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Tikal Reborn
Tikal's Grand Plaza, Guatemala
Sitting on the vastness of Tikal’s Mayan ruins it is common for visitors to imagine the bustling city that once thrived here. How it must have looked in its prime, with the jungle pushed far back to make way for endless crops and marvelous limestone structures that towered over the landscape. How proud its residents must have been to live in this shining capital of a dominant power.
And yet my thoughts were drawn in a completely different direction; Continue Reading →
Video of the Day: Leafcutter Ants
This column of leafcutter ants stretched through the jungle as far as the eye could see. What are they doing? Cutting leaves, of course. The better question is for what purpose? If you guessed feathering their nest, you’re thinking too simplistic. Incredibly these ants harvest leaves and shred them into a kind of mulch that they use to grow an edible fungus. They’re farmers and sophisticated ones too.
In addition to growing fungus, the ants also produce bacteria to fight a virulent disease that would otherwise devastate their crops. So it can be said that leafcutter ants developed organic agriculture 50 million years before people realized it was cool.
How to Build a Mobile Business
Shannon at work in Caye Caulker, Belize; just one of her many temporary offices.
There are multiple paths to a successful mobile business. Shannon’s route to fame and glory reflects her specific skills, interests, and professional network. Your path will be different and should be planned around your own unique abilities and passions. Here’s how to get started:
Monkey See
Mayan ruins are the main draw at Tikal in northeastern Guatemala, but we were equally interested in the other chief attraction: monkeys. Before we had even left the grounds of our hotel we crossed paths with a group of spider monkeys, including this little guy, who energetically entertained us by swinging from his tail and other antics—our first-ever sighting of primates in the wild.
The Colors of Flores
Set on a small island in Guatemala’s Lake Petén Itzá, the city of Flores is more than just a place to overnight en route to the Mayan ruins of Tikal. We spent a couple of days strolling its narrow cobblestone streets, exploring its historic church, and marveling at its amazingly colorful Spanish colonial architecture. It’s hard to be in a bad mood when in a place where everything is painted in such happy hues.
Everywhere Once 