Mexico Vacation Informer

Does the thought of lying on a picture-postcard perfect beach,
sipping tequila while listening to the sound of the surf gently lap
the shore make you immediately think of Mexico? Probably-after all,
Mexico is considered one of the most beautiful beach resort vacations
in the world and the millions of Americans who flock there every year
would definitely agree that Mexico ticks all their boxes.However,
there also are many other reasons to visit Mexico. For one thing, it
is steeped in culture and rich in a fascinating, blood soaked history
that deserves at least some of your attention when you travel to
Mexico.It is astonishing when you consider that 2700 years of some
astounding civilizations crumbled within a few years of the Spanish
Settlers invading South America. The Mayans, the Aztecs, and their
predecessors, the Olmecs, were light years ahead in many ways-both
intellectually and artistically gifted, compared to other
civilizations of their times. Even today, many of the Mayan's
beautiful structures still stand. Awestruck tourists frequently gaze
in wonder at the ancient temples of Palenque and Uxmal while howler
monkeys screech from the moist green jungle.The peaceful Mayans are
best known for their artistic and archaeological achievements. They
built huge ceremonial temples and lavishly decorated them with animal
carvings. They created intricate stone mosaics, often incorporating
faces of their gods. Today, there are several key Mayan sites, but the
carvings and reliefs made of stucco at Palenque are particularly fine
examples. The Mayans also invented a sophisticated writing system
which, unfortunately, died out the wake of the Spanish
colonization.However, the Aztecs are probably the most famous of all
the indigenous South American people. Stories of their gruesome
sacrifices continue to keep generations of school kids enthralled.
History books are filled with tales of how thousands of unfortunate
prisoners were sacrificed to the greedy Gods, but for all the Aztec
brutality and intense religious beliefs, their civilization was
remarkably sophisticated and politicized. Agriculture was productive
and on the whole their society ran very smoothly.In the end, it was
superstition and a generous helping of luck that brought about their
downfall. The Aztec Emperor, Montezuma II Xocoyotzin, was no match for
the Machiavellian scheming of the ambitious Cortez.But despite the
decimation of the Aztec Empire by Cortez, and subsequently the ravages
of disease, their legacy has not been forgotten. Most modern day
Mexicans are a mixture of indigenous blood and European Spanish
ancestry. Mexico City, founded on the ruins of the Aztec capital city,
Tenochtitl�n, retains many of the original names. Mexican cuisine,
popular throughout the world, is based on and flavored by foodstuffs
originally used by the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples.It would
be a tragedy to ignore the fascinating stories that make Mexico such a
fascinating and diverse vacation destination. From the ancient
temples, to the beautiful colonial palaces left behind by the
descendants of Cortez, you can't fail to be moved by the turbulent
history of such a vibrant country.