2012: The End of the Maya Long Count

When I was about seven or eight years old, I learned in the playground that the end of the world was coming. The news spread like wildfire from child to child, until panic ensued. The teachers tried to reassure us that it was not going to happen. At the school gates, each waiting parent attempted to do the same. But none of us were convinced. The end of the world was coming; and it would happen at 8pm that very night.

This coincided with the closing credits of my mother's favourite television programme. It had been bedtime half an hour before, but my three year old brother and I were in a state of extreme terror. My mother gave up on bedtime and just spent our last half an hour on Earth cuddling her children, while she watched her show. Every now and again, she would repeat the mantra: 'The world's not going to end at 8pm.' I recall, even now, watching the hands on the big clock on the wall count down that final minute. I held my breath, my heart thundering in my chest. My little brother had already burrowed his head right between me and my mother's bodies. As the last minutes expired, I hid my face in my mother's shoulder and held on tightly.

Nothing happened. Nothing continued to happen for a full five minutes, while my mother proclaimed that she was right and it really is bedtime now. The world singularly failed to end from that moment, all the way through the decades, to this. During that time, I've witnessed many 'end of the world' moments, none of which have come to pass. However, we are now living through the biggest.

It seems that the imagination of the world has focussed upon the end of the Maya Long Count. The common statement is that this is also the end of the world. Vacation spots in the Maya world are quickly filling up. Possibly this is due to the fact that people reason that any civilization that can predict it, probably also hid away the secret of surviving it. Any given search engine will produce hundreds of websites, forums, blogs and other media, all staring apprehensively towards December 21st, 2012. Newspapers have devoted miles of print to discussing it. There has even been a Hollywood film dramatizing the alarming events that are believed to be coming on that date.



All over the world, everyone from small children to senior citizens have heard the lore. We are all going to die on December 21st, 2012, because the Maya Long Count will end.

It's time to look at the third of the Maya calendars: the Long Count.

The Long Count

Today's date is 12.19.17.9.14. At least it is according to the Long Count Maya calendar.

Neither of the first two Maya calendars count the years. The third one not only counts years, but does so over a vast period of time. This is the Long Count. Scholars have used the available records to show that the latest cycle of the Long Count began, with day zero, on August 11th, 3114 BCE. (Actually, they're still arguing about it, as some reckon it was August 13th, 3114 BCE.) It will end on December 21st, 2012 CE.

The Long Count, therefore, is a calendar which covers a period of approximately 5,125.36 years. I say 'approximately' because, in order to understand this counting, I'm referring constantly to my own Gregorian calendar. The Maya, of course, didn't. My concept of a year is 365 days, with an extra day slipped into the mix every four years. This is not a calendar that was recognized by the Maya. It didn't even exist back when the Long Count began.

The Maya Long Count didn't start on August 11th or 13th, 3114 BCE. It started on 4 Ajaw, 8 Kumk'u, which is written, in the Long Count, as 13.0.0.0.0. This is illustrated, as a Maya stele, in the picture above. The hieroglyphics, read vertically, say: 13.0.0.0.0, 4 Ajaw, 8 Kumk'u. It is similar carvings, on ancient Maya architecture, that have allowed us to date buildings and historical events.

13.0.0.0.0 (and today's date of 12.19.17.9.14) might look like an IP code, but it's a series of dates clubbed together.

• 0.0.0.0.1 - one day - kin
• 0.0.0.1.0 - 20 days - uinal
• 0.0.1.0.0 - 360 days - tun
• 0.1.0.0.0 - 7,200 days - katun
• 1.0.0.0.0 - 144,000 days - baktun

So today's date is 12 baktun; 19 katun; 17 tun; 9 uinal; and 14 kin. The calendar ends when we reach 13 baktun. That's why the 'start' date of this current calendar begins with 13 baktun. It's because it's not the start of this calendar, it's the end of the last one. On December 21st, 2012, it will happen again. The date will read 13.0.0.0.0; and a new Long Count will begin. December 22nd, 2012, will be 0.0.0.0.1 of the new Long Count.

What Did the Maya Predict Would Happen Then?

I have been hunting in vain for any actual Mayan source that predicts the end of the world. There are many non-Mayan sources whipping people up into a frenzy; but from the Maya themselves there is very little. Most seem to be preparing solely for a huge party, in much the same way as us Gregorian calendar folk do every December 31st.

The very fact that this current Long Count starts with 13 means that there was a previous Long Count. There is nothing in any lore, nor modern day Maya thinking, that suggests that there won't be another.

But Didn't The Maya Look to the Solar System and Predict the End of the World?

Astronomically, the end of the Long Count obviously falls on the date of the Winter Solstice. It also corresponds with the moment when the sun falls into alignment with the Milky Way, as viewed from Earth. This occurs every 26,000 years, marking the end of the Precession of the Equinoxes.



Never heard of the Precession of the Equinoxes? I warrant that you may have heard of the signs of the zodiac. These are based on making a kind of dot-to-dot game amongst constellations of stars that circle around in the night-sky. As we move through the year, we can see the constellation that looks like a ram (Aries), slowly moving along to make room for a constellation that looks like a bull (Taurus). As each month goes by, the Earth continues its journey and the images in the sky pass along; until we've gone an entire year and Aries is once again floating up from the horizon.

This would happen in perfect timing every year, but for one small detail. The Earth wobbles on its axis. We orbit in a bit of an oval, not a circle. This means that, though we see the constellations pass in the same order each year, they are always a tiny fraction later than they were the previous year. After just over 2000 years have passed, they're around a month late. After around 26,000 years, they are 12 months late, so, in effect, we're back to where we started.

While this is the Precession of the Equinoxes, the actual dating tends to note which constellation is in the sky at the time of the Spring Equinox. At the moment, that is Pisces. It is about to change into Aquarius. This will remain the case for roughly 2000 years, before it will change into Capricorn.

One of the major theories about the Long Count is that it was designed to chart the timings between one astrological age to the next (5 x Long Count = 25,626.80 years). If this is true (and it's hotly disputed amongst scholars), then the end of the Long Count will certainly pinpoint the end of the world - but only for the Age of Pisces. It's the coming of the Age of Aquarius.

