THE MAYA PEOPLE HAVE DOMINATED THE YUCATÁN PENINSULA FOR MORE THAN TWO MILLENNIA.

THE PENINSULA IS AN ECOLOGICALLY RICH COMBINATION OF LIMESTONE BEDROCK, RUGGED SEACOAST AND VARIED FORESTS.

THE RICH MAYA CULTURE ENDURES TODAY WITH A COMBINATION OF TRADITIONAL FIESTAS, RELIGIOUS RITES, PARADES AND A RATHER DIFFERENT FORM OF BULL FIGHT.

FUNDING FOR IN THE AMERICAS WITH DAVID YETMAN WAS PROVIDED BY AGNES HAURY.

♪ MUSIC ♪ MEXICO'S YUCATÁN PENINSULA IS ONE OF THE RICHEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL REGIONS IN THE WORLD.

THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF UNEXCAVATED SITES SUCH AS THIS ONE WHICH WAS THE RESIDENCE OF KINGS, THE MAYA ROYALTY.

IN THE TIME OF TIZIMIN ABOUT 20 KILOMETERS FROM HERE ON JANUARY 6TH IS THE FESTIVAL OF THE THREE KINGS.

IT IS A SUCCESSFUL MELDING OF ANCIENT MAYAN AND COLONIAL SPANISH TRADITIONS.

[MUSIC] TIZIMIN IS A TOWN OF ABOUT 40, 000 PEOPLE MOST OF THE YEAR BUT DURING THE FESTIVAL OF THE THREE KINGS IT SWELLS TO ALMOST 200,000 PEOPLE.

PILGRIMS FROM ALL OVER MEXICO AND THE LOCAL PEOPLE CLAIM ALL OVER THE WORLD COME HERE BOTH TO PAY RESPECTS TO THE THREE KINGS AND TO SEE THE FIESTA AND THE SPECTACLE THAT'S HERE UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE IN MEXICO.

THE THREE KINGS HAVE BEEN PATRON SAINTS OF TIZIMIN FOR OVER 300 YEARS, EVER SINCE THE TIME WHEN FRANCISCAN PRIESTS CONVERTED THE CITY TO CHRISTIANITY AND DEDICATED IT TO LOS TRES REYES.

THE TOWNSPEOPLE STILL SHOW A DEEP DEVOTION TO THE WISE MEN.

PILGRIMS ALSO COME HERE EACH YEAR TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS AND PRAY TO THE KINGS FOR HELP.

TWO STARS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE KINGS; THE STAR OF THE KINGS IN THE SKY AND WHAT WE CALL THE STAR OF FAITH.

IT IS THE PURSUIT OF FAITH IN THOSE STARS THAT DRAWS PEOPLE TO LOS TRES REYES.

THE FAÇADE OF THE CHURCH HAS THREE NICHES THAT LOOK TO US TO BE EMPTY.

THEY WERE BUILT FOR THE THREE KINGS BUT FOR HISTORICAL REASONS THEY'RE NOT THERE.

THE CHURCH IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE TWO TOWERS.

IT'S NOT THERE, IT WAS NEVER FINISHED.

BUT IN THE NICHE ON THE LEFT IS A SYMBOL OF A STAR WITH A POINT THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE MAYAS.

IN THE MIDDLE IT'S A DIFFERENT STAR POINTING HEAVENWARDS PERHAPS REFERRING TO THE STAR OF CHRISTMAS OR THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.

TO THE RIGHT IS AN IMAGE OF THE FACE OF THE SUN WHICH IS OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE TO THE MAYA PEOPLE.

IT SYMBOLIZES EVERYTHING IMPORTANT IN THEIR ABORIGINAL CULTURE.

SO IN THE THREE IT LOOKS LIKE NOTHING IS THERE, YOU SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERYTHING AMALGAMATED HERE IN TIZIMIN.

[MUSIC] THE THREE KINGS SEEM NEVER TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANIMALS.

THE SPANIARDS WHEN THEY CAME HERE SEEMED TO HAVE SUBSTITUTED WORSHIP OF THE THREE KINGS FOR THE WORSHIP OF ANIMALS.

