and terraces fashioned in the European style, the hotel has a definitive colonial flair, but is adorned with Hispanic colours and geometric shapes. It is a clear fusion of old and new design. There are innumerable examples of this style of Mexican architecture all over the nation, offering a vision of both the past and present.

Mexico’s architecture is not simple, either in its composition or its road to fruition. The people of Mexico have struggled for century upon century for their own national identity, and now they have reached a moment where an architectural identity has begun to be formed. Watch Mexico for its next contribution to the world of design.

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