Tazumal in El Salvador - Appears to have been influenced by the Aztec or even possibly the earlier Teotihuacano culture of Mexico. I'll add more as I find out.

Calakmul's Giant Pyramid 

AdventureWalkers To Scope Out Ruins in El Salvador

I'm headed south to visit ruins in El Salvador the last week in April to determine if they should be placed on an Adventurewalker itinerary in the future. (A fortunate consulting trip there to discuss the CAFTA--CentralAmerican Free Trade Agreement--has presented the opportunity). Amazingly enough, both Olmec and Aztec influence from Southern Mexico is found there along with the expected Mayan influence. The site, Tazumal, is a primary objective as is the Joya de Ceren, a site that preserves ancient dwellings in ash due to a Pompeii-like eruption of the volcano Quezaltepec. Apparently there is an ancient source of jade, the most precious of all Mesoamerican substances, nearby. I'll keep you all posted on the results. All the best...Chris

Dr. Walker Helicopters in to The Hidden City of El Mirador

Dr. Marlan Walker, whose group travel experiences over the past 50 years in Latin America and other destinations has provided the inspiration for AdventureWalkers, had a rare opportunity to see an ancient Mesoamerican city in its pristine, near undiscovered form last month when he flew by helicopter into the El Mirador (The Lookout) complex in Northern Guatemala. Characterized by the largest pyramid yet discovered in Mesoamerica surrounded by 27 separate city complexes, the site is mind-boggling in its scope. We'll continue to follow the cues of El Mirador's most committed advocate, Dr. Richard Hansen, a UCLA-trained Archeologist who has spent more than a decade studying the site and working to protect it for its archeological and cultural value to Guatemala and the rest of the world. You can find an article about Dr. Hansen's efforts on the adventurewalker website at www.adventurewalkers.com > interesting articles.

Discovering Ancient Mexico -- October 2005

The AdventureWalkers little "corps of discovery" is off on another adventure in October, visiting the ruins of ancient Maya kingdoms deep in the Yucatan jungles of Southern Mexico. This excursion will be much like our last (October 2004) with the significant addition of the huge city complex of Calakmul, resting like a lost jewel in the middle of a bioreserve. Its massive Pyramid # 2 is a breathtaking edifice, and the view from the top unforgetable. River trips provide a change of pace, down the winding Usumacinta to the remote and seldom seen city of Yaxchilan, home of some of the finest Maya Iconography in the world... and up the Grijalva River through the near unfathomable 4,000 foot high walls of Sumidero Canyon. Beautiful colonial towns of Oaxaca and Puebla provide a few days of R&R before the return home. There, we'll visit the amazing ruins of the ancient Zapotec and Mixtec races. The markets in Oaxaca are brimming with beautiful handcrafted weavings, pottery and "artisania". Those in Puebla with the colorful and famous Mexican Talavera china. It promises to be the Experience of a Lifetime. As an added bonus, we will be there through the days approaching "Dia de los muertos", the "Day of the Dead" a sort of Mexican version of Halloween characterized by facinating cultural experiences, parades and handicrafts. (A few of you have done this trip without Calakmul, stay posted for more updates)