Happy World Book Day!
I am currently editing my book, The Adventures of a Maya Archaeologist.
The book cover is just a quick mock-up i created to get children excited, I am hoping the book will be published in time for the new school year—if you’d like to be notified when it is published, just add your email to the mailing list at the bottom of the page.
You can read the first chapter below (sneak peek!)
Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins
“Bejuco! Laura shouted.
I ducked just in time as a thick vine slammed against the jeep window with a loud thwack, leaving a long scratch across the metal door.
Heads and arms quickly pulled back inside the jeep.
“Just missed that one!” Matthew shouted, griping the seat in front of him.
“Yeah,” said Paul, leaning back with a grin. “One second later and your head would’ve been garrotted!”
Matthew turned to him, eyes wide. “Garrotted?”
“Well,” he said cheerfully, making a slicing motion with his hand, “it’s when something long and sharp wraps around your neck and—”
“Paul!” his mum, Laura, interrupted sharply from the front seat. “Enough! Oh no—bejuco!”
We were winding our way through the Guatemalan rainforest to reach the ancient Maya archaeological site of San Bartolo.
I could hardly believe I was really here. I had come all the way from the UK to study Maya archaeology, and this was my first chance to work on a real excavation.
This adventure was more than I had ever imagined. It felt like I had stepped straight into one of the stories I used to read or the adventure films I watched on television.
Mike, the director, was driving the dusty blue jeep, leaning forward slightly as he carefully steered around roots and branches. Beside him sat Laura, his wife, her blond hair tied back in a ponytail that flicked from side to side every time we hit a bump.
In the back were the rest of us. Chris, my camp mate and I were squeezed together on one side. Opposite us sat the two brothers, Paul and Matthew.
They looked so alike they could almost have been twins, both with short brown hair and sun-tanned skin. Paul, the older one at eleven, seemed to enjoy teasing his younger brother whenever he got the chance.
The windows were open to let the air in, but instead of cool breezes we mostly got buzzing insects and waves of jungle heat. Sweat trickled down my back. It was only eight in the morning, but it was already 30 degrees Celsius. I had never experienced anything like this in the UK, not even during our biggest summer heatwaves!
All around us were dense trees. We were following a narrow trail called a brecha, which is a path chopped through the forest using machetes— big, sword-like knives used to cut through thick vines and branches.
I was buzzing with excitement.
Not only was I about to dig at my first ancient Maya site, but I was going to be living in the rainforest for three whole months. I’ve always loved camping, but this was on a completely different level. This wasn’t weekend camping… this was full-on jungle survival!
“Ouch! That hurt!” Chris groaned rubbing his head, as the jeep bounced over a tree root. We were flying up and down in our seats like we were on a roller coaster. Chris who was really tall, kept bumping his head on the roof.
“Hey! Look—a monkey!”
“Where?” Matthew twisted around in his seat.
“Over there!” Paul pointed into the trees. “On the right—look! There’s three of them!”
I leaned out of the window and saw three brown monkeys swinging through the branches. “They’re our welcome party,” I thought, then –
WHACK!
A vine slapped me straight across the face.
“Bejuco!” everyone shouted at once laughing.
“Okay,” I muttered, rubbing my cheek, “I’m definitely staying away from the window.”
Suddenly Laura placed a hand on Mike’s shoulder, “Mike, stop the car. Look in the branches!”
Mike slowed the jeep and and looked up to where she was pointing, scratching his dark beard.
“A scarlet macaw” he exclaimed.
We all craned our necks upward and wow!
Perched high in the trees was one of the most dazzling birds I had ever seen, flashing feathers of bright red, yellow, and blue through the leaves.
The ancient Maya admired these birds too, painting them on vases and carving them into stone. The founder of the great Maya city of Copán was even named after the macaw, along with another much-loved bird, the quetzal, whose shimmering feathers decorated the headdresses and capes of Maya rulers. Sadly, these amazing birds are now endangered, so spotting one was really special.
Before long, we reached a fork in the path. The trail to the left was used by local people collecting sap from the chicozapote tree, the very tree that gives us chicle, the natural ingredient used to make chewing gum.
Long ago, the ancient Maya also used its sticky resin to help make the rubber balls for their famous ballgame. But we were heading right deeper into the rainforest. I could hardly wait to see what we would discover next!
Chris grinned and joked, “Hey Mike, you forgot to use your indicator signal for turning right. What if we got hit by traffic?”
Everyone burst out laughing.
There was no traffic here, just endless forest.
Somewhere ahead of us, hidden beneath the trees, were the ancient Maya ruins we had come to explore.
None of us knew yet what we were about to discover there.
But one thing was certain.
The adventure had only just begun.
Loved the beginning! Let me know when it is available! I’ve been to ruins in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras, and it was all amazing! The journey as well!
Thank you!
Very good i like it