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Straw roofs are not a Mayan invention, as they originated in Africa from where they spread to five continents. In Yucatan, this form of covering was made with
best native materials. First of these is
chicle tree, zapote by its local name. Its latex once served as a base for chewing gum (today, 99 percent of chewing gum comes from petroleum products), and was extracted through deep incisions made in its trunk.
Zapote is a reddish color, among
hardest woods known, impervious to heat or humidity, and flexible. These qualities make it especially useful for adapting to ornate designs. The second element of construction is wild grass, it grows in abundance throughout
peninsula, reaching heights of one meter. Although not widely used, xit palms are another popular roofing material.
Building a palapa is an art, although primitive, and requires much practice and creative ability to master
technique. Palapa builders as generous artisans have revealed many of their secrets. The building process begins with
cutting of wood, a significant cosmic act since it is determined by lunar phases. Trees may only be cut on nine of every 28 days, during seven days of
full moon and two more. Theory has it that just like ocean tides,
sap of trees rises during
full moon and their trunks reach saturation when
cycle is at its fullest. After timbering, when
sap dries, it will provide a natural repellant against boring insects.
Grass must be torn from
ground manually with its roots intact, then left to dry several days in
sun. It must be combed just before it becomes brittle. This is done by laying it on a bed of upright nails and gently pulling it through in one horizontal motion. Bundles are then woven together into plaques and laid onto
framework.
In
case of xit palms, these are cut then broken where main stem and leaf meet. The remaining fronds are separated into three sections and inserted in a horizontal pole that keeps them together.
Assembling a palapa is a delicate process, full of
unexpected. On
coast they must be built in accordance with prevailing winds. Builders must determine
structure's weight, which in turn determines
size of support beams, then they must calculate a sloping angle for
roof (generally 45 degrees.).
That angle is crucial. It allows rainwater to quickly drain away before it can penetrate
roof material and lead to rotting. The steeper
slope,
more durable a roof will be. This formula has one drawback however, as higher means costlier, and as a result there is a compromise on
45 degrees.
The Maya used palapas to cover homes and temples built for many purposes. Today's examples include restaurants and many businesses. Cancun is filled with monumental palapas. Almost every hotel has one around its pool areas. They link modern Cancun with a remote past.
Quintana Roo, one of
most recently established states in Mexico, has a population of 880,000. Most of
inhabitants live in Cancun, Chetumal, (the state capital), Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, and San Miguel Cozumel.
One of
most attractive ceremonies still being carried out is the
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Edwi Ali, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

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