Off the coast of Nicaragua and El Salvador
Heading to Guatemala
Buon Compleanno George! Woke up very early this morning. Did a little reading and went for a walk to the Coffee Connection for a morning cappuccino and brioche. This morning the barman made the cappuccino, not the usual machine-made cappuccino. It was so much better! Learning to work the system, slowly, but still learning.
Went back to the room and rested on the sofa until about ten when Mary woke up. We went up to La Veranda for breakfast. After breakfast we went down to the card room to read and played canasta. Back to the room because I forgot to bring a pen. There I found a note from Destination Services saying the Shore Excursion tomorrow had been cancelled. So, it was down to Destination Services to find an alternative. Antiqua was the only reasonable choice for tomorrow, so I took the tour offered at 10:15. Mary and I were both very disappointed that we won’t be able to go to Guatemala City. Apparently, the tour operator cancelled at the last minute. Mary has been to Antigua five years ago when she was a volunteer for the hearing clinic.
Walking back to the card room I could see many people looking at the tour options trying to make a replacement choice. Everyone is out this morning, playing games, cards, chess, checkers and other activities. This is really the first time I have seen so many people out and about.
We chose to have lunch at the coffee connection. They put out salami, cheeses, roast turkey, and other makings for little sandwiches. You have a choice of different breads, rolls, croissants, bagels, and crackers. We each made a small sandwich and had a soft drink with it.
Terry Bishop was hosting the Speaker Series at 2 in the Constellation Theater. He is a good speaker so we decided to attend. He started from an interesting viewpoint. What was going on in history in mesoamerica vs what was going on in Europe and North Africa at the same time. There were a number of parallels. One of the biggest differences was the invention of the wheel. Europe and North Africa having had the wheel since sometime in the 4th millennium BCE. The Aztec, Mayan and Inca civilizations didn’t get the wheel until the Europeans brought it with them.
Much like their European brothers the Aztec Empire or culture was an organization of multiple city states. The Aztec Empire was a confederation of three city-states, Tenochtitlan, the city-state of the Mexica or Tenochca, Texcoco and Tlacopan, which was established around 1427. 15th Century Spain saw the foundation of a unified Spain with the marriage and joint rule of Isabella I and Ferdinand II. It was also the time of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition, established in 1478 by Ferdinand I and Isabella I.
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition, was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile.
The culture of central Mexico included the cultivation of maize (corn), the social division between nobility (pipiltin) and commoners (macehualtin), the building of pantheons (churches) and a complex calendar system (xiuhopualli calendar of 365 days, intercalated with a tonalpohualli of 260 days). Meanwhile the Gregorian calendar which is used in most parts of the world went into effect in 1582; replacing the Julian Calendar.
The mesoamerican empire extended its reach by a combination of trade and military conquest. Oh, just like what was going on in Europe at the time. The mesoamerican empire was never a true territorial empire controlling a territory by large military garrisons in conquered provinces, but rather dominated its client city-states primarily by installing friendly rulers in conquered territories, by constructing marriage alliances, think Ferdinand II and Isabella I, between the ruling dynasties, and by extending an imperial ideology to its client city-states. The client city-states paid taxes, not tribute to the Aztec emperor.
The system, known as Huey Taltoani, in an economic strategy limiting communication and trade between outlying polities, making them dependent on the imperial center for the acquisition of luxury goods. The political clout of the empire reached far south into Mesoamerica conquering polities as far south as Chiapas and Guatemala and spanning Mesoamerica from the Pacific to the Atlantic oceans.
The empire reached its peak in 1519, just prior to the arrival of a small group of the treasure hunting, conversion happy and blood thirsty Spanish conquistadors lead by none other than Hernan Cortés. Cortés allied with city-states opposed to the Mexica, particularly the Nahuatl-speaking Tlaxcalteca as well as other central Mexican polities, including Texcoco, its former ally in the Triple Alliance. The fall came on 13 August 1521 with the capture of emperor Cuachtemoc.
After the destruction of the superstructure of the Aztec Empire in 1521, the Spanish used the city-states on which the Aztec Empire had been built, to rule the indigenous populations via their local nobles. Hey just like they did in Spain and elsewhere in Europe. Nobles pledged loyalty to the Spanish crown and converted, at least nominally, to Christianity, and, in return, were recognized as nobles by the Spanish crown. These Nobles acted as intermediaries to convey taxes and mobilize labor for their new overlords, facilitating the establishment of Spanish colonial rule. A a result Spain became one of the richest powers in Europe.
It should be obvious that the similarities between the two cultures exists. The Eurocentric view of the world often depicts the cultures of mesoamerica as backwards. A couple things they didn’t have, the wheel and gun powder didn’t make them backward. They practiced human sacrifice. Hey what was the Spanish Inquisition a tea party? Yes they were two different cultures and history is written by the winner. That doesn’t make history books either all knowing or accurate.
The Packers versus Cowboys was on TV at 3:30. Mary stayed in the room to watch that and I went to the cigar lounge to hangout. About 6:30 we met at the poolside grill and had hamburgers for dinner. Then Mary returned to our suite to watch the Rams versus Lions, while I went back to the cigar lounge. At 9, it was my bed time, so I returned to the suite. Mary was still watching the game as my head hit the pillow.
Buonanotte e Ciao, Enrico
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