Chichen Itza .......... wonder of the world!
Trip Start
Aug 10, 2007
1
62
92
Trip End
Dec 27, 2007
Chichén Itzá,
Mexico
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
We boarded a big travel bus for Chichen Itza and stopped just outside Chichen Itza for "souvenir" buying. We bought a Mayan calender made from bone and Jules bought a silver necklace (we made sure it had the genuine "925" stamp on it, signifying it was genuine Mexican silver).
We drove past two villages where the local people still live as their Mayan ancestors did, in thatched huts, which was very interesting .......... a bit like the Transkei.
And then we finally arrived at the Mayan Hotel and enjoyed a buffet for lunch. The food was a diverse selection of Mexican and European food and was ok.
Finally we were ready to go into the main site. Our guide took us through the main gate and we stopped first at one of the water wells. The entire site has 2 cenotes (underground water well) where human skeletons have been found. It is believed that once the Toltec people (who originally came form central Mexico) arrived on the coast, they made a peaceful agreement with the Mayan people and they became on nation. The Toltecs were warlike and blood thirsty and insisted on human sacrifice as a way to ensure good harvests and no droughts etc. So it is thought that the skeletons thrown into the wells were from this time, when the combined nation was trying to appease the "god of drought". It is also believed that people of all ages were thrown down the well as the skeletons found are of all ages and both sexes.
The Pyramid (El Castillo) or "Temple of Kukulcan" at Chichen Itza is one of the most spectacular Mayan Ruins. It is a masterpiece of Toltec-Maya architecture. The Pyramid stands in the center of the ruins surrounded by several other important buildings including the temple of the warriors, the ball court, and the Platform of Venus.
El Castillo is a step pyramid and has a ground plan of square terraces with stairways up each of the 4 sides to the temple on top. On the Spring and Fall equinox, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the structure casts a shadow in the shape of a serpent, Kukulcan, along the side of the North staircase. On these two days, the shadows from the corner tiers slither down the northern side of the pyramid with the sun's movement.
Mesoamerican cultures periodically built larger pyramids atop older ones, and this is one such example. In the mid 1930s, the Mexican government sponsored an excavation into El Castillo. After several false starts, they discovered a staircase under the north side of the pyramid. By digging from the top, they found another temple buried below the current one. Inside the temple chamber was a Chac Mool statue and a throne in the shape of jaguar, painted red with spots made of inlaid jade.
The Ball Court of Chichen Itza is the largest in all Mesoamerica. The "ball game" which the Mayan/Toltec people played was a very serious game indeed. The captain of the winning team had the honour of being sacrificed to ensure the harvest would be bountiful!!
The Great Ball Court Archaeologists have identified seven courts for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame in Chichén, but the Great Ball Court of Chichen Itza is the largest ball court in ancient Mesoamerica. It measures 166 by 68 meters. The imposing walls are 12 meters high, and in the center, high up on each of the long walls, are rings carved with intertwining serpents
The game itself is exceptionally difficult. The ball court is the length of a football field, with two small rings on either sides for goals. The players were not allowed to use their hands or feet, and had to get a pigskin ball through the small holes on either side of the ball court. We watched a video of the game being played (by local actors) and it is fascinating how they managed to get the ball through the goals by using their hips, shoulders, heads, knees etc.
The Observatory at Chichen Itza is one of the most important structures in the city. Used by Mayan astronomers to view the heavens, this structure allowed the ancients to pinpoint the longest and shortest days of the year, follow Venius in its rotation, observe other planets and more.
The Temple of the Warriors consists of a large stepped pyramid fronted and flanked by rows of carved columns depicting warriors. At the top of the stairway on the pyramid's summit (and leading towards the entrance of the pyramid's temple) is a Chac Mool. The Chac Mool is the lying statue where the captain's heart was placed in a dish on his lap.
Near the Warriors is a large plaza surrounded by pillars called "The Great Market." It is believed that the great market was once covered and the market was filled with merchants selling food etc.
Las Monjas, one of the more notable structures at Chichen Itza is a complex of Terminal Classic buildings constructed in the Puuc architectural style. The Spanish nicknamed this complex Las Monjas ("The Nuns" or "The Nunnery") but was actually a governmental palace.
We had a great day seeing all of the above in the searing heat. We drank many bottles of water and had to continuously look for "restrooms". We were fascinated by the Buddhist Monks who were working nearby the structures. There is huge monastery nearby and the monks still inhabit the area today.
After a long day in the sun we boarded the bus back to Cancun. We arrived in the Hotel District and decided to splash out on a good dinner, so we headed for The Outback. We had brilliant steaks and then made our way back to our hostel, where we passed out quickly!