For ancient star-gazers, these ages were significant enough for rulers and deities to be linked with them. The Age of Pisces has included the growth of Christianity, which is signified by the fish; the age of Aries has included an Egyptian dynasty in which many rams were sculptured and the most famous pharaoh was Ramses (and in trying to wipe these deities out, the Christians made an anti-Christ of the ram); the age of Taurus had gods, such as the Egyptian Apis, depicted with bull's horns - the earliest of these pictured twin bulls, as a nod towards the outgoing Age of Gemini - while future age religions placed great store in slaughtering cows and bull-fighting. Presumably the next age will have political and religious leaders scrambling to carry water around, while eating a lot of fish.

However, if this was definitely the purpose of the Long Count, we might never know. One thing is certain though, the Maya themselves have never said that the world will end.

The Maya Calendar

Happy New Year! July 16th is New Year's Day in the Maya calendar. At least it was in 1540; and this is the date that many doing a quick internet search will uncover. In reality, the true date is a little more complicated, as it moves around the Gregorian (Western) calendar. The last New Year's Day was February 6th, 2010. The next one is October 24th, 2010. The one after that is July 11th, 2011. But that's only if you're working off the Tzolk'in calender. Confused? Let's try and break this down.

All different civilisations and/or cultures have their own calendar. I can confidently tell you that today is July 16th, 2010, because I'm using the Gregorian calendar. The Maya could equally confidently tell you that today is 12 B'atz' 4 Xul. A Jew would be absolutely certain that today is 5 Av, 5770; while the Chinese are just as sure that it's 5 Liù Yuè, in the Year of the Tiger. We're all right, but sometimes these calendars can't just be superimposed onto each other, as we might not be using the same calculations to get to the date.

The Gregorian calendar, with its date of July 16th, 2010, is based on a solar year. It takes, approximately, 365 days for our planet to travel around the sun. However, this reckoning isn't precise. We don't travel around the sun in a perfect circle. It's more a sort of oval, though this can also change gradually over time.



It actually takes the Earth a fraction longer than 365 days to make that progress. In fact, it's more like 365.22 days. This can be a problem when you're trying to use it to count your days. In the Gregorian calendar, we have a Leap Year, every four years, to correct our count. This gives us 366 days in a year every 4th year, while the intervening 3 only have 365 days. On that 4th year, our Christmas Day would be celebrated on December 26th, as reckoned by the previous three years.

The Maya also looked to the sky to form their calculations of the date. However, they had worked out, long before the rest of Western civilisation, that the calendar count had to take into consideration the real progress of the Earth around the sun. Their solution was to have not one, but three calendars, with mini-cycles within them. They all interlinked, but counted different things.

Tzolk'in

The most important calendar for the Maya is the Tzolk'in, which lasts for 260 days. The end of the Tzolk'in is New Year for the Maya, hence the actual date of it moves around the Gregorian calendar, which is longer.



The Tzolk'in is equally divided into 20 trecena. This counts just 13 days and was used by both the Maya and the Aztec. The trecena notes each day with the simple number - 1 to 13, then starts again.

There are also 20 day names, which run alongside the numbers of the trecena. These are: B'atz', Ee, Aj, I'x, Tz'ikin, Ajmaq, No'j, Tijax, Kawoq, Ajpu, Imox, Iq', Aq'ab'al, K'at, Kan, Kame, Kej, Q'anil, Toj and Tz'i'. The date would be this day name alongside the number on the trecena. So day one is B'atz' 1; day two is Ee 2 etc. This is straightforward until you reach the 14th day, when you run out of trecena numbers. You just start again on the trecena count. So day 13 is Aq'ab'al 13; and day 14 is K'at 1. Day 20 is Tz'i' 7; while day 21 is B'atz' 8, as we've started again with the first of the day names now.

While this looks more complicated than all that we're used to with our Gregorian calendar, it's not really. Right now, July 16th is Friday, but it doesn't follow that every 16th day of the month is a Friday. We shuffle seven day names between up to 31 numbered days; the Maya shuffle twenty day names between 13 numbered days. That's all. The beauty of the Maya way is that, when combined with a Haab' calendar year, it takes 52 years for the same combination of number and day name to swing back around. For the ancient Maya, that was longer than life expectancy, so they'd probably never see it again. Every day of their lives, therefore, had its own unique label.

But why 260 days? The Maya didn't just look at the sun. They also factored in the Tropical Year, as well as the passage of the moon, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. Once a lot of complex mathematics have passed, we are left with a calendar accurate to within 0.07 days per 100 years. For more on this theory, please visit The Mayan Calendar - Why 260 Days?. Others have argued that there's a more earthly reason. 260 days is the time that passes between a woman's first missed period and the birth of her baby.

Haab'

The second major Maya calendar is the Haab', which runs from Winter Solstice to Winter Solstice. This one will feel far more familiar to those of us used to the Gregorian calendar, as it lasts for 365 days. It's split up into 18 months, each with 20 days in them, along with a 5 'nameless day' period. As with the Gregorian calendar, it is far less accurate than the 260 day Tzolk'in, because it loses time every year.



The names of these months are: Pop, Wo, Sip, Sotz', Sek, Xul, Yaxk'in, Mol, Ch'en, Yax, Sac, Keh, Mak, K'ank'in, Muwan, Pax, K'ayab', Kumk'u and Wayeb'. Each would have the number of the day before them, starting with 0 and ending with 19. So day one is 0 Pop; day two is 1 Pop; all the way to 19 Pop, which is followed by 0 Wo. This sequence only changes slightly at the final month, which starts with 0 Wayeb', but finishes with 4 Wayeb'. The next day would be 0 Pop, as a new cycle begins.

This calendar allowed them to plan an agricultural year.

The Long Count

This is the Maya calendar that is so infamous in modern lore, in that it has been interpreted as predicting the end of the world in 2012. There's a whole new blog in that and so I will return to it on Monday.

The Oil Leak isn't in the Mexican Caribbean

Since late April, the media has been full of the ecologically tragic events in the Gulf of Mexico. Yet we've not mentioned it in this blog. That's not through any lack of concern (we're watching the unfolding catastrophe with as much horror as everyone else), but because the remit of this blog is really to discuss what's happening in our own backyard. What hadn't occurred to us is that some would be worrying that the beaches of Cancún are currently oil slinks. They're not. The oil is travelling around the Gulf of Mexico; the Mexican Caribbean is, thankfully, free.