NOTICE THAT THE KINGS ARE DRESSED IN TRADITIONAL SPANISH CLOTHES.

YOU WILL ALSO SEE SIMILAR FACES WITH VARYING SKIN COLOR.

THESE SYMBOLS WERE PART OF THE MESSAGE THE SPANIARDS USED WHEN THEY CONVERTED THE INDIANS TO CHRISTIANITY.

INSIDE THE CHURCH HAS SET UP ALLEYS BY WHICH THE PEOPLE CAN GO.

TO KEEP THEM FROM GOING THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE CHURCH THEY SEND THEM AROUND TO THE SIDES AND PEOPLE GO UP TO THE CASES IN WHICH THE THREE KINGS ARE STANDING AND THEY BRUSH THOSE CASES WITH A SPECIAL WEED CALLED RUDA FOUND THIS TIME OF YEAR IN THE YUCATÁN AND THAT ISI A WAY OF THEM INFLUENCING THE KINGS TO GRANT THEIR REQUESTS, THEIR PROMESA.

THE OTHER SIDE IS THE CANDLE ROOM WHERE PEOPLE COME TO LIGHT CANDLES FOR A SPECIAL REASON, A SPECIAL REQUEST.

I'M WALKING VERY CAREFULLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE WAX ON THE FLOOR AND I CAN FEEL MYSELF SLIPPING RIGHT NOW.

BUT THIS IS A WONDERFUL EXPRESSION OF THEIR ADORATION OF THE THREE KINGS AND YOU CAN SEE AROUND THE CANDLEHOLDERS THE WAX AND THEY HAVE BUCKETS TO COLLECT THE STUBS.

AND RECYCLE THEM.

AND RECYCLE THEM, EXACTLY.

SO IN AN ODD WAY THIS IS A KIND OF GREEN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.

CERTAINLY THE WAX IS EUROPEAN BUT BEES WERE HERE BEFORE AND WAX WAS AN IMPORTANT MAYA PRODUCT.

PEOPLE SHOULD PUT THEIR CANDLES ON THE TABLES BUT THEY'RE GIFTS TO THE SANCTUARY AND THEY'LL BE COLLECTED.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE RECYCLED.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE RECOLLECTED, THAT'S RIGHT.

HEY, PILGRIMS, JUST BE FOREWARNED.

YEAH, SO DON'T CARVE YOUR INITIALS ON THEM AND EXPECT TO COME BACK LATER IN THE DAY AND SEE THEM.

THE ATTRACTION OF THE THREE KINGS IS SO POWERFUL THAT PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THEY WILL WAIT IN A LINE LIKE THIS EVEN FOR HOURS.

RIGHT NOW THE MASS IS GOING ON AND THE DOORS ARE CLOSED.

THEY'RE WAITING, HOPING THE MASS WILL BE OVER SO THEY CAN FLOCK IN AND PAY THEIR RESPECTS TO THE THREE KINGS.

EACH PILGRIM BRINGS SEVERAL FAITH OFFERINGS WITH THEM TO THE FESTIVAL.

WE CALL THE OBJECTS MILAGROS.

THOUSANDS OF PILGRIMS COME HERE PERHAPS AS MANY AS 300,000.

THESE ARE ALL IMAGES OF THE THREE KINGS.

THIS ONE HERE IS A SMALL BULL, IMPORTANT BECAUSE MANY OF THE FAITHFUL WHO LIVE AROUND HERE HAVE RANCHES.

HERE IS ONE SHOWING A PERSON WHO IS SICK.

SUPPLICANTS PURCHASE THESE AND PRESENT THEM TO THE THREE KINGS, ASKING TO BRING THEM HELP.

HERE IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH YOU CAN FIND EVERY DEVOTIONAL ITEM THAT YOU MIGHT WANT, FOR A PRICE.

OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICIAL CHURCH TRANSCRIPT OF HOW THE FIESTA OUGHT TO GO, RIGHT HERE WE CAN SEE THE POPULAR SIDE OF IT.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE RIGHT HERE, THIS KIND OF CD IMAGE OF THE THREE KINGS AND IF WE LOOK AT IT CAREFULLY WE'LL SEE THAT ALTASAR, THE BLACK KING REPRESENTING AFRICA IS IN THE MIDDLE AND I'VE OFTEN WONDERED ABOUT THAT BUT I HAVE A FEELING IT'S A SUBTLE REPRESENTATION OF MAYA RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

THEY MAY HAVE SLIPPED THAT ONE BY THE PRIEST.

