Day Five

One of the Guys

Stephanie takes notes in the ancient Mayan ruin of Oxkintok.

I've always been a bit of a tomboy, but this week I truly became one of the guys. I have been the solitary female on the eight-member MayaQuest team. Normally, this wouldn't be so bad. But imagine living with seven large men, in the hot sun, 24-7. One thing I've learned for sure: Men's feet smell much worse than women's.

In early Maya times, women cooked the meals, did the weaving, took care of the children, and ruled the home. The men worked in the fields, built temples, and ruled the kingdoms. The ancient Maya believed that men and women worked together this way to form a unit.

There are a few exceptions to these traditional roles. On a glyph dating back to 682 A.D., a princess named "Lady Six Sky" is portrayed performing king-like rituals. Human rights activist Rigoberta Menchu is a recent example of a Maya woman playing a non-traditional role.

	Stephanie met this young Maya girl at a small stand selling souvenirs to tourists.

I wanted to meet a few modern Maya women to see what their lives were like. In Belize, I met a 14-year-old Maya girl named Rosario. She sells T-shirts and jewelry to tourists on the shores of the New River.

"Do you want to get married soon?" I asked Rosario, after she said that both her 19- and 21-year-old sisters were married with children. "No, I want to wait until I am older." She replied.

Being the only woman on MayaQuest is not so bad, even though I have to put up with seven sets of stinky feet.

With Insight from the Inside,

- Stephanie Gregory

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MayaQuest is produced by Classroom Connect as part of The Quest Channel series of online adventures.