In the Heart of America

In the Heart of America - Travels in Mexico and Central America takes the reader deep into the region's shared culture and brilliantly fuses its hoary antiquity with contemporary life. As he visits the ancient archaeological sites of Teotihuacan, Monte Alban, Mitla, Palenque, Bonampak, Yaxchilan and Tikal, the author celebrates the superior artistic and technical achievements of the flourishing pre-Columbian civilisations of Maya, Zapotec, Aztec, Mixtec and others - and rejoices at the present reassertion and rediscovery of native culture and traditions. His deep curiosity about evolutionary history and archaeological anthropology leads him to hypothesise the presence of a Negroid population in the Americas long before the arrival of the Mongoloid Asians from across the Bering Strait. It is a breezy satire of the region's troubled past shaped by marauding conquistadors, industrious clergy, ragtag revolutionaries and corrupt leaders who did nothing to help the lives of the poor - and describes the senseless suffering being wrought today by brutal gangs that pedal drugs, smuggle people and extort innocent citizens. People recount disturbing reminiscences about the horrors of civil wars and share their hopes for a more peaceful future. As he travels overland the length of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, the author observes the impact of global warming and highlights measures being taken by these countries to manage the looming crisis. Full of wit and humour, it has lively descriptions of the bewildering beauty of landscape and people - and entertaining accounts of the author's brushes with ladies of easy virtue, thuggish immigration officials, murderous teachers and nauseating cuisine. A deftly crafted travelogue on one of the most fascinating region of our planet, it is a light, fun read that will linger long in the mind. The text is enhanced with 91 colour photographs.