IT WOULD HAVE WORKED FOR ME.

400 YEARS AGO.

EXACTLY.

THERE ARE ALSO IMAGES HERE FOR SPECIFIC PROMISES OR SPECIFIC REQUESTS TO THE KINGS THEMSELVES.

HERE WE HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE ONES OF AUTOMOBILES, CHILDREN AND OTHER APPLIANCES THAT PEOPLE MAY NEED IN THEIR DAILY LIVES.

OF COURSE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS HEALTH AND SO THESE HERBS ARE TAKEN AND BRUSHED ACROSS THE IMAGES OF THE THREE KINGS AND THEN THE PERSON TAKES THEM HOME AND PRESERVES THEM AND USES THEM TO BRUSH THE BODY TO BRING ABOUT GOOD HEALTH DURING THE YEAR.

WHEN YOU'RE A TOWN OF THIS SIZE, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHERE THE BAKERY IS.

IT DOESN'T NEED A NAME.

BAKERY SAYS IT ALL.

GREAT.

LOOK, THEY'VE GOT THEM STACKED UP HERE.

THAT'S GREAT.

HERE IN MEXICO THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS ENDS ON JANUARY 6TH AND THAT'S THE OFFICIAL END OF THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

ALL THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS WILL COME DOWN THAT DAY BUT NOT UNTIL THE MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND CELEBRATE WITH THIS THREE KINGS CAKE.

IT'S CALLED LA ROSCA DE LOS REYES BUT THE ESSENTIAL PART OF EACH ONE OF THESE ROSCAS IS THAT IT CONTAINS A SMALL PLASTIC BABY JESUS.

HIDDEN INSIDE A CAKE.

HIDDEN INSIDE AND MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE THIS TRADITION SHOWS HOW MEXICANS TAKE A BIBLE STORY, AN OFFICIAL CHRISTIAN STORY, AND CONVERT IT INTO A POPULAR TRADITION.

YEAH, SOMETHING OF THEIR OWN.

SOMETHING OF THEIR OWN.

SO BEFORE FAMILIES HAD BIBLES AND THAT SORT OF THING AT HOME, THEY HAD THE STORY OF KING HEROD ORDERING THAT ALL OF THE MALE CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE KILLED SO THAT'S REENACTED BY HIDING BABY JESUS... YEAH, HIDE THE BABY JESUS IN THE CAKE.

...IN THE CAKE.

WHOEVER FINDS BABY JESUS IS GOING TO GIVE A PARTY FEBRUARY THE 2ND ON CANDLE MASS.

LET'S TAKE THIS THREE KINGS CAKE AND... GET THE BOX FOLDED RIGHT.

GET THE BOX FOLDED RIGHT AND GET TO THE PARTY.

YEAH.

BILL, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL BUT IT'S REALLY NOT THAT HEAVY AND EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD IS... YOU TAKE IT.

EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD IS GOING TO KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT CAUSE IT SAYS ROSCA DE REYES RIGHT ON TOP.

IN THE YUCATÁN BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY, JANUARY 6TH AND EVEN THEREAFTER, EVERY DAY IS THE DAY OF A GREMIO, THAT IS A SOCIETY OF MEN ORGANIZED LONG AGO BY THE CHURCH.

IT PAYS ITS OWN RESPECTS IN ITS OWN WAY.

EACH GREMIO HAS A PARADE LED BY ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PARTICIPANTS AND THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH PARTICIPANTS BY INHERITANCE.

THEY'VE BEEN IN THIS SOCIETY, THEIR ANCESTORS AND THEIR CHILDREN SO IT'S A VERY LONG, HISTORICAL IDENTIFICATION THAT THEY HAVE.

THE GREMIOS ARE VERY USEFUL TO THE CHURCH WHO ACTUALLY CREATED THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ANCIENT AND EVEN MODERN TRADITIONS IN THE CHURCH ARE MAINTAINED VERY CAREFULLY.