For those who have been living under a rock for the past few months, here is the summary of what's going on. On April 20th, 2010, there was an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig; which located in the Gulf of Mexico, just south-east of Louisana, USA. Several people lost their lives, while an underwater well starting leaking oil into the region. 5,000 - 25,000 barrels worth of oil per day flooded the ocean, with the obvious danger to ecosystems and wildlife. The coastlines of the USA's Louisana, Florida, Mississippi and Texas are all affected, as well as the waters around them.

This is still on-going, with the most pessimistic estimates stating that it will be Christmas before the clean-up is completed. In the intervening months, there have been several attempts to stem the tide of oil still leaking from the pipes. The oil rig's owners, BP, have tried various things, while an army of scientists, engineers and other experts have descended onto the issue. Solutions from the world's commentators have ranged from the feasible to the downright whacky. But most of the media debate has homed in on the more sensationalist stories of - who's to blame? While those in the spotlight seem to spend a lot of time explaining precisely why they aren't to blame.

That's the situation in a nutshell. For us down on the Mexican Caribbean, we can be very thankful for a wonderful natural current that pulls the oil away from us; while being concerned about the future for our marine wildlife.

Try to picture the current of the world's oceans as a gigantic conveyor belt. The prevailing current alongside us has come from West Africa. It surges across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean Sea and up the Yucatán Straits. Think back to all of those early pirate blogs that I wrote, about how Spanish galleons, reliant on windpower and currents, had to sail north out of the Caribbean Sea, in order to cross into Europe. They were using this very same current.




The Yucatán current

It is this current that has not allowed the oil leak to head south onto the beaches of Cancún and the Riviera Maya.

What is anticipated is that the bulk of the oil, currently trapped in an eddy called Franklin, will be released onto the coastline of Texas, USA. It will then be carried back east and will eventually be taken out into the North Atlantic. There it will continue to do untold damage to the ecosystems of the East Coast of America.

It is possible that, as the eddies break down, oil could just touch the tip of the Yucatán Straits. If this happens at all, it will be in the late autumn, possibly around October or November. This is being monitored, with a series of 80 buoys set up outside of Alacranes Reef a month ago. The buoys are fitted with sampling devices and satellite transmitters, at different depths, which act as an early warning system for those receiving the data. In any case, it is unlikely that oil in the Yucatán would be in liquid form, nor nearly as toxic as it's been in Louisana. It is also likely that it would be well below the surface and far from the beaches, as a south-eastern current will then pick it up and take it into the Florida Straits. While not good, it's certainly not as bad as it could have been.

Yesterday, the internet suddenly erupted with news, from Miami, USA, that the oil leak has travelled down to Cancún. This was news indeed for us, who are eye-witnesses to miles of still unblemished beaches. We are also in daily contact with those on the 'front line', ie the fishermen, boat operators, divers and others who make a living out in the waters of the Mexican Caribbean. None of them have reported seeing any oil or disperants at all. We have been gazing long and hard at the satellite images that purportedly show the oil this far south. While it does, indeed, show a black mark, it doesn't actually say that it's oil. For the moment, we'll believe the evidence of our own eyes and simply report that our beaches are completely free of oil. We'll be the first to tell you when they aren't.



As for the current real effect on the Mexican Caribbean, the concern is for migrating marine life. The larvae of fish and lobsters all travel north. They would have been saved by the eddies and should have made it through; however, the homeward journey could well be another matter.

Also, little is known about the migratory path of the whale sharks. They exist in the Yucatán Straits, but have also been seen near Louisana. Are they the same whales sharks? Or two different colonies? Marine biologists are currently fitting them with tracking devices to find out. If they are the same, then this endangered species is in big trouble; along with the equally endangered bluefin tuna, which spawns in the region of the oil leak. Several agencies are out looking for the whale sharks. Some have been seen already. We are just anxiously awaiting the safe return of the rest.

While the situation further north is terrible, we can confidently state that the oil leak isn't in the Mexican Caribbean. If you have booked, or thinking of booking, your vacation here, then please stop worrying about the oil ruining your break. The Caribbean is still pristine; the sands are still white. We're extremely confident that they'll stay that way.

El Calendario de Todos Santos

Todos Santos is on the Baja Peninsula. It's full of old Baja charm, with some buildings dating back to the 18th century, nestled between the beautifully designed modern homes. I won't wax any more lyrical about The Magical Town, as it's known locally. This blog is to wish a happy 100th edition birthday to the seminal town art magazine, 'El Calendario de Todos Santos'.



Todos Santos has often been described as the creative mecca of Mexico. It's the rustic town where the artists meet. Many of them have stayed on there, populating backstreets and charming nooks with their own personal studios. The main streets aren't short of a gallery or thirty. Even the small cafes often have artwork for sale or display, hanging from their walls.

It's not difficult to see why this town was colonised by artists. The shoreline and the sea seem ever-changing, as the light slips from dawn to dusk to night, and the seasons pass. The coastline here is a favourite spot for migrating birds and other wildlife. Each stroll along it might present a whole new vista, depending upon when you meander on down to see. Indians, pirates, Spanish Conquistadors and missionaries have all touched this town and its outlying environment, over the centuries. Leaving behind them architecture, stories or customs that prevail to this day. It is a landscape, and seascape, alive with possibility for the right mind, behind the right brush and pallet.

Yet it's also not unusual for tourists to pull up, in their coaches, or one by one in their own vehicles, then stand around looking bewildered, searching in vain for the artist community. There are no neon lights here, with great arrows pointing the way, with the legend, 'famous artist in this direction!' Instead, there is the town's newsletter, 'El Calendario de Todos Santos'.

'El Calendario de Todos Santos' ('The Calendar of Todos Santos') was first produced in 1998. It was a humble affair back then, printed as line art on a fax machine, photocopied and stabled by hand. These days, it's a full, glossy magazine, subsidized by advertizements and brimming with vibrant color. It is published eight times a year and distributed all over the town, as well as some of the neighbouring towns too.

It informs tourists and locals alike of all of the current happenings in Todos Santos, including the location of all of the artists' studios and galleries. It serves as a map to the artistic community that everyone came to see. Plus it's free. You can even read it on-line, in English or in Spanish. The current edition is here; while back issues may be found here.

Janice Kinne and Howard Ekman are the couple who started the ball rolling. They are still running the show now. Their vision was simple. They just wanted a source that listed all of the showings, poetry readings, artist talks and gallery opening times; as well as maps, tourist information and the like. They welcomed contributions from the local community, including interviews with many of the artists.

