Chichen Itza

Location: Yucatan, Mexico
Address: Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico
Date: Aug 1996
Website: www.chichenitza.com

Chichen Itza is one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  It is a city