National Geographic's 'Digital Nomad' Andrew Evans Embarks on Southeastern Mexico Adventure to Uncover Mayan Mysteries

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In anticipation of the end of the Mayan calendar on Dec. 21, 2012, Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler magazine's "Digital Nomad," has embarked on a cultural adventure to Mexico to uncover the mysteries of the Maya. He will travel to five Mexican states — Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatan — to visit some well-known Mayan ruins, including Chichen Itza and Tulum, as well as some more obscure and less-visited sites of Mexico, including one of the oldest sites in the country: Izapa. Through Feb. 29, Evans will tweet, blog, vlog and "Instagram" his travels on NationalGeographic.com's Digital Nomad blog (http://digitalnomad.nationalgeographic.com/), his Twitter feed @WheresAndrew and his Where's Andrew Facebook page.

"I learned about the Maya from reading National Geographic. Now I am traveling to all these places I read about in the magazine in hopes of uncovering some of these mysteries on my own," Evans said. "Follow me on Twitter and Facebook in real time and read my Digital Nomad blog for daily discoveries along the route of the Maya."

Evans will develop his own itinerary using back issues of National Geographic as his guidebook and referencing the work and discoveries of dozens of National Geographic explorers who have studied the Maya and covered their history and culture in depth for the magazine. He will explore 16 Mayan ruins, looking for the unexpected, the untold and the weird but true. As he discovers the ancient world of the Maya, he will also experience the modern Mayan culture of Mexico — in cities like San Cristobal de las Casas, Villahermosa and Merida, considered to be "the safest city in Mexico."

Evans is a veteran travel writer for National Geographic Traveler and National Geographic's Intelligent Travel blog. In June last year he documented his Canadian adventures as he explored the best of Ontario, from festivals to fly fishing. In September, he tweeted and blogged his way around Japan, from the stylish streets of Tokyo to the mountains of Hokkaido to the city of Hiroshima. In the fall he wined and dined his way through Louisiana, experiencing the best of the bayou and New Orleans. He finished the year skiing, snow-shoeing and trekking through Western Canada's ski country with renowned mountaineers, ski instructors and naturalists.          

In 2010, Evans journeyed from Washington, D.C., to Antarctica — a 10,000-mile trip through 14 countries — using public transportation as far as he could go. He rode buses to Ushuaia in Argentina, the southernmost city in the world, and then boarded the MV National Geographic Explorer to Antarctica. Along the way, he broke international news as he discovered a completely black penguin — one of the rarest genetic mutations and seldom seen anywhere on the planet. His pictures and video of the penguin were broadcast around the world.

In 2009, Evans' travels took him to Australia, where he traversed the continent, interacting with his followers via Twitter and on his blog. He dived at the Great Barrier Reef, drove hundreds of miles on the Great Ocean Road, took in a 360-degree view of Melbourne by hot-air balloon and toured a haunted prison.

"Andrew Evans is the first true National Geographic digital explorer," said Keith Bellows, National Geographic Traveler magazine editor in chief. "In Mexico, he'll follow the path of great Society explorers before him to uncover the mysteries of the Mayan culture. Expect surprises."

SOURCE National Geographic Traveler