Today

In the five states that make up the Yucatán and southeastern Mexico, great wealth lives alongside abject poverty. Paradoxically, the indexes of both wealth and poverty in this region are higher than the national average. A tremendous amount of money flows into the area -- in the case of Yucatán and Quintana Roo, from tourism; in the case of Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas, from the oil industry. Most residents reap little benefit from the economic boom. These five states have a total population of almost 10 million -- 10% of Mexico's population -- but account for only about 6% of the economic activity.

In some cases, development has increased demand for local products and services. For example, fishermen and palaperos, the native people who create the thatched roofs (palapas) that crown so many restaurants and hotels, are in high demand whenever a hurricane brushes the coast. At the same time, development has destroyed the livelihood of other locals. Coastal coconut growers were wiped out when Cancún developers brought turf from Florida to build a golf course, unwittingly introducing a disease that killed the original coconut palms; destruction of mangroves, crucial to the coastal food chain, has diminished fishermen's catches. A similar give- and- take is at play within the oil economies of Tabasco and Chiapas.

While residents' incomes have not improved, tourism and oil prosperity does have indirect benefits. Even without a coherent policy to combat social ills, the government has paved most of the peninsula's roads and fitted out even the most remote villages with electricity. Purified water is widely available. And with the increasing emphasis on ecotourism, some remote villages have formed partnerships with tour companies that allow them to profit from tourism while controlling the number and type of visitors.

Today's Maya Culture & People

Yucatán state, Tabasco, and Chiapas often feel like a separate country. Their jarana music, sweetened by clarinets, and a cuisine redolent with capers, achiote, and saffron, exude Caribbean sensuality. And the region's proud, gentle people display little of the machismo or the relentless salesmanship that tries visitors' patience in northern and central Mexico.

The sense of "otherness" grows partly from geographical isolation but even more from the Maya's fierce, centuries-long resistance to being absorbed into the Spanish spoils; some Maya refuse to recognize Mexican sovereignty even today. All of which makes their warm, generous natures as much a wonder as their famous pyramid at Chichén Itzá.

In the Yucatán, especially, your simplest transaction with a local easily evolves into spirited conversation. In the Peninsula's interior, where some Maya Indians are uneasy speaking Spanish, you are more likely to encounter some initial reticence. Usually, it's quickly overcome with smiles and inventive gestures.

You don't need to leave Cancún to meet the Maya; thousands travel from the interior to jobs at hotels and restaurants, many shifting effortlessly between Spanish, English, and Yukatek, the local Mayan language. More than 350,000 Maya living in the peninsula's three states speak Yukatek, and most, especially men, also speak Spanish.

The estimated 1 million Tabascan and Chiapan Maya, who speak four Mayan languages with dozens of dialects, are more reserved. Highland Maya around San Cristóbal de las Casas generally remain aloof from outside cultures, preferring to live in mountain hamlets and meeting only for ceremonies and market days. In their chilly cloud-forest homeland they, too, live much as their ancestors did, but with beliefs distinct from their peninsular relatives.

Though they held fast to their language through the Spanish conquest, the Maya lost much of their living memory of pre-Hispanic life; what they retained is cloaked in myth and worked into elements of Catholicism. That process of syncretism, as anthropologists call it, continues today in the many Maya communities that have native churches.

The question of their ancestors' rightful place among the world's ancient civilizations might be as much a mystery to today's Maya people as it is to scholars. But nearly every year, archaeological discoveries of the art and architecture of the ancients add to the growing picture of a complex urban culture that thrived where only sparsely populated jungle exists today.

The Well-Lived Life

In the face of economic inequality, Mexican society remains tremendously resilient and cohesive -- due in no small part to the way Mexicans live. They place paramount value on family and friends, social gatherings, and living in the present; worrying about the future takes a back seat. Mexicans always have time to meet with friends for a drink or a cup of coffee or attend a family get-together. The many spirited public celebrations Mexico is known for are simply another manifestation of this attitude.

You won't find more amiable people anywhere on earth, and you can invite the full force of their natural gregariousness by being mindful of some social norms. Here's a start:

Slow Down -- The stereotype of "mañana time" is mostly true. Life obeys slower rhythms, and "on time" is a flexible concept. Arriving 30 minutes to two hours late to a party in someone's home is acceptable -- in fact, coming at the specified hour would be rude, for your hosts almost certainly will not be ready. Here's the "mostly" part: Dinner invitations are less flexible; arrive within 30 minutes of the appointed hour. And be on time for business appointments, public performances, weddings, and funerals.

Meet & Greet -- Don't short-circuit the hellos and goodbyes; Mexican culture places higher value on proper social form than on saving time. A Mexican must at least say "¡Buenos días!" even to total strangers. When meeting a group of people, an individual will greet each one separately, no matter how long it takes. Handshakes, abrazos (embraces), and, among women, kisses abound. Stick to handshakes until your host decides you rate a more intimate greeting. But don't back away from an embrace -- that would amount to a rejection of friendship.

Have a Little Respect -- Mexicans are lavish with titles of respect. Dispense señor, señora, and señorita (Mr., Mrs., Miss) freely. Teachers, lawyers, architects, and other professionals have earned the right to a title: licenciado for lawyers (and some other professions requiring a college degree), maestro or maestra for elementary school teachers, profesor or profesora for secondary or college teachers, and so forth. Mexicans have two surnames, father's first and mother's second. Both appear on business cards (the mother's name might be abbreviated to an initial), but when addressing people, use just the first (paternal) surname.

Don't Get Huffy -- Mexicans are genuinely interested in foreigners. If they stare, it's friendly curiosity. They like to practice their English, and will ask about family, friends, money, and other intimate matters. If you are over 30 and have no children, they may express deep concern. Don't take it personally.

Show Some Culture -- Like most people, Mexicans quickly size up people they meet. Most divide the world into the well-raised and cultured (bien educado) and the poorly raised (mal educado). Don't be shy about trying out your rudimentary Spanish; even the most elementary attempt is appreciated because it shows your interest in the culture. To be categorized as a foreigner is no big deal. What's important in Mexico is to be categorized as a cultured foreigner and not one of the barbarians.