Trade Roots
Traversing the Ancient Mayan Sacbe Between Yaxuna and Coba
In the heart of the Yucatán Peninsula in México, an ancient Mayan sacbe, or white road, stretches for 62 miles between the archaeological sites of Yaxuna and Coba— Mayan towns that were founded over 2,500 years ago. The sacbe was said to be built by Lady K’awiil Ajaw, the warrior queen of Coba who was fighting to save her city from the growing Chichén Itzá. As a show of strength she created this engineering marvel to move her armies— part of which is still preserved today but lost to the jungle between the two ancient cities.
The sacbe was built between 600 AD and 1000 AD, 26 feet wide and 16-18 inches off the ground— it was an engineering feat that rivaled any of the great Mayan pyramids. The sacbes were built with a type of concrete similar to what was used in Roman construction, and because they were covered in white limestone they were said to glow at night.


About the Expedition
Over the course of a month, I will traverse the sacbe, trekking the 62 miles through dense jungle on the remnants of the powerful road that once connected thousands of people and small villages between the two ancient cities of Yaxuna and Coba. I’ll document the expedition through photographs, as well as sharing the story on social media, and any archaeological findings along the way— following the path Queen Lady K’awiil Ajaw is said to have created as a struggle for power over 1500 years ago in the peninsula. I’ll spend 15-20 days traversing the sacbe, then will spend the remaining days editing the photos and content to share. I would be the first female in modern times to cross the sacbe, making the journey from Yaxuna to Coba— it hasn’t been done since Alfonso Villa Rojas— a school teacher working on the restoration project at Chichén Itzá— made the journey in 1933. Nothing says alpha female more than crossing an impenetrable jungle on an ancient road a warrior queen created.
Why This Expedition?
Worldwide, only 23% of wilderness remains— the last wild places on Earth are disappearing. In order to protect these places, people have to care about them. I work on expeditions to bring far flung places to people in their homes via storytelling so they can be part of the adventure, so they can experience these incredible places and the magic of discovery. By creating a sense of adventure and wonder at the natural world and its ancient cultures, more people will care about these far flung places and ruins, and they can understand their importance through storytelling, and why we need to save and preserve them.
Gear List
Technical Gear
Rehydration salts
Epi Pen
Bee Alert
Avapena
Alacramyn antidote scorpion venom
Housing
Big Agnes Tent
Big Agnes Sleeping Pad
Machete
Knife (side belt for bee spray and knife)
Camera gear
Satellite phone
Drone
Photo Gear
Drone
Sony Alpha
Lenses
Read the Latest

Heading South: The Return of #FindingFitzRoy
Honduras The sun is brilliant rising, warm oranges reaching from behind the mountains, touching the leaves on the trees and slowly making its way across the road. The pale shapes of the morning take form and become the highway, and I am no longer a shadowy thought but real, and present, and riding again, illuminated […]

In Which I am Hit by a Truck
On the Road from La Ceiba to Tegucigalpa, Honduras // 10 AMThe rain that had filled the potholes on the red dirt road had gone, leaving only empty spaces. My motorcycle bumped up and down as I leaned right and then left, slowing down then speeding up, navigating the twisting road that followed the river […]

Fear, Machistos, and Riding through Guatemala and El Salvador
Rio Dulce I rode across the bridge into El Salvador, and when the bridge ended there was an empty bit of road with buildings to the left down a hill, a little stand to my right, military men milling and people milling around. There were no clear signs that I could see, and I sat […]
Sponsors + Partners
Coming Soon.