The Yucatán

I am not sure it is possible to put into words how amazing this weekend trip to the Yucatán was. A combination of a very well organized trip, great people, excellent tour guides, good weather, great Mexican food and two totally amazing archeological sites of Mayan history.

I was left feeling happy and content on a level that I haven’t felt for a long time. I certainly won’t do it justice in the text so I hope the pictures help you to capture the moment.

From Playa Del Carmen it is a 4 hour drive up to Chichen Itza. We slept most of the way, possibly something to do with the party the night before. Spanish drinking games with a shot of tequila as a forfeit, I was on a loosing start!

‘ The Maya are probably the best-known of the classical civilizations of Mesoamerica. Originating in the Yucatan around 2600 B.C., they rose to prominence around A.D. 250 in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, northern Belize and western Honduras. Building on the inherited inventions and ideas of earlier civilizations such as the Olmec, the Maya developed astronomy, calendrical systems and hieroglyphic writing. The Maya were noted as well for elaborate and highly decorated ceremonial architecture, including temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories, all built without metal tools.
Around 300 B.C., the Maya adopted a hierarchical system of government with rule by nobles and kings. This civilization developed into highly structured kingdoms during the Classic period, A.D. 200-900.

Their society consisted of many independent states, each with a rural farming community and large urban sites built around ceremonial centers. It started to decline around A.D. 900 when - for reasons which are still largely a mystery - the southern Maya abandoned their cities. When the northern Maya were integrated into the Toltec society by A.D. 1200, the Maya dynasty finally came to a close, although some peripheral centers continued to thrive until the Spanish Conquest in the early sixteenth century.’

Our Guide was of Maya Decent and very passionate about sharing his history. We learnt some very bizarre facts about the Mayan people. Families of high status had heads shaped like melons and were often cross eyed. When babies were born they would put their heads into a device to make it melon shaped. They put a bean on their nose to encourage them to cross their eyes, this was a sign of intelligence as it encouraged them to use both sides of the brain. Hmmm……
They also played a ball game. The court was rectangular with two rings high on each side. You had to pass the ball with your body, you could not use your hands or feet. Only the captain could score goals, take a look at the photo and you will see that getting a large rubber ball through the ring without using hands or feet, not an easy task. The first to score a goal was the winner and the loosing captain was sacrificed. No extra time, just off with his head.

This photo shows the ring that the captain had to shoot the ball through. Games could last for weeks and even months.

Chichen Itza - The famous Mayan pyramids of Chichen-Itza are over 1500 years old and are located only 75 miles from Merida. The name Chichen-Itza is a Mayan word: CHI (mouth) CHEN (well) and ITZA (of the Itza tribe).

Here are a few pictures of this incredible site.

Sara, Judith and Tega infront of the main temple at Chichen Itza

Side view of the temple, snake heads at the bottom.

Tega, Alice, Betina, Oscar, Sara, Roberto, Karine and Judith

This was called the Nunery but it was actually the school

After 4 hours in the sun we retired to a hacienda for some very traditional Mexican Food, meat and beans! I have had beans for breakfast lunch and dinner, it is only a matter of time…….

Hacienda Jardin De Las Especias
Oscar with his happy plate full of meat and beans

Conchita Pibil - my dinner, it was amazing although i suspect it was deepfried, with beans!

We stayed at a hotel in Merida, a very vibrant city with live bands on the street and a sea of people dancing Salsa. It is an amazing place and very much based around family life.

The streets of Merida at night, they close the road and eveyone dances, we did partake and it was great fun.

Uxmal - Maya chronicles say that Uxmal was founded about 500 by Hun Uitzil Chac Tutul Xiu. For generations Uxmal was ruled over by the Xiu family, was the most powerful site in western Yucatan, and for a while in alliance with Chichen Iza dominated all of the northern Maya area.

Uxmal is a smaller and quieter site to Chichen Itza. It is an amazing feeling when you are standing on the top of a pyramid surrounded by history from 500AD. The energy in this place was amazing.

Uxmal, main temple from the back

Uxmal, main temple from the front

Sara with the head of Chac, the rain god. The hooknose can be up or down and this is to pray for or thank for rain.

Three Chacs

Judith, Alice, Sara, Karine, Tega, Betina, Roberto on the North wall of the temple.

We are about the climb the temple in the distance

View from the top of the temple, the most amazing feeling looking down over archeological ruins from 500AD

Uxmal, main temple

We retired to another hacienda to watch the sun go down, from a hammock. My new friends from the Spanish School are all great. Many of them are in a similar situation to me, need a change, need to experience something new, deciding what the next step in life is. We seem to understand each other without even talking about it, the focus is very much on the great things in life.

Relaxing, watching the sunset.

It may seem strange to say but if I could put this weekend in a jar and keep it forever I would. It was a combination of many things, having time to enjoy the wonderful things in life is probably a major factor in this.
Adios Amigos
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