Tag Archives: Chichen Itza

Unexpected Shaman (6) – The Ball in your Court -Steve Tanham

Manuel is speaking, but he’s wrong… This thought hits home as my unseen flight ends with a trip over the ledge that marks the boundary of a small incline. Ahead of me, the tourists turn and politely ignore the unhurt … Continue reading

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Unexpected Shaman (5) – Life and Death on Kukulcan by Steve Tanham

The count had reached one forty steps by the time the newfound realised what was happening. Below him, the rising air from the plateau smelled, newly, of summer grasses and deeply-perfumed flowers.  The sun, near vertical overhead, beat down with a … Continue reading

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Unexpected Shaman (4) – In the Mouth of the Jaguar by Steve Tanham

Really? A giant, black, Jaguar materialised from the south face of the Chichen Itza pyramid and thundered across the ground to devour you? On one level, it’s a preposterous thing to write; on another, it’s the heart of the matter. … Continue reading

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Unexpected Shaman (3) – The head in the jaws by Steve Tanham

I’ve decided there is something Shamanic about suffering. The past few years have been challenging for me in a very specific way: whenever I have approached an important event, particularly one where I have to ‘perform’ well, in a dramatic … Continue reading

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Unexpected Shaman (2) – two journeys to Chichen Itza by Steve Tanham

Jerome, my newly-found Mayan Shaman friend, was born in Belize, and had travelled before settling, for the present, in Yucatan, Mexico. I had been surprised at how vividly alive the Mayan culture was in this part of Central America. It … Continue reading

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Unexpected Shaman (1) by Steve Tanham

Jerome (not his real name, but those are his hands) had been teaching us some elementary Spanish. We had been advised that the lesson was half an hour later than billed, but it had started on time. By the time … Continue reading

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