SO THERE'S BOTH RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION AND IN THE CASE OF THE YUCATÁN THERE IS INSTRUCTION IN ANCIENT TRADITIONAL MAYA THEMES.

SO IT'S A MARVELOUS BLENDING OF BOTH THE HISPANIC AND THE SPANISH ALONG WITH THE MAYO INDIGENOUS PARTS OF THE CULTURE THAT IS HERE IN THE YUCATÁN.

[MUSIC] SOME OF THESE ARE QUITE OLD, PERHAPS 60 OR 70 YEARS OLD, AND THEY ARE CARRIED IN EVERY PARADE AND THEY REPRESENT NOT ONLY THE HISTORY BUT THE PRIDE OF THE PARTICULAR GREMIO.

MANY OF THEM HAVE DATES ON THEM BUT WHEREVER THE PEOPLE GO OUT IN PUBLIC AS A GROUP THEY CARRY THAT STANDARD AND IT IS SEEN AND IT IS THE PRIDE THAT REFLECTS THE PRIDE OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEIR ASSOCIATES IN THE GREMIO, THEIR CHURCH AND THEIR MAYA-HOOD.

THIS BANNER HAS A DATE OF 1921 AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS AN INFORMAL ORGANIZATION.

IT FORMALLY CAME INTO BEING IN 1923 AND THIS PARTICULAR BANNER HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE TWO YEARS BEFORE ITS FORMATION.

[MUSIC] LUCKY FOR ME, THE MAYAS CENTURIES AGO WIDENED A NATURAL HOLE DOWN INTO THE CENOTE SO THAT PEOPLE LIKE ME CAN GET DOWN INTO IT.

I WILL USE THE ROPE HOWEVER.

[MUSIC] THE YUCATÁN PENINSULA IS SOLID LIMESTONE.

WHEN RAIN HITS LIMESTONE, IT DOESN'T RUN OFF, IT TRICKLES DOWN INTO THE GROUNDWATER TABLE THROUGH HOLES AND CRACKS.

AS A RESULT, IN THE YUCATÁN PENINSULA THERE IS NOT A SINGLE RIVER AND THE ANCIENT MAYAS REQUIRED WATER AND THEY FOUND IT IN PLACES CALLED CENOTES WHICH ARE COLLAPSED CAVES.

THE CENOTES WERE NOT ONLY A SOURCE OF WATER BUT THEY WERE CONSIDERED SACRED BY THE MAYAS.

MAYAS BELIEVED THAT THEIR GODS REQUIRED SACRIFICES SO THE MAYAS CONTRIBUTED MANY INCLUDING HUMAN SACRIFICES TO THE GODS OF THE WATER.

HUMANS WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES WHO BENEFITED FROM THE CENOTES.

THIS FIG TREE FOUND VERY MUCH TO ITS LIKING TO LIVE ALONG THE SIDE OF THE CENOTE AND SENDING ITS ROOTS DOWN 60 FEET TO THE WATER.

THE HUMAN HABITAT AND THE DARK CONDITIONS ARE IDEAL FOR THE PROPAGATION OF CERTAIN INSECTS AND WHERE THERE ARE LOTS OF INSECTS THE SWALLOWS ARE NEVER FAR BEHIND.

IN THE MAYAN WORLD THERE ARE FOUR RAIN GODS, ONE FOR EACH OF THE CARDINAL DIRECTIONS; NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST.

THE CHAAC BLANCO OR WHITE ONE OPERATES IN THE NORTH.

THE CHAAC AMARILLO OR YELLOW ONE IS IN THE SOUTH.

TO THE EAST IS THE GOD OF THE SABA ROJA OR THE RED SABA TREE.

AND IN THE WEST IS THE LAST CHAAC GOD, THE BLACK ONE, AND AT THE CENTER IS THE COLOR GREEN WHERE WE FIND THE YA'AXCHE TREE, THE SACRED SABA TREE OF THE MAYAS, THE CENTER OF THE WORLD.

WE'RE IN AN AREA THAT WAS FAMOUS DURING THE SECOND CLASSIC PERIOD OF MAYA EMPIRE, THAT IS FROM 900 TO 1521 WHEN THE SPANISH ARRIVED.

