August 30, 2010
Canter: Tulija-Lacanja Route - The “Long Valley”

Another chapter in Ron Canter's work on Maya trade routes. Complete text can be read by clicking More.

MORE...
Posted by Dave at 11:52 AM
August 22, 2010
Colom will "take back" Laguna del Tigre from the narcos

epa - european pressphoto agency: Colom enviará Ejército para expulsar a narcotraficantes de biosfera maya

The president of Guatemala said he will send the army to take back the biosphere reserve from the drug traffickers who have set up bases throughout the Peten. He did not say how many troops he would send.

Posted by Dave at 10:06 AM
August 08, 2010
July 23, 2010
Soconusco Road - Canter

A new essay by Ron Canter on the Soconusco trails (water and land) between present-day Chiapas and the Guatemalan Highlands. These were major trade routes in Classic Maya times. Click below for the full essay.

MORE...
Posted by Dave at 05:12 PM
July 18, 2010
Maya King's Tomb in El Zotz

Discovered by Stephen Houston's team in May of this year.

Mayan king's tomb discovered in Guatemala - Telegraph

Posted by Dave at 08:09 AM
June 22, 2010
Rios Tzaconeja and Soledad, Chiapas

(Latest notes from Ron Canter)

RIO TZACONEJA [Tzajalob] – approx. 24 km, in two segments, may be navigable

Though the river is all whitewater in its several canyons, two
sections of the Rio Tzaconeja may have been navigable in the past. The
headwaters were not. They funnel into fault-controlled Encajonado Huistan,
which runs straight east for 30 km to Cerro Chajlib. In the last 10 km
from Naranjal to the Altamirano bridge, Class 3 and 4 rapids are frequent,
with a couple of portages at bad spots (Mayan Whitewater, 2010).

MORE...
Posted by Dave at 05:09 PM
June 10, 2010
CIEPAC on Chiapas Dams 2002

Bulletin 303: The Hydroelectric Megaprojects of the PPP - Dams for Chiapas! - (Second Part)

This dates back to the beginning of my involvement in the dam issue, and the beginning of this blog. But I don't think I ever posted it. Thanks to Ron Canter for bringing it to my attention.

Posted by Dave at 03:05 PM
June 07, 2010
May 31, 2010
Massive sinkhole in Guatemala City

The Gates of Hell Just Opened In Guatemala

Posted by Dave at 06:49 PM
May 18, 2010
Oldest tomb found in Chiapa de Corzo

Pyramid Tomb Found: Sign of a Civilization's Birth?

Posted by Dave at 11:02 PM
May 02, 2010
NYTimes on Mexico crisis

Op-Ed Columnist - Narcos, No's and Nafta - NYTimes.com

Friedman's take on the changes needed in Mexico.

Posted by Dave at 09:21 AM
March 27, 2010
The Fall of Mexico

The Fall of Mexico - Magazine - The Atlantic

The state of the drug war in the north. In the Maya region, the traffic flows unimpeded around us, but we have not seen the violence of other parts of the country.

Posted by Dave at 10:39 AM
February 20, 2010
Guatemala requests lifting of Military Embargo

Guatemala has requested that the U.S. lift the embargo on military aid that has been in place since the 80's. They emphasize that they are not asking for arms, but for vehicles like fast boats with which they could patrol and intercept narcotraffickers.

elPeriódico de Guatemala » País » Guatemala pide levantamiento de embargo militar a EE.UU.

Posted by Dave at 02:11 AM
February 14, 2010
January 22, 2010
The Grijalva - Ron Canter

Ron Canter continues his study of Maya watersheds with an important article on the Grijalva River, which begins near the Guatemala border, winds through the States of Chiapas, and Tabasco, to join with the Usumacinta and empty into the Gulf of Mexico. It has long since been exploited for hydroelectric power, drowning innumerable and now unknowable ancient settlements. It is a hint of what could happen if the Usumacinta dams are ever built.

Ron's full article can be read by clicking "More". The photo above shows the Grijalva, at the site of San Isidro, in 1981 as the river is rising due to new dams.

MORE...
Posted by Dave at 03:19 PM
November 28, 2009
Cleaning up the Usumacinta

5 million pesos does not seem like much to clean up pollution and trash in the river, but it's better than nothing. The Usumacinta drains an enormous area of Guatemala and Mexico, getting contamination from trash and agricultural chemicals along the way.

