I have wanted to know more about the Maya and the interaction of their lives with the larger world, especially as the world moves to visit them as tourists. I am looking forward to better understanding the role that religion and healing play in this dynamic interaction, as many tourists today seek out the Mayan archaeological sites as special areas of sacred power. As we watched Quetzil Casteneda’s movie several weeks ago, we appreciated the multiple interpretations attached to special locations from Mayan history, especially by tourists and especially New Age religious pracitioners:
I want to understand how tourism affects contemporary Mayan society and how Mayans participate in this phenomena today. But equally important to understanding contemporary cultures in the Yucatan is how these sites are portrayed for their visitors. I can’t wait!