THIS IS AN AREA OF DECENTRALIZED POLITICAL CONTROL OF POWERFUL FAMILIES LIKE THE ITZA.

THESE POWERFUL FAMILIES SOMETIMES CALLED KINGS HAD RESIDENCES LIKE THE ONE BEHIND ME AND THIS RESIDENCE IS WHERE THE KINGS LIVED DURING THIS PERIOD.

THIS IS A SPECTACULAR ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION USED AS A HOME SITE BY THE POWERFUL FAMILIES OF THE MAYAS DURING THIS PERIOD.

MOST OF THEM ESTABLISHED THEIR ECONOMIC POWER THROUGH TRADE THAT REACHED NOT ONLY THROUGHOUT THE PENINSULA BUT ACROSS THE GULF REACHING THE NAWA OR AZTECS AS WELL.

ONE OF THE GREAT INTELLECTUAL CAPACITIES OF ANY COMMUNITY IS THE WAY IT CAN TAKE STORIES, WHETHER THEY'RE SUPPOSEDLY SACRED OR NOT, AND TAKE THOSE STORIES AND RESHAPE THEM SO THEY WORK FOR THAT COMMUNITY.

THAT'S CERTAINLY THE CASE WITH THE THREE KINGS, THE IDEA THAT THESE WERE PERSIAN MAGICIANS OR WISE MEN BECOME IN TIZIMIN MEMBERS OF THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY THAT ARE SPREADING THE GOSPEL OUTWARD FROM THE TOWN ITSELF AND THAT'S REENACTED IN SPECTACULAR WAYS WHEN WE SEE GROUPS MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO TIZIMIN AND THEN THEY LEAVE TIZIMIN JOGGING TO SPREAD THE WORD OF THE GOSPEL.

THE COMBINATION OF POPULAR ATTITUDES ABOUT RELIGION, HEALTHY ACTIVITY WITH JOGGING AND EVANGELIZATION IS THIS SPECTACULAR COMBINATION TO THINK ABOUT.

MAYANS STILL MAKE OFFERINGS TO THEIR GODS IN THE FOREST AND THIS IS STILL IMPORTANT FOR THEM.

THE YUCATECAN KNOWS THE FOREST AND THE MONTE, BIG TREES ARE CALLED MONTAÑA.

TRADITIONAL MAYAS MAKE OFFERINGS TO THESE GODS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

THE ECONOMY OF THE PRE-COLUMBIAN MAYA CULTURE RELIED HEAVILY ON TRADING AS WELL AS ON HARVESTING PRODUCTS OF THE FOREST.

MAYAS EXPLOITED THEIR RESOURCE OF SALT FROM THE OCEAN NOT FAR FROM TIZIMIN.

THEY TRADED WITH OTHER PRE-COLUMBIAN EMPIRES SOME OF THEM HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY.

EVEN TODAY THE RESOURCE IS MOST ACCESSIBLE BY A LONG BOAT RIDE.

SO TIZIMIN IS ABOUT 30 MILES, ABOUT 50 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF US.

WE CAME NORTH THAT WAY.

THE MAYAS HAD TO COME UP HERE TO GET THE FLAMINGO FEATHERS AND SALT.

ONCE THEY GOT HERE THEN, THEY HAD TO COLLECT SALT, BUT THEIR ENGINEERS HAD COME OUT AND SET THE SALT CANALS AND THE DRYING BEDS.

THIS WAS A SOCIETY THAT WAS SOPHISTICATED WITH PEOPLE DOING DIFFERENT KINDS OF JOBS, DIVERSITY OF OCCUPATIONS, DIVERSITY OF CLASSES SO THE KINGS WHO WERE OVERSEEING ALL OF THIS, THE ROYAL FAMILIES, THE IMPORTANT LEADERS, THEY HAD A NETWORK AND A HIERARCHY THAT PEOPLE FIT INTO VERY NEATLY.

NOW WHO DO YOU SUPPOSE HAD THE BETTER JOB, THE PEOPLE CARRYING FEATHERS OR THE PEOPLE CARRYING SALT OR DID THEY CO-MINGLE?

I THINK PROBABLY THEY HAD BIG BAGS OF FEATHERS SO... THAT'S RIGHT AND SMALLER BAGS OF SALT.

YEAH, SMALLER BAGS OF SALT.

CAUSE IT'S ALL THIS HEAVY STUFF.

THIS IS A COLONY OF 40,000 TO 50, 000 FLAMINGOS THAT UNDER PROTECTION FROM THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT HAS INCREASED FROM ABOUT 10,000 15 OR 16 YEARS AGO AND THEY ARE SENSATIONAL.

SOME OF THE GUYS HERE TELL ME THAT A LOT OF THESE ARE YOUNG MALES TOO WHO ARE JUST LEARNING...THEY HAVE TO LEARN A WHOLE BUNCH IN ADDITION TO FEEDING OF THE BEHAVIOR THAT THEY GO THROUGH TO BECOME MALES CAPABLE OF GUARDING OVER THE WHOLE FLOCK.

THE FLAMINGOS HAVE TO HAVE BRINY WATER, MORE CONCENTRATED THAN REGULAR SALT WATER BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE BRINE AND FERRY SHRIMP THAT THEY EAT.

LOOK, YOU CAN SEE THE COLOR IN THE WATER.

THAT IS FROM THE SHRIMP.

SO YOU IMAGINE THEY'RE EATING THEM AND THAT'S WHAT GIVES THEM THEIR COLOR.

SO THEY ALMOST FADE INTO THE COLOR OF THE WATER.

IT'S AMAZING.

AND THAT IS COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF SHRIMP ARE MAKING THAT COLOR.

AND NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE PINK BUT THE UNDER FEATHERS FOR THE FLAMINGOS ARE BLACK SO IT'S A VERY PRETTY COMBINATION.

WELL, IN THE WEAVINGS IT'S WONDERFUL THE WAY THAT THE ARTISAN CAN TAKE THE DIFFERENT SHADES OF PINK AND USE THEM TO CREATE VERY SUBTLE CHANGES IN WHAT THEY'RE WEAVING.

IT LOOKS LIKE PAINTINGS WHEN THEY DO IT, IT'S SO FANTASTIC.

THERE IS EVERY SHADE OF PINK IN THERE AND THAT'S OF COURSE THANKS TO THE SHRIMP THAT THEY'RE EATING, THOSE TINY MICROSCOPIC...

ALMOST MICROSCOPIC...

...ALMOST MICROSCOPIC SHRIMP.

WE'RE OUT HERE IN SORT OF THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

20 KILOMETERS FROM WHERE WE TOOK OFF GOING PURE ESTUARY.

IF WE GET BACK IN THERE, WE GET THIS SORT OF INTIMATE VIEW OF THE MANGROVES AND THIS IS THE MOST EXTENSIVE MANGROVE DEVELOPMENT REALLY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.

[MUSIC] IN ALL MY 50 YEARS OR SO OF TRAVELING IN MEXICO I'VE NEVER SEEN A STRUCTURE LIKE THIS.

WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IT LOOKS LIKE ONE OF THE TYPICAL MAYA CONSTRUCTIONS AND WE HAVE TO CLIMB THIS THING AND IT'S SORT OF A COMBINATION OF SPANISH ARCHITECTURE AND MAYA BUILDING MATERIALS.

THIS BULLRING IS CONSTRUCTED BY SKILLED LABOR.

THEY COMBINE THEIR TALENTS HERE TO CONSTRUCT THIS PORTABLE STADIUM, ALL OF IT MADE FROM TRADITIONAL MATERIALS FROM THE FOREST, THE MONTE.

THEY TIE THE POLES AND LOGS TOGETHER WITH YATUCO AND THEN ALL TOGETHER THEY LIFT THE PLATFORMS UP.

WHAT WE ARE WITNESSING IS A SPANISH SYNCHRONISM THAT COMBINES SPANISH AND INDIGENOUS ELEMENTS.

A PORTABLE BULL FIGHT RING WHICH IS A SPANISH INTRODUCTION INTO THE YUCATÁN BUT MADE BY US NATIVES FROM NATIVE YUCATECAN WOODS.

THE CROWNING OF THE QUEEN IS DONE TO ASK FOR PROTECTION FOR ALL OF THOSE AROUND THE SABA, THE SACRED TREE OF THE MAYANS.

SABAS ARE GRAND TREES GROWING UP TO A HUNDRED FEET TALL.

THE SPANIARDS WANTED TO CLAIM THE SYMBOLISM OF THE SABA FOR THEMSELVES BUT THE MAYAN PEOPLE REFUSED TO ALLOW THEM TO TAKE THE SYMBOLISM OF THE TREE AWAY FROM THEM.

SO THEY STILL KEEP THE SABA GROWING HERE, THE MAYAN TREE, THEY CELEBRATE AROUND IT IN THIS PLAZA.

THEY ARE GOING TO DRAG A ROPED BULL INTO THE CENTER OF THE RING.

THEY WILL THEN RELEASE IT TO BEGIN THE BULLFIGHTING FESTIVITIES.

THE BULLFIGHTERS ARE ALL YUCATECOS.

TWO OF TEN BULLS ARE KILLED.

THE OTHER EIGHT RETURN TO THE CORRALS.

[HORN BLOWING] WE ARE IN AN AGRICULTURAL REGION OF CORN BUT ALSO OF LIVESTOCK WHERE BULLS ARE REVERED AND RESPECTED FOR THEIR BRAVERY, THEIR WILLINGNESS TO FACE LIFE'S CHALLENGES.

THE FESTIVAL HERE IN THIS MEETING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FESTIVAL, NOT ONLY IN YUCATÁN BUT OF THE ENTIRE PENINSULA.

YOU CAN SMELL THE FIREWORKS IN THE AIR RIGHT HERE.

YOU CAN, YOU CAN FEEL IT.

OF COURSE I NEVER DREAMED THAT THERE WOULD BE ACTUALLY MAYAN BULLFIGHTERS BUT HERE THEY ARE.

THERE'S THE MAYA TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS AND THEN THERE'S THE SPANISH AND NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET.

BUT HERE WE COME TO A MAYAN STRUCTURE WITH MAYAN TOREROS BULLFIGHTERS AND THE AUDIENCE IS PRIMARILY MAYAN SO IT SORT OF MADE ME REVISE EVERYTHING I THOUGHT ABOUT NATIONAL FIESTAS.

WELL, I DON'T THINK WITH THE SACRED TREE AND THIS OTHER POLE HERE IN THE CENTER THAT THIS WOULD APPEAR IN SPAIN OR COLUMBIA OR CHILE OR ANY OTHER PLACE OR CHIHUAHUA FOR THAT MATTER.

DAVE, I'M CAPTIVATED JUST LOOKING OUT HERE AND SEEING THE WHOLE ARRAY OF SHOES OF EVERY VARIETY.

WE SEE NIKE, COWBOY BOOTS, WE SEE... HEY, LOOK, WE'VE GOT HEELS.

HEELS, BARE FEET.

FLATS.

YEAH, BARE FEET.

I WONDER IF PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THEIR FRIENDS BY THE SANDALS THEY'RE WEARING OR THE SHOES.

TODAY OVER 600,000 PEOPLE IN THE YUCATÁN PENINSULA SPEAK THE MAYA LANGUAGE, AN INDICATION OF THE STRENGTH OF MAYA CULTURE, STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE A EUROPEAN INSTITUTION SUCH AS THE FESTIVAL OF THE THREE KINGS AND STAMP IT WITH UNDENIABLE MAYA AUTHENTICITY.

PANAMA CITY HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT SHIPPING CENTER ON THE PACIFIC OCEAN FOR MORE THAN 400 YEARS.

THE FAMOUS CANAL THAT CONNECTS IT WITH THE ATLANTIC IS MORE THAN JUST A WATERWAY.

IT IS HOME TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREAT RAINFORESTS.

WITHOUT THE FOREST, THE CANAL DRIES UP.

JOIN US NEXT TIME IN THE AMERICAS WITH ME, DAVID YETMAN.

[MUSIC/CROWD NOISE/CHEERING/FIREWORKS] FUNDING FOR IN THE AMERICAS WITH DAVID YETMAN WAS PROVIDED BY AGNES HAURY.

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