Most every day we would drive out to the property and explore what we could and discuss ideas of what we would eventually like it to be. There was always interesting insects, lizards, birds and an occasional bigger noise from something running around in the distance. At one point we had wondered if there might be any ancient Mayan ruins on the property, but figured at this point we wouldn’t know one if we saw one.

On our way down to Da Malfunction Junction (2 miles from us) for a cold beer there is a sign half way on a small trail that reads “Pacbitun”. We had always just assumed that it was someone’s name for their property, after all the one down the road from us is called the “Funny Farm”. After we got back we looked it up and it turns out that it is a Mayan archaeology site only about a mile from us. I guess it was extensively excavated at some point and is fairly overgrown now, but there is still a lot of structure there from what I’ve read. Definitely something we need to check out some day.

Once we are living there I know our nights will be filled with lots of strange noises we have never heard before, maybe this might be some of them.

The Mayans contributed to the belief of four-fingered “little people” of the jungle, the Tata Duende.  Any person meeting one must give a four-fingered salute, hiding the thumb or he will take it. The Duende can cause disease, but placing gourds of food for them in a doorway will prevent an epidemic. They can capture people and drive them mad. But they can also grant wishes and make a person suddenly able to play a musical instrument.

So if you come down to visit us and we are acting mad and playing music like we’ve never played before, then you know that we had been visited by the Duende.