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A beer can basically make the world come together.
That is how I met Ángel and his friends, Carolina and Abraham, in the club Palazzo.
After dancing all night they lead us to discover one of the wonderful beaches of Playa del Carmen to admire the sunrise.
The knowledge of the Mayan culture that they shared with me during that evening made me gobsmack.
They told me how rare it is that kids in school are taught about their own culture and it is more up to them to learn the Mayan language - slowly disappearing - and the pre-colonisation history.
One of the resources available to learn about the Mayan culture is the Popol Vuh.
The Popol Vuh is a narrative book of the Kʼicheʼ before the Spanish conquest of Guatemala.
It includes the Mayan creation myth, the exploits of the Hero Twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué, and a chronicle of the Kʼicheʼ people.
It is sad to see how much it had been lost of this ancient and magnificent culture.
One starts wishing that back in the days the Spaniards brought there fewer weapons and more beers.
El pueblo at night
Left the tourist shops and the clubs behind we reached el Pueblo de Playa del Carmen: the most real part of this village.
It is interesting to notice how here life is much more relaxed, taken inch by inch. Every detail is a representation of a less pretentious life, lead in the name of the authentic Mexican spirit. Click here to open the image