Tulum Ruins
Trip Start
Aug 10, 2007
1
64
92
Trip End
Dec 27, 2007
Tulum,
Mexico
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The bus dropped us off at the roadside & we assumed that we were to follow the dirt road leading down to the sea...and the ruins. It was exceptionally hot & by the time we reached the entrance to the ruins, we were sweating! We bought entrance tickets & this time decided to pay the fee to allow you to use your video camera on-site.
Before long we reached the entrance gate, one of only three, which allowed you access to the ancient Mayan city. The site of this city is indescribably beautiful - set on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean sea - this is definitely the place I would have chosen to live if I'd been around in those days!! Some of the buildings were still in good condition while others were reduced to a foundation - hinting at what may have been...
...one thing they all had in common was that they all seemed to be inhabited by the most enormous iguanas. We decided that they now reigned the city of Tulum & rightly so...they are probably the only thing left that was around at the time when this was a thriving community.
We continued to walk amongst the ruins & eventually came to the edge of the cliff to see the most beautiful looking beaches running along the entire length of the coast ....we were definitely going down there later...the sea was various shades of blue & green & there were interesting little caves & fine white sand as far as the eye could see.
Greg at the entrance
I was in paradise!After exploring the ruins for a little longer, we headed down one of the pathways which led to the sea. Fortunately we had come prepared & slipped on our costumes & ran into the refreshing, aqua-marine water. It was amazing to be swimming whilst looking up at an ancient, uninhabited city on the cliff above...it seemed unreal. We lay around on the beach right at the waters edge - too close I soon discovered - as I was abruptly awakened by a wave rolling over me & my belongings! Fortunately I managed to salvage most of them before they were soaked & Greg, being the gentleman that he is, offered me his dry sarong on which to lie.
Unfortunately this wonderful moment in time had to come to an end & we walked back toward the little township, had some lunch whilst watching some Mexican entertainers dancing around the top of a very tall pole & then walked back to the roadside wondering how or where we got a bus back to Playa del Carmen. As we got closer to the road we saw a minibus waiting & soon discovered that this was the way that the locals traveled along the Mayan Riviera. We jumped on and enjoyed the ride...a little different to the ADO bus on which we had come, but what the heck! We found these buses pretty useful & really cheap & continued to use them for the rest of our time in Mexico. They actually reminded us of the South African taxis, just a little less crowded!
We were soon back in Playa & went straight down to the beach to soak up the last of the rays for today.
Greg hides in the sea from Jules and her camera
We stayed down there until sunset & walked the length of the beach with the waves washing the warm Caribbean sea over our feet...it was even warmer than the air. We came apon an amazing looking restaurant right on the beach & decided we would definitely be back for dinner.After a rest & shower we returned to this unforgettable place where they now had a jazz band playing. We picked a table on the sand & ordered our meals. The pina coladas were delicious as was my fusion shrimp. Greg tucked into his fajitas & the rest of the evening was made...certainly the most memorable night of this amazing journey.
The History ::
Tulum is thought to have reached it's heyday in AD1200 as a vibrant trading post. When Tulum was conquered by the Spanish in 1530, it was still a thriving city.
The Mayan word for wall is "tulum" and the city is surrounded by a wall, which is unusual for a Mayan city. Although the wall was for defensive purposes, only the wealthy and priests would have lived within the wall.
The city's population would have been around 600 people.
There are four dominant buildings on the 650 hectare national park. The Castillo is a temple, but also thought to be used as a lighthouse.
To the left of The Castillo is the Temple of the Descending God - this God's carving can be found all over Tulum and could be the setting sun, rain, lightning or even the Bee God (as honey still is a Mayan chief export).
The Temple of Frescoes is near the main entrance and depicts Toltec bas reliefs of Chac (the God of Rain).
The Temple of Wind overlooks the coast and is very true to it's name.
