Valladolid day 2

Today we visited Chichén Itzá, the biggest Mayan ruins in the Yucatan. We lucked out and got a parking spot right at the entrance. Chichen Itza was selected one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in July 2007. Chichen Itza means at the brim of the well where the Wise Men of the Water Live. The layout of Chichén Itzá site core developed during its earlier phase of occupation, between 750 and 900 CE. Its final layout was developed after 900 CE and the 10th century saw the rise of the city as a regional capital controlling the area from central Yucatán to the north coast, with its power extending down the east and west coasts of the peninsula.

El Castillo. Another pyramid-temple is nestled within the larger pyramid. Further excavations have revealed that it had nine platforms, a single stairway, and a temple containing human remains, a jade-studded jaguar throne, and a so-called Chac Mool.
Temple of the Warriors
Chac Mool is a form of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican sculpture depicting a reclining figure with its head facing 90 degrees from the front, supporting itself on its elbows and supporting a bowl or a disk upon its stomach. Is a place for sacrificial offerings to the god.
Sacred Cenote. The cenote has caved in and so it is completely open.
THE CARACOL OR OBSERVATORY
Through its windows, the sunsets are registered in the equinoxes and in the winter solstice, thus relating to astronomical observation. It is also called Caracol because of the spiral staircase that leads to the top part. The circular tower is not common in the Maya area.
The Maya priests were great observers of the sky and thoroughly registered its movements, which allowed them to develop a very exact calendar system that was proper for their needs.
Practically all the Mesoamerican societies had a calendar system with the same basic caracteristics. The oldest calendar dates have been registered in the area of the Olmeca culture and correspond to more than two thousand years ago.

After visiting the archaeological site, we drove back through Valladolid to visit what we thought it was going to be a spectacular cenote. Zazil Tunich Cenote is a geological museum, a place where the stones tell their story, silent witnesses to the legend of Xibalbá. Legend says that 2 brothers, Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué, sons of an underworld goddess, were the only ones to descend alive into Xibalbá and defeat the lords of the underworld, which is why today we can access the cenotes. The legend of Xibalbá represents the essence that the cenotes had for the Mayan culture. These were sacred places that not everyone could access and sadly today many of them are used as swimming pools.This site provided a tour into the cavern. They limit the number of people that can go in at a time. They are very sensitive to the sacredness of the place. Our first view of the place was overwhelming.

310,000 years old
500,000 years old
Amazing reflections. The water is so clear.
More amazing reflections.
I took this picture with my underwater camera. My feet and legs and the camera are all underwater. The water is so clear that it’s hard to believe that.
We participated in a Mayan ceremony whose intent was to bring the gods’ blessings to us.
Alamo, a sacred tree for the Mayans since they indicate the existence of water. They only grow near the cenotes. Due to its large size, the roots always need to be in direct contact with water, for the Mayans it was the tree of life.

We finished our day with a delightful meal in Valladolid.

Skirt steak with a Yukon pesto, delicious, fresh vegetables, guacamole, pico de gallo, and yams

So ends our second day in Valladolid. It certainly was immersed in Mayan culture.

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