Twelve students travel to Yucatan, Mexico to learn about Mayan culture

From Feb 12 to 18, twelve Haverford students traveled to Mexico, leading with the question: "How might we better preserve and understand indigenous knowledge and history?"

During the trip, Haverford boys connected with the efforts of the Yucatec Maya people, descendants of the ancient empire that once occupied the Yucatan Peninsula, to preserve their distinct culture and community traditions in a region now dominated by tourism and international influence. 

Faculty chaperones Senora Lambour and Mr. Fus communicated to families throughout the trip. Of their visit to Chichén Itzá, they wrote: "One of the wonders of the world! Pictures don’t do it justice; it is really magical." During the trip, the boys discovered a love for horchata and learned how to cook traditional meals. While visiting the Mayan village of Yaxunah, boys learned how to prepare the seasoning for meats called Pibil. Pibil is, as our faculty chaperones described, "a traditional dish and way of preparing meats buried in an underground 'oven' or 'pib.'" Boys made chicken pibil, smashing the spices together to make the seasoning paste, rubbing the seasoning on the chicken, and helping to bury the pot in the pib. During their trip, they met farmers, artisans, and even a sweet dog named Pepe. 

After their final day visiting Uxmal, families learned that the travelers were "all in awe of the beautiful architecture and knowledge the Mayan people had." The group returned on the night of Tuesday, Feb 18, tired but feeling fulfilled after a fun, educational week abroad.