Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to be
estar
(regular except for
estoy
, I am)
to be
ser
(very irregular:
soy, es, somos, son
)
Use
estar
when speaking of location or a temporary state of being: “I am at home.”
“Estoy
en casa.”
“I'm sick.”
“Estoy enfermo.”
Use
ser
for a permanent state of being: “I am a
doctor.”
“Soy doctora.”
—Adapted by Al Argueta from Bruce
Whipperman's
Moon Pacific Mexico.
Pre-Columbian History
Coe, Michael D.
Breaking the Maya Code.
New York: Thames and Hudson, 1999. Chron-
icles the work of several scholars involved in the eventual decipherment of the meaning
behind the Mayan glyphs.
Coe, Michael D.
The Maya
, 7th edition. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2005. A classic
reference manual on the Mayans and essential guide for the traveler that includes useful
color plates.
Demarest, Arthur.
Ancient Maya: The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization
. Cam-
bridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Written by a prominent archaeologist who has
worked on numerous projects in Guatemala, this topic explores the ecological aspects of
the rise of Mayan civilization and the role of internecine warfare in its demise.
Harrison, Peter.
The Lords of Tikal: Rulers of an Ancient Maya City
. New York: Thames
and Hudson, 2000. Traces the history of Tikal from its humble beginning to its apogee in
the late 9th century A.D.
Montgomery, John.
Tikal: An Illustrated History of the Ancient Maya Capital
. New York:
Hippocrene Topics, 2000. Wonderfully illustrated with photos, maps, and drawings, this is
a good introduction to Tikal for the visitor and casual Mayanist.
Colonial Era
Lovell, W. George.
Conquest and Survival in Colonial Guatemala: A Historical Geo-
graphy of the Cuchumatán Highlands
, 3rd edition. Kingston, Ontario: McGill-Queen's
UniversityPress,2004.Quicklybecomingaclassic,thislandmarkworkcoverstheSpanish
conquest and the survival of the local indigenous culture despite the ravages of colonial
legacies while linking the roots of the past to more recent sociopolitical conditions.