This is still the core of the magazine, though as it grew, so did the subjects on offer. Articles now cover subjects as diverse as astronomy and cooking, while still retaining that emphasis on creativity. As long time columnist, Michael Mercer, commented, in the latest edition, "Looking back, I think Janice and Howard were wise not to overly concern themselves with using the magazine to 'say' something or build a narrative of our time here. Practicing a sort of editorial jujitsu, they simply created a space and let others jump into it, with all our multiplicity of interest and personalities. A cacophony of voices." (Read the full, very entertaining article here).

The latest edition includes commentaries from founders, editors and writers about the magazine; an article discussing the first artists in the area - the prehistoric cave painters; a description of the night sky during the summer months, including all of the wonders of the cosmos visible with the naked eye; a highly amusing tale of mechanics and chillis falling from the sky; a brief tour of all of Todos Santos's hotels, restaurants and cafes; a stunning photographic look at the natural environment; a warning about oceanic rip currents; an explaination of new radicals and antioxidants in salad; a list of all the current wildlife visiting the area; and all of the usual maps, listings, events and happenings. If you're heading out to Todos Santos, be sure to pick one up.

Congratulations all on 100 editions and *I'm raising my glass* here's to 100 more!

Coping With the Mexican Heat: Keeping Cool

Many vacationers head to Mexico for the sunshine. It's one of its main attractions! However, that same sunshine should be treated with respect. Approached correctly, you will return home with a gorgeous tan and amazing memories. Approached incorrectly, you will risk spending your vacation indoors, trying to ease the sunburn, while desperately rehydrating against the early onset of heat exhaustion. This isn't a blog for sunlovers and those from hot climes - you know what you're doing, just get on with the party. This is a blog for those who have headed to Mexico to find out what this fabled sun looks like, as it doesn't turn up much back home.



These are our tips. If anyone else has any others, please do comment and I'll edit them in (naturally with a credit to you):

* Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothes (as few as is appropriate). Light colors reflect the heat, while dark colors absorb it. Also choose materials like cotton, which allow your skin to breathe.

* Remember to lather on the sunscreen, if you are going outside. Rub it on everywhere. You would be amazed at the amount of people who burn the bottom of their feet; because they used the sunscreen all over their bodies except there, then sunbathed on their front. If you are going into the water, then you will have to use biodegradable sunscreen. This will wash off in the water, so remember to reapply it when you come out. Also note that the sun can still burn you in the water, so keep alternating which parts of you are exposed to it above the surface. Thinking here of all the amateur snorkellers, who were so entranced by the pretty fish and coral, that they failed to notice their backside turning bright red. Occasionally rolling or treading water for a few minutes will ease everything. Nipping out to reapply the biodegradable sunscreen, when you feel yourself burning, is even better. Always read the instructions on the sunscreen, particularly if it's an unfamiliar brand, as they do differ.



* If you must rush around, then do so in the early morning or in the evening. It's cooler then, so you have less chance of over-heating.

* Ensure that you are always hydrated. Heat causes sweating; sweating causes loss of water from your body; your body needs water. Therefore keep bottled water on you and take a sip, if you feel your mouth going dry. If you are going on a day-trip somewhere, take lots of bottled water with you, especially if you aren't sure if your destination has shops or a water fountain.

* Carry a spray bottle of water. If you're getting hot, then spray it over yourself. This works particularly well if you then step in front of a fan or into an air-conditioned building, as the water dries off you, cooling you down. This is precisely how sweat works to cool you down too.

* If you have access to a freezer, then freeze bottled water. As you heat up, go and get one out (replacing it with another bottle to freeze). Roll the frozen bottle around the back of your neck and anywhere else that's feeling too hot. This wil cool you down. It will also thaw the water. You can then open the bottle for a nice, refreshing, ice-cold drink.



* Carry a zip-bag with cool, damp fannels in it. If you are getting too hot, take out a fannel and place it at the back of your neck. It will instantly cool you down.

* Relax in the shade. There are usually no shortage of hammocks under palm trees or sun loungers with parasols on the beaches of Mexico. Use them. You really will regret falling asleep, on an exposed beach, in the height of the afternoon sun, if you don't. Mainly because you will spend the rest of your vacation applying aloe vera to deep burns.

* Try not to eat heavy meals during the extreme heat of the day. It will just make you feel more lethargic. Do eat spicy foods. It's no accident that spicy foods tend to originate in countries known for their sunshine, like Mexico. Spicy foods help you to sweat more, which cools you off. Alternatively, light foods, like salad or fruit, are good for keeping you fuelled up with energy.

* Soak your feet in cold water. The temperature of your feet often affects the temperature of your whole body.

* Contemplate the sunhat versus no sunhat debate. A hat will shield your face from the sun, thus protecting you from sunburn; but it might also trap heat. We lose most of our body heat from the top of our heads, so that's the last place where you want to retain it. A compromise is a hat that allows ventilation to your head, like a cotton cap or a straw hat with loose weaving. In fact, why not go for the hat that was actually designed for protection from the Mexican heat? A sombrero! High-crowned to provide ventilation; wide-brimmed to cast a shadow over your face and shoulders. Precisely what is needed here!

* Don't tough it out. Never, ever think to yourself, 'yeah, I know I'm burning, but I'm so comfortable that I'll just lie here a couple of moments more'; or 'yeah, I know I'm thirsty, but I'll just hang on until we've walked this mile to that nice, shaded restaurant'. Listen to your body's needs and react immediately, that way you're not storing up trouble for later.

* If the beach is too hot, then go sight-seeing. Places like Cancún are full of attractions, shopping malls, hotel amenities, cafes etc, which all have air-conditioning and/or shade from the sun. You can always return to the beach when it's cooled down.

So those are our tips. Anyone got any more to add?

Coping With the Mexican Heat: Body Temperature and Over-Heating

For the sun-lovers, dealing with the Mexican heat just involves finding somewhere pretty to set up base.   For those who aren't so great in heat, then a little more planning is required.    The average temperature in Cancún and Riviera Maya is 25.5 celsius (78 fahrenheit), but during the daytime, that usually rises to another 5-7 degrees.    That means that you could be facing down temperatures in the thirties (or eighties/nineties), if you're out in the mid-afternoon sun.   Once you venture away from the coast, then the heat can really be turned up.   It's not unusual to find yourself at 50 celsius (110 fahrenheit), in the middle of the jungle, in a Mexican spring afternoon.  

