The energy went in two completely different directions on our trip to see the ruins at Ek Balam. We were on our way, road-tripping through the small pueblos and wild jungles of the Yucatan, when we came across a tiny kitten sitting in the middle of the road in a Maya village called Leona Vicario. His little face was so tiny that his ears and eyes seemed huge. He was still as could be, just sitting right in the middle of the road, in shock, I believe. So, of course we stopped.

"This is where the hat turned into a snake." We were standing on top of The Hill of The Aluxob (plural for alux). Certainly it was once a stone Maya building of some sort, possibly a small pyramid, although now it is covered in young ceiba trees and strangler figs. A small circle of stones, rather like an old well, lay at our feet. Francisco, our shaman-guide told us that people had often stolen the stones because they are sacred. They hoped to bring good luck home with them

OK, this is a story you may not believe... tentacle and all. It happened in a private cenote called Maravilla, just down the road from Puerto Morelos. My friends Noe and Joanna had just returned from a dive trip to Mahajual on the southern edge of Mexico's Caribbean coast and they brought two divers back to Puerto Morelos with them--two girls, one a Chilean dive master and the other a Canadian dive instructor. Both had extensive scuba experience. The girls were interested in

His name was Elly. Well, it was much longer than that, but I can’t pronounce it and Elly fits just fine. We manifested him standing there beside the road, looking to catch a ride. At five o’clock that morning the three of us piled into the car and headed south into the Zona Maya with the intention of finding a Maya shaman. We wanted to do some investigating in the jungle and we thought it might be prudent to start by getting the blessing of the Maya since we would be digging

"Teach me about the goddess Xtabay (esh-ta-bay)." We were riding on a taxi-bike with Jose, our Maya tour guide and valiant peddler. There were two of us riding, Maria and I, and I know Jose got his workout for the day as he transported us down jungle paths, past sacred trees, Maya bees, and to the base of the tallest pyramid in Mexico. "Esh-ta-by " he corrected my pronunciation. (My spelling here, Xtabay, is correct. But the way I said it was a bit off.) "Xtabay is a bad god

We were escorted by butterflies. Butterflies in The Jungle Video It was a long ride deep into the jungle down a road that eventually turned to clay. Occasionally we stopped to allow the bright blue and black and yellow and white butterflies to stop their drinking in the puddles and fly up into a cloud like so many fairies. (see the video link above) When it was safe for us to pass without running over thirsty winged-creatures, they thanked us by leading the way deeper into th

Two trees always grow together here in the jungles of Mexico. Chechen and Chaca. One is toxic and the other is healing. Yesterday, I got the sap of the chechen (also known as black poisonwood) on my hand and within a few minutes I was extremely uncomfortable. My skin was red and burning and itching and swelling very quickly. The sap of the chechen tree is extremely toxic and, if left untreated, can cause first and second degree burns, blisters, and a nasty rash that itches so