The Real Expedition
Explore the Real Adventure Behind the Book
The Adventures of a Maya Archaeologist: Snakes, Scorpions, and Jungle Discoveries may read like an adventure story, but it was inspired by my real experiences working as an archaeologist in the Guatemalan rainforest. The photographs below show some of the real places, wildlife and archaeology behind the story.
The Site
Chapter 3: Arrival at Camp
Suddenly, I spotted a wooden sign. “Bienvenido a San Bartolo,” it read. “Welcome to San Bartolo,” Laura translated.
Matthew’s eyes widened. “So this is it? The Maya ruins? Best school trip ever!”
Chapter 21: The World’s Wildest Office
Gradually, my jungle office filled with equipment. I hammered nails into the wooden posts and hung artefact bags…
My new office might not have had walls, but it did have a view of a Maya house that was several thousand years old.
And that was much better.
The Camp
Chapter 3: Arrival at Camp
At the back of the tents, I found showers, though “showers” may be a generous term for them.
Next to the showers, I spotted a small hut with a thatched roof and a tarpaulin sheet for a door. ..the toilet.
Chapter 13: The Jungle Cinema
After dinner, Laura appeared carrying a white bedsheet.
Scott and Chris helped tie it up between two poles at one end of the kitchen area.
Soon word spread through the camp – “Movie Night!”
The Excavations
Chapter 5: The Hidden Pyramid
Part of a mural, a painting made directly onto a wall. Most of it was hidden, but in one clear patch I could see a figure painted in brilliant red, with hints of yellow and black.
Chapter 23: The 2,000-Year-Old Suprise
I slowed my digging, brushing away soil as gently as possible.
Piece after piece appeared...
Soon I had almost the entire bowl.
The Wildlife
Chapter 20: The Birthday That Went Bang
Standing on the ground nearby was one of the cutest animals I had ever seen.
It looked a bit like an overgrown squirrel, with brown fur, a curious pointed nose, and a long tail sticking straight up into the air.
Chapter 28: The Case of the Missing Jaguar
In the middle of the crowd sat a large blue container lined with leaves.
Something small and golden moved inside it. Dark rosettes covered its fur.
My eyes widened.
It was a baby jaguar.
The Adventure Continues…
Every expedition begins with curiosity. A question.
These photographs show some of the real adventures behind the book, but perhaps your own adventure is still waiting to begin.
So keep asking questions. Keep exploring.