For those of you not going 'yay' and happy dancing on the spot at the mere thought of it, then some cooling and safety tips are clearly necessary.    It is important to face facts and to know that we are all different.   Some people thrive in heat, then freeze at the first bit of shade; some people feel like they're going to die in heat, but will happily run around in winter with a t-shirt on.    Do not try to soldier on when the temperature is getting to you.   Always pay attention to what your body is telling you, because your body has a very important job to do.   That is to keep you alive, fit and healthy.    You cannot gage what should be happening by looking at the person next to you.   They have an entirely different body, with its own set up.

(I have a totally unverified and unscientific (as far as I know) theory on this.   I think that some people are great in heat and and some great in cold, while some are night people and some are day people, for a reason.   Back in the day, when we were all living in caves, this allowed human beings to have bright and alert sentries outside 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.   Come rain or shine, dark or light, there was always going to be someone enjoying being out there.   That's my theory anyway and I'm sticking to it.)

In addition to this, our bodies become attuned to our usual surroundings.   Someone flying straight from a month in the North Pole into the heat of a Mexican jungle is going to feel unbearably hot.   Someone arriving from the Sahara Desert to the same jungle would feel a bit cold.   It takes a bit of time for our internal temperature gage to acclimatize to the new 'normal' heat.   Once it does, then there will be fewer problems, until you jet off to yet another new climate.   

Until your gage has realigned, then the symptoms that you may experience are all due to your body trying desperately to return you to the temperature back home.   How it does this is downright ingenious, so please take a moment to pause, observe and applaud all that work done by your body's cooling and heating mechanism.   After all, it keeps you alive.

As you start to heat up outside your body's comfort zone, then this cooling mechanism kicks in.   At first, the hints are quite subtle.   You might get a sudden urge to take off your cardigan or shoes.  This naturally cools you down a bit.   If you refuse point blank, then the physical manifestations begin.   You will start sweating.   Two things are going on here: cooling of your core temperature (major organs) and cooling of your surface temperature (skin).   As you sweat, water from inside your body evaporates on the surface of your skin.   This cools your skin.   If this water is from the core, then it's taken all of that heat out, thus cooling down your organs.   The more you sweat, the hotter you are.   Someone literally drenched in sweat really does need to seek shade and fluids right now.  Someone sweating to that level for over an hour needs to find medical attention, as extreme overheating can kill, hence the body making all of this fuss in the first place.

Around this time, your body will have gone from a suggestion that you might fancy a chilled drink, to making you feel like you (or someone) is going to die if you don't get a drink right now.   As well as the drink introducing a cool temperature right through your core, it is also replacing all of those fluids that you are sweating out.   However, it's not just water that you're losing in sweat, it's salt and minerals as well.   Because of this, please be discerning in your choice of drink.   Fruit juices, for example, will sort you out a lot faster than alcoholic, caffeinated or carbonated drinks.    If you have an orange juice now, you will be able to get back to the mojitos a lot faster. 

Just taking lots of fluids, while sweating profusely, will sort most people out.   If it isn't happening fast enough, then the body brings out its major artillery.   You will hurtle straight past the 'I need some shade' stage and into the 'I'm getting into the shade RIGHT NOW'.   People in the grip of this will be close to tears or getting angry, because every neuron in their brain is screaming for shade.   It's all good.   It's keeping them healthy.  As soon as shade is achieved, all will be well again. 

If shade doesn't happen, then the next step is for the body to stop the person in their tracks.   Our over-heating individual will become extremely lethargic and have no energy at all.  Walking another inch is only going to happen if there is a definite guarantee of shade in that direction, because now they are using their last reserves of fuel and need to conserve it.   Failing this, the internal temperature gage will be trying to get your body to lie down.   You will feel light-hearted and/or very tired; you might progress to actual dizziness or the need to go to sleep.   Worst case scenario, you will actually faint. 

You can't really do much to help yourself now, so you're relying on the kindness of those around you.   If you find someone in this state, then help them to cool down.   Water or a damp cloth applied over the veins in your wrist, or at the back of the knees, or at the back of the neck, are all good for the short-term.  These get coolness into the core very quickly.   If the person is conscious, then give them water or, even better, fruit juices to drink.   (There is a risk of vomiting, so look out for that.)    If they have layers of clothing on, suggest and/or help them to remove the outer ones.   Help them to get into the shade.   Then all should return to normal again.

All of this is simply the body stopping any further exertion, to stop you getting even hotter; while allowing itself to shut down unnecessary, luxury add-ons, like the ability to think, talk and move.   Right now, the body is only concerned with looking after the major organs and your brain.   If it can keep those safe, then the rest can be fixed later.   By now, our over-heating person will be pale, as blood is diverted out of their rosy cheeks into more important areas.  They may have, perversely enough, cool, clammy skin in their extremities.  Again because all of the body's resources are now with the major organs and brain.   Try touching their torso, particularly around the chest area, and you find temperatures that you could fry an egg on.   (Though obviously only do that if you know them very well and touching them in the chest area won't result in a court case.) 

Finally, there will be nausea and/or vomiting.   This is the body expelling any content from the stomach, in case it's poisonous and therefore causing more heat; however, it also happens with dehydration, which is certainly going to be present here.   For a lucky few, the vomiting stage is the last resort, but it's the one that works.  The body saves it until last, because vomiting isn't good for it.   However, it is a good way for the body to extract a lot of heat from the core, which could well be the edge that it needs to realign.  For the same reason, some people get an urge to go to the toilet, as the body empties the over-heating bladder and bowels.  However, it won't choose this at the price of getting you to move.

Right now, the individual will be suffering from heat exhaustion.   While it's still heat exhaustion, then most people won't require the emergency services being brought in.   Just to recap there:

*  Listen to your body.   If it wants your jacket taking off or a drink, then obey it.   It's keeping your temperature on the level.

*  If you or one of your party is overheating:   stop any exercise; remove clothing as appropriate for personal modesty;  take it slow and steady, if you have to move; head into the shade or an air-conditioned area; sit down and rest; drink water and/or fruit juices; use water and/or damp clothes to the wrists, back of the knees and back of the neck; and just chill out for a bit. 

