World of the Maya
World of the Maya - Expedition Map The Ancient Olmec City

The region inhabited by Maya decedents stretches today from southeastern Mexico to Honduras and El Salvador. The large region has a common cultural heritage in terms of language, customs, dress, architecture, and artistic styles. Their massive stone palaces give us the inside to the history of mostly independent and loosely affiliated Maya city-states. All cities fought with their neighbors, they flourished, or suffered defeat. Some of the cities were abandoned long before the arrival of the Spaniards. Lost cities reconstructed by archeologists are silent witnesses of the ancient civilization.

Trip Statistics:

Title of the expedition:
World of the Maya
Objective:
Getting to know the ancient Maya civilization and its place in Mesoamerica, the culture, architectural styles and art, the consequences of Maya contact with the Europeans
Where:
Mexico, Belize, Guatemala
When:
October 2019 - March 2020
Total distance driven of this trip:
17,840 km / 11,085 miles
Ancient Maya cities visited:
24
Maya ruins where we were not allowed to enter:
2
Maya caves
2
Olmec archeological sites visted:
1
Olmec colossal heads:
4
Car ferries:
3
Passenger boat trips:
4
Border crossings:
5

Preparations for the expedition:

After the robbery in Mexico, this time I focused on the vehicle vehicle security. Thieves broke into our car forcing the lock key cylinder. I wanted to make sure that this would not happen again. Manual door locks and key entry proved to be the weakest point, so I disabled them. I added tilt and glass break sensors to car alarm. I installed door hinge security locks and anti-theft car battery protection. I installed a wall between cargo compartment and the passenger area. Rear door glass was replaced with unbreakable polycarbonate sheet.

Photo Diary:


© 2019 Maciej Swulinski