Invertirán más de 5 mdp al Cañón del Usumacinta

Posted by Dave at 11:11 AM
November 27, 2009
Zetas train Maras in drug trade

The Zetas, Mexican ex-military drug traffickers, are training members of the Salvadoran gangs to work in drug transshipments through northern Guatemala. The training took place in Laguna del Tigre, the biosphere reserve in the Peten.

elsalvador.com :.: Los Zetas entrenaron a doce MS salvadoreños

Posted by Dave at 11:33 AM
November 14, 2009
Online Popol Vuh

Via Elaine Schele

Popol Wuj online - Ohio State University Libraries

Posted by Dave at 01:44 PM
November 11, 2009
Lake Atitlan, Ecological disaster

Friend ALonso Mendez just sent a dispatch from Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, where in the last 20 days an enormous "algae bloom" (actuallu mats of cyanobacteria) has covered much of the lake. It is a problem that has been coming for a long time, due to human sewage problems and neglect and corruption among the officials charged with improving the treatment plants.

Guatemala News | Guatemalas Lake Atitlan disaster, the explanation

Posted by Dave at 10:17 PM
November 08, 2009
Hospitalito Atitlan will open soon

They have come a long way but still need your help. Every donation will be matched by a challenge grant they have received.

Hospitalito Atitlan

Posted by Dave at 09:13 PM
October 26, 2009
Higher res Usumacinta, Google Earth

Thanks to Charles Golden for pointing out the new, higher resolution imaging of the Usumacinta watershed in Google Earth. Downside? You can see clearly the extent of the deforestation around the Yaxchilan oxbow in the Sierra del Lacandon Park on the Guatemalan side.


Posted by Dave at 11:53 AM
October 25, 2009
HFOSS

An inspiring day yesterday at Open Mobile Camp 09, particularly meeting the team from Trinity College working on the POSIT system under HFOSS.

The Humanitarian FOSS Project - Home

Posted by Dave at 10:16 PM
October 24, 2009
Calderon to visit Guatemala Monday

The President of Mexico will inaugurate an electrical station that will transfer power to Guatemala.

Prensa Libre - Edición electrónica - Portada

Posted by Dave at 08:57 AM
October 22, 2009
Packrafts, and the one that got away

Story of Alpacka packrafts, like the one I had until we were robbed on the Usumacinta. But that's a long story. I did buy a new one. Great fun.

River Lite - Floats Great, Less Filling - NYTimes.com

Posted by Dave at 07:05 PM
October 15, 2009
NaNoWriMo

Yeah, uh, maybe not this year. But this is a good post for my little-used Scribe category.

5 ways for Mac users to get ready for NaNoWriMo

Posted by Dave at 11:40 PM
Usumacinta Oil Rig Disaster lawsuits

Lawsuits against four companies, including Halliburton. This article has a good description of what happened, and the plaintiff's claims of why it happened - faulty consulting as to the condition of the seabed in the area the rig was installed.

Four American companies named as defendants in suit over explosion on Mexican offshore rig | Southeast Texas Record

Posted by Dave at 12:26 PM
October 04, 2009
Grainger, Reuters - Guatemala

Sarah Grainger of Reuters is doing some excellent reporting on Guatemala.

News Search Results | Reuters.com - Grainger + Guatemala

See the latest:

Budget woes weaken Guatemala army in drugs war | Reuters

Posted by Dave at 12:29 PM
October 01, 2009
"They call me the president of Climate Change"

So said the president of Guatemala after a forum in Chile. A sidebar on this news page notes that he has also called for a quintupling of oil production in the country.

elPeriódico de Guatemala » País » "Me llaman el presidente del cambio climático"

Posted by Dave at 12:49 PM
September 29, 2009
Xrez of Tikal

The xRez team was at Domefest this past weekend, showing a spectacular timelapse and gigapixel desert piece that eclipsed the computer generated 3D extravaganzas. Beautiful work. Here's their page of Tikal images, scans, and movies.

xRez_tikal

Posted by Dave at 11:25 PM
September 19, 2009
There went the neighborhood

I played at CBGB's in fall of 1974. Since 1975 I have lived within a block of Extra Place. Changed but not forgotten.

Kevin Walsh: The Evolution of Extra Place

Posted by Dave at 10:20 PM