*  If symptoms persist, even after the treatment outlined above, then it might be worth calling in a doctor or medic.   If they persist at that level for more than an hour, then definitely get them to hospital.   This, however, is highly unlikely and more often than not indicative of deeper medical issues.

If, however, heat exhaustion is left untreated, then it will progress to heat stroke, which can be fatal.  This is no time for messing around.   If you or someone in your party has heat stroke, then call in an ambulance.   In Mexico, you have a choice of three numbers, which will all summon an ambulance:   066, 060 or 080.   (In some regions, particularly in the north of the country, 911 also works.   However, this has transferred through an American switchboard and been redirected to the proper number.)

The symptoms of heat stroke start with those already outlined.   But this time the person hasn't cooled down and now the brain is over-heating.    Until now, the brain has been in charge.   It's been the control centre that's ordered all of the life-saving devices, like sweating and suggesting a nice drink, in order to stop us getting to this point.   Now the brain can't make any commands, as it's in crisis itself.   The inner sanctum has been breached.

*  The body's resources return to the extremities, instead of staying back to protect the core.   The patient's skin becomes hot and flushed.   It also becomes dry, because the brain has stopped telling it to sweat.

*  The body can no longer cool itself with a variety of means, so its temperature rises.   This can reach 41ºC (106ºF) or higher.

*  The heating of the brain interupts normal service.   Headaches begin, which may be followed by body twitches or all out seizures.

*  Directionless, all of the body's normal responses are trying to happen all at once.   This contributes to the seizures, but is also responsible for a rapid pulse.

*  Unconsciousness quickly ensues, as nothing in that person's body is coping anymore.

If you find someone in this condition, all you can do is called for an ambulance, then try to cool the person down.   Do not try to give them drinks, it's too late for that.   They are far too deeply dehydrated, so will need special medically prepared hydrating fluids, often administered by drip.   You might accidentally cause them to choke for your efforts.   You could spray them with cool water; wrap them in a wet blanket; place them in a cool bath; fan them vigorously; sponge them off; and/or try to create some shade around them.   If they vomit, then turn their head for them, because they will no longer have the motor control to do it themselves.   The ambulance will arrive and the majority of people do make a full recovery, even from this stage of things.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are when things get extreme.   Both of them can be headed off at the pass by paying attention to your body, whilst in Mexico.   If you're feeling hot and thirsty, then find some shade and have a drink.   You'll soon cool down enough to continue enjoying your day.  

Puerto Vallarta and Hollywood Royalty

It was recently revealed that Angelina Jolie is going to be taking on the role of Cleopatra, in an upcoming 3D film directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's 11, 12 and 13; Erin Brockovich; Sex, Lies and Videotape).   It's strongly believed that her real life husband, Brad Pitt, will be starring alongside her, as Marc Antony.  While Jolie and her children were enjoying Cancún, a race row was erupting in Hollywood over the casting.   Columnists and commentors were questioning the fact that the Egyptian queen was not being played by an African actress.

Meanwhile, thoughts have returned to the most famous movie Cleopatra.   The eponymous 1963 film cast another fair-skinned actress, Elizabeth Taylor as the queen.   The production costs nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox, with the resulting sale of backlot, necessarily to keep the company afloat, creating the Century City area of Los Angeles, USA.   Four Academy Awards and the title of Highest Grossing Film of 1963 later, the movie still ran at a massive loss of $44 million.   It took decades to recoup the money from international sales of DVDs and box offices. 

However, 'Cleopatra' is notable for another reason and this one impacts strongly on Mexico.    It was while filming it that Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton began their intense love affair.    A year later, she had divorced her husband, Eddie Fisher, and married Richard Burton.   The marriage was tempestuous, resulting in their divorce ten years later; only for them to remarry a year after that.   The relationship, at the time, towed the world's media behind it, just as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's common-law marriage does today.   For much of that time, the press were following Taylor and Burton into Mexico.

It all started with 'The Night of the Iguana'.   This 1964 movie was based on a story by Tennessee Williams and it starred many of the A-List celebrities of the day, including Richard Burton.    However, it was directed by John Huston, who wasn't about to pamper them in luxury.   He believed that, for a tense and edgy drama, the best performances would be inspired by placing his cast far away from the glitz and glamor of Hollywood.  He wanted them to feel isolated, devoid of 'yes man' and the endless praise of the paparazzi.   So he transported the entire film shoot to the, then, remote area of Mexico, Puerto Vallarta.



The media followed.   They all wanted a piece of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.  They wanted the exclusive photograph, the soundbite, the latest gossip.   Audiences back home were lapping it up.   The relationship is still billed as one of the great Hollywood romances and it changed Puerto Vallarta forever.

Huston had chosen the location because it was a sparsely populated fishing city, hemmed in by mountaineous jungle.   In the past, it had achieved reasonable prosperity in the mining industry, so had become a destination of sorts for Mexicans escaping the poverty of the Sierra.   It also attracted intellectuals, from Mexico and America, particularly writers, who found a creative muse in the lack of amenities.   Puerto Vallarta didn't have 24 hour electricity until 1958; and its airport was only created in 1962.   The Americans tended to congregate together in an uphill area of Puerto Vallarta, which became locally nicknamed Gringo Gulch (gulch being a sharp valley, in a V shape).   Nevertheless, in 1964, the pace of life in Puerto Vallarta was slow and steady, without any of the luxuries that Hollywood stars had come to expect.

After 'The Night of the Iguana', which was filmed entirely on location there, along with the media pomp surrounding Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Puerto Vallarta was firmly on the tourist map.   Americans and Canadians especially flocked there for their vacations.   The city boomed even more when the couple, now akin to Hollywood royalty, sought to keep the flame of their early romance alive by buying properties in Gringo Gulch. 

Their homes faced each over over a narrow, cobbled street.   Elizabeth Taylor's home, painted pink, was higher up and didn't include a swimming pool.   Richard Burton's property did and also boasted a high wall to keep peeping eyes out.    Once married, they could have just moved in together, but instead came up with an ingenious idea to join the two.   An archway bridge was built over the street, from an upper balcony of Taylor's house to the top of the Burton house.    Locals instantly dubbed it the Love Bridge, as it kept the now wedded couple in contact, without having to run the gauntlet of press and sightseers in the street.    (Later on, post-divorce, it was renamed the Hate Bridge).   


Fashionable society loved it.    Gringo Gulch swelled with the number of celebrities and jet-set Americans snapping up properties and moving into the area.    John Huston, himself, had a home there, as did Peter O'Toole, Senator John Warner, Bing Crosby, Mary Astor, the Hershey family, Carol O'Connor and many more.   The money pouring into the local economy allowed, firstly, for more conveniences (a British company were brought in to install creating sewerage and plumbing, which provided fresh water to homes all over the mountain); then went on to more commercial facilities down in the city below.   The art community, in particular, erupted.   There are many public sculptures dotted around the place.

Yet none of this stole the charm from Puerto Vallarta; some might say that it added to it enormously.   It might now be a thriving tourist destination, but it still retains that old time air.   It is still possible to wander aimlessly, down twisting, cobbled streets, overlooking the serene beauty of Banderas Bay, breathing in the cool, fresh air.   There's no need to rush.   It might be rich, in Gringo Gulch, but it's tranquil and this is why the stars still grab houses there.   Say hello to John Travolta for me, when you go there.

The Summer of Sony is Over :(

For two weeks, Cancún has been awash in the hottest A-list stars of the latest Sony Pictures movies.   It's been the Summer of Sony, which saw such luminaries as Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Mark Wahlberg, Christina Aguilera, Eva Mendes, Adam Sadler, Kristen Bell, Dwayne Johnson and Seth Rogen, descend upon the beautiful city.

Angelina arrived, to the frenzy of paparazzi cameras, with her four eldest children.   Apparently she intended to create a family holiday of the event, sharing the sights of Cancún with youngsters, Maddox, Zahara, Pax and Shiloh, while poor Dad, Brad Pitt, had to stay home with their twin babies.   The troop were soon off to sample the delights of Cancún's Wet'n'Wild attraction, with sneaky cameras picturing them on the water slides.





Angelina did pause in the tour of attractions, in order to promote her latest Sony Pictures movie, 'Salt'.   Meanwhile, the world's press seemed more interested in the fact that she'd got a new tattoo on her left arm; as well as speculating on whether or not she's pregnant again.   For the record, she told the press in Cancun that she's not.

It was also a family occasion for Christina Aguilera, who was here with her husband, Jordan Bratman, promoting 'Burlesque'.   This is her first feature length movie.  




Christina Aguilera is no stranger to Cancún, having played at Coco Bongo a couple of times.  On this occasion, the 'Burlesque' media trail led straight to a huge party.   The theme, as might be expected, was Burlesque.

Meanwhile, it seemed like everywhere you looked in the city, more celebrities were having it large.   There was also some sizzling celebrity announcements, like the fact that Andrew Garfield will be the next Peter Parker, in the Spiderman movie being filmed in 2011.   Happy days.

Rio Secreto: Conversation and Tourism

50 million years ago, the Yucatán Peninsula was just drying out from being under a warm, shallow sea.   During this time, billions of fish and other creatures had lived and died in the proto-Caribbean Sea.   Their remains sank to the bottom of the waters and were buried in the sediment.   They were joined by the ancient coral and tiny marine insect life.    Then, as the sea receded, land emerged.   The fragmented remains of all these creatures and plantlife became crushed together, compacted, and, as the millennia passed, hardened and became limestone.

Limestone changes in water.   As the drip, drip of surface moisture passed through the Earth, from uncountable years of rainfall, some of this limestone began to erode.   First cracks, then holes, then caves, then caverns, then wondrous subterranean natural cathedrals were etched out of the rock.   Long before humankind had even stood up on two legs, an underground river was starting to twist its way through the early stalactites and stalagmites; crystal clear water pooling.   One tiny drop after another tiny drop, in endless succession, in patient formation.

Thus it was that, four million years ago, Rio Secreto began.   It is one of the best kept secrets of Playa del Carmen.  A subterranean Wonderland, based in a series of caverns, 13km (8 miles) deep.   It has only been open to the public for just under three years.   Those visiting it tend to emerge, in blogs and forums, or excitedly chattering to friends, saying such things as, "OMG!  If you do nothing else in Mexico, go there!  Go there!"  or "Wow!  That was really spiritual.  I'm going to have to contemplate this.  Excuse me..."  or "I've been all over the world and seen so many wonders, but Rio Secreto has blown my mind."    Yep.  I don't think it's going to be a 'best kept secret' for much longer.




But the owners of Rio Secreto have a deep responsibility here and they know it.   When a system has taken longer to evolve than we have, then destroying it in the name of a quick buck is worse than criminal.   Therefore, they have gone out of their way to ensure that it can be seen, whilst maintaining minimal damage.   It's a hard call, particularly when bending to the pressure of tourist convenience could make them all very quickly rich.   Yet the owners are steadfast.    They are all passionate and knowledgeable about conversation.   Even students are starting to be directed towards them, in order to learn about ecological sustainability.

Visitors are required to have a quick, rinse-down shower before entering the caverns.   This can be done in their swimming suits, but ensures that harmful chemicals, such as might be found in perfume, sunscreen, deodorant or insect repellent, isn't carried in to pollute the pristine waters.   Even band-aids and jewellery have to be removed, in case they fall into the environment.   There are two tourist routes through the system, carefully planned to minimalize damage caused by people banging into rocks.   Multi-lingual guides are always on hand to steer their parties in the right direction.  There are discreet ropes both to mark the route and to politely keep tourists on it.

One of the other measures, often commented upon by visitors, is the lighting.   Those at Rio Secreto have resisted the temptation, endemic in other subterranean attractions, of placing electric lighting throughout the caverns.   In fact, there is no electricity down there at all.   Instead, visitors see the spectacular sights by use of Davey Lamps.  These specially adapted torches are fitted onto helmets, lighting up wherever the head is turned to see.   The result is not only a sublimely magical ambience, but it also protects the rocks.   You see, the limestone is still forming and the caverns still growing; the river and pools are still getting deeper, drop by drop.   Rio Secreto has learned the lessons of other cavern attractions, where electric lighting creates moss, which spreads and eats away at the very things that everyone has come to see.




Another policy is more controversial amongst visitors, but entirely understandable in the circumstances.   This is the banning of cameras and camcorders underground.   Pictures are taken, but by a company photographer, who takes four quality snaps of each party.   These can be purchased for a price, once everyone is out again.   One photograph for $25 or a DVD of all four for $59.   Many have bulked at this and screamed 'scam!', as some people are wont to do.    But there are very good reasons for this camera prohibiton and not all of them are commercial.

The first is purely and simply to do with health and safety.    The tourist routes aren't overly arduous (young children and the elderly have managed them with relative ease), but the owners refuse to harm the environment by putting down walkways.   This means that visitors walk, wade or swim through the natural ways.  Sometimes that involves watching their footing, therefore the guides would rather people weren't distracted by trying to take the perfect photograph.    There's also the fact that cameras in hands mean that people haven't got both hands free.   This can be problematic, when there are narrow, rocky areas to traverse.   Not to mention the fact that photographers, who don't pay attention to their surroundings, could well be knocking off fragments of the formations.

The second reason is to do with the ambience of the place.   The selective lighting renders a sacred air to the caverns.   The ancient Maya did use them as a place of meditation and worship, so this isn't entirely imaginary.    Most who visit the place emerge expressing gratitude at the lack of camera flashes.   It would have totally detracted from the atmosphere.

The third and final reason is commercial.   This is something that commercial manager, Gavin Greenwood, has apologetically defended.   "I must also however point out here that given our current global economic struggle, soaring costs, and terribly expensive distribution channels (especially in tourism) our hand is sometimes forced beyond where we would like to be."




Rio Secreto is a business.   That should not be something to be sneered at, even if all of the members of staff are ecologically aware.   If they were just doing it for extra profit to get rich, fair enough.   But that isn't why they are doing it.   While Rio Secreto own the subterranean caverns, they do not also own all of the miles of land above it.   If they went out of business, then there is nothing to stop landowners snapping up the cavern below them and then digging down to create their own entrances.  It's not a hollow fear, as it's already happened in the past, with previous owners.   A concrete door is the legacy, something which would damage the system more to remove than to keep.

As Gavin Greenwood explained, "I cannot protect Rio Secreto from fast-encroaching urban sprawl and the hoards of profit-mongers that lurk in the wings if I cannot ensure that we have a viable business. No business means no conservation of the site."    All of the money, from the photographs sold, go straight into the conversation fund for the caverns.  No-one forces tourists to buy them, but when they do, the funds are gratefully received.   Greenwood added, "There is no sustainability if there is no triple bottom line: environmental protection/conservation; healthy community development; and profitable business."

In the meantime, the whole company seeks to spread its message of conservation, protecting our natural resources and sustainability; whilst also providing a stunning attraction for visitors to their complex.   Go to Rio Secreto.   It's worth it.

New Species of Dinosaurs Found in Mexico

For amateur and professional dinosaur-hunters alike, Mexico is the new frontier of exploration.   For centuries, paleontologists have combed areas in America and Canada looking for dinosaurs; but few people have been doing the same south of the border.   Now that they have begun, they are uncovering prehistoric treasures, set to revolutionize our understanding of the world so long ago.

In May 2010, it was announced that three new species of dinosaurs had been discovered.   Their fossilized remains were found in the Mexican state of Coahuila, by a team working under the auspices of the University of Utah.   The most exciting of these, Coahuilaceratops magnacuerna, was named after the state.   It has the longest horns of any dinosaur ever uncovered.


Artists impression courtesy of the University of Utah

Coahuilaceratops magnacuerna (pron. Koh-WHE-lah-SARA-tops mag-NAH-KWER-na) is a relative of its more famous cousin, Triceratops.   The name breaks down as Coahuila (Mexican state, where it was found); ceratops (Greek word meaning 'horned face'); magna (Latin for big/great); and cuerna (Spanish word for horn).  So it's the great horned, horn-face from Coahuila.   Once you realise that the horns stretched out 4ft (1.2 meters), you can understand the emphasis on said appendages.

This dinosaur lived around 72 million years ago.   It was about the size of a modern-day rhinoceros, but it weighed 4-5 tonnes.   Though it could certainly hold its own in a fight, Coahuilaceratops magnacuerna was a vegetarian.   His fossilized remains were found near to the village of Porvenir de Jalpa, near Saltillo, by a team which included Mexican, American and Canadian paleontologists.   The specimens have been deposited in a permanent exhibition, at the Museo del Desierto (Museum of the Desert), in Saltillo. The skull of the Coahuilaceratops magnacuerna will be revealed to the public, at the same museum, later in the year.

For those wishing to gain the fine detail, then a book was published last month which covers these findings. 'New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs' by Michael Ryan (Indiana University Press) announced the unearthing of Coahuilaceratops magnacuerna.

Paleontology is so under-developed in Mexico that Coahuilaceratops magnacuerna is only the fourth Mexican dinosaur ever named.   It wasn't discovered alone.  There were also the remains of a duck-billed creature, which has yet to be properly classified.   There were also members of the tyrannosaurus family, though not the infamous rex, as well as smaller relatives of the velociraptor.   The team also identified a dinosaur trackway, with many species of both carnivores and herbivores criss-crossing it, then leaving their remains for modern hunters to find.


In the Late Cretaceous Period (97 million to 65 million years ago), the world looked very different.   Central America had yet to form.   This made Mexico the southernmost tip of the Northern Americas.   In addition to this, high water levels had made a sea of the central, low-lying areas of the USA, Mexico and Canada.   The whole continent was split, with eastern and western landmasses huddling around this warm, shallow sea.   The western side was fairly narrow.  Dinosaurs lived and died on a peninsula sandwiched between the sea and the rising mountains to the west.   This peninsula has been named Laramidia; and it is the prospect of learning about this area that has scientists so excited.

"We know very little about the dinosaurs of Mexico, and this find increases immeasurably our knowledge of the dinosaurs living in Mexico during the Late Cretaceous," said Mark Loewen, a paleontologist with the Utah Museum of Natural History.  "Rather than focusing only on individual varieties of dinosaurs, we are attempting to reveal what life was like in Mexico 72 million years ago, and understand how the unique ecosystem of Mexico relates to ecosystems to the north at the time."

His colleague, Scott Sampson, added, "As the southernmost dinosaurs on Laramidia, we are confident that Mexican dinosaurs will be a critical element in unraveling the ancient mystery of this island continent."

If you are interested in dinosaurs, then Mexico is certainly the place to be watching in coming years.   For those wishing to make their name in paleontology, then heading to our beautiful country with a trowel and some brushes could well be the way forward.   Good luck!