Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan

This book, written more than 100 years ago, is one of my all time favorites. The author, John L. Stephens, an American adventurer, led two expeditions to Central America with Frederic Catherwood, an English artist. Together they slogged through jungles, overcame illnesses, became involved in revolutions, and made an awe-inspiring series of discoveries.

They uncovered long-lost ancient Mayan cities such as Palenque, that were covered with jungle growth. Catherwood, a talented artist, made detailed drawings of ancient palaces, temples, and pyramids and these have helped archeologists in later years.

Besides being an exciting adventure stories, these books reveal fascinating details about Mayan life. This book is in two volumes. Stephens later wrote a follow-up book, Incidents of Travel in Yucatan. Both provide great reading experiences.