Maya civilization
The Maya civilization was one of the great Mesoamerican and Pre-Columbian civilizations. The Maya were renowned for having the most sophisticated and developed writing system in the Western Hemisphere as well as their monumental achievements in art, architecture and astronomy. At its height, the Maya cultural area spanned the Yucatan Peninsula and highlands of Chiapas in Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and parts of western Honduras and El Salvador.
Destinations
Belize
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Caracol. At first a client state of Tikal, Caracol surged in prominence from the early 7th century. During its golden age, Caracol supported a population more than twice that of Belize City, the largest city in modern Belize, and covered a much wider area.
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Lamanai. Famous for a trio of temples: the Jaguar Temple, Mask Temple and High Temple. All of them have been fairly well preserved though face the ongoing battle of being covered by the dense jungle growth.
El Salvador
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Tazumal. On the southernmost fringes of the Maya cultural sphere, Tazumal was a major city from the preclassic all the way to the late postclassic period. It contains some of the oldest metal artifacts in Mesoamerica.
Eat
The staples of the Maya diet were maize (corn), squash, beans and chili peppers. Meats were mostly obtained by hunting though dogs and turkeys may have been domesticated.
The Maya were the first people to cultivate the cacao plant and drink an ancient form of chocolate. Avocados were a commonly eaten fruit and used in a variety of dishes.