5 Ajaw 18 Muwaan. Drawing by Jorge Pérez de Lara.
Happy Gregorian New Year to everyone! I recently returned from a trip to Guatemala, where I was able to have a productive meeting with Juan Rodrigo Guarchaj and Ajpub Pablo Garcia Ixmata to help plan for the upcoming Fourth International Congreso this July. Following this, I traveled to Belize, where I led a student trip that included facilitating a workshop with Ernesto and Aurora Saqui and Manuel Bolon for 28 participants in Maya Centre in the Stann Creek District.
I had met Ernesto and Aurora on two previous student trips that I co-led in Belize in 2003 and 2004, and it was a great honor to work with them again at the beautiful grounds of their Nuuk Che’il Cottages where they hosted our one-day workshop under a large, thatched meeting hall on January 7th. After meeting Manuel Bolon at the Third International Congreso in 2016, Manuel invited me to come to Belize to help with hieroglyphic instruction, since some time had passed since 2013, when our former president, Bruce Love, facilitated workshop with Ernesto Saqui in Toledo.
Our group, with Ernesto and Aurora Saqui standing in front.