Author: wayfarersoliloquy

Matt Dursum is a freelance writer from Michigan. He specializes in food, wine, travel, and surf and has been published in several magazines and blogs.
North America

Exploring the Mayan World of the Yucatán Peninsula

By wayfarersoliloquy | by wayfarersoliloquy

Photography by Samantha Demangate For over three millennia, the Maya have shaped the culture, politics, and environment in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and beyond. Their massive city-states formed a web of trade, intellectual exchanges, and war throughout their homeland and beyond. They developed an effective hieroglyphic writing system, advanced astronomical calendars and observation systems, expansive civil engineering projects, and architecture that rivals anything in the ancient world. Although their cities collapsed, possibly because of environmental and…

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North America

Arthropods, Chili, and Lime: an Exploration into Mexico’s Tasty Insects

By wayfarersoliloquy | by wayfarersoliloquy

Photography by Samantha Demangate “If it flies, jumps, or crawls, throw it in a pan!” We heard these words a lot while in Mexico. The country’s traditional cuisine revolves around sustainability and practices such as growing the mutually beneficial staples of corn, beans, and squash together have been utilized for centuries. One ancient food practice seems to be ahead of its time: entomophagy, aka the consumption of insects. As the world’s population increases and resources…

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North America

Pirate Lore in the Yucatan Peninsula’s “Bride of the Sea”

By wayfarersoliloquy | by wayfarersoliloquy

Photography by Samantha Demangate Campeche, Mexico, remains a relatively quiet colonial city in the Yucatan’s west coast. The city is alive with architecture that harkens to its Spanish past, Mayan culture, and is home to Mexico’s oldest celebration of Carnival. But besides its peaceful and scenic streets are the legendary pirate battles that forever altered naval history.  After a short bus ride from Merida, we arrived on a searing December morning. Campeche was a city…

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Travel

Language Learning While on the Road

By wayfarersoliloquy | by wayfarersoliloquy

One of the many joys and struggles of traveling lies in learning languages while on the road. Whether you’re just picking up a few phrases to help you get by or aiming towards fluency, keeping up with your studies while traveling can be a daunting task. This week, I’m sharing my own experiences with taking on a new language while abroad and looking deeper into what it takes to become a polyglot.  Learning languages has…

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North America

Pyramids and Maize: Mexico’s Heartland and its Impact on Global Food Culture

By wayfarersoliloquy | by wayfarersoliloquy

Photography by Samantha Demangate Amongst the pyramids and ruins of Mexico’s heartland, is a culinary story that has taken on the world and changed it forever.   “How many degrees is this building tilting?” I asked the museum curator in Mexico City’s Palacio de la Autonomía de la UNAM museum. “A little, the city was built on a lake and now it’s sinking.” The lake she was talking about was Lake Texcoco, a vast body of…

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