Anja Mondragon

Quetzaltenango, or Xela, means home of the quetzales.  A small valley in southern Guatemala hosts this little town and the PLQ school.  They not offer language courses but also provide a full history of Guatemala including the horrific armed conflict.  It is hard to imagine that only 30 years ago Guatemala was in a dire state. […]

Over 52 structures stand in Tikal, Guatemala.  However, they are hidden in the massive ever growing forests.  They say that it took over 20 years to build a single structure in Tikal and that it takes about the same time to clear the forest from the Maya pyramids.  Even after 100 years they become covered […]

The tourist in me decided to go to Chichen Itza but the detective in me decided to find out the truth about the end of the world prophesy.  What I found was that the future as well as the past is still unknown.   The Mayans had an astonishing level of sophistication during their prime.  A high […]

Welcome to the Yucatan!  It is amazing to be landed in this part of the world and yet I seam to be finding so many similarities to home.  Cancún is a rich city with delicious food, dancing and a year-round spring break crowd.  Sorry to say I have already left and am now in Mérida a post-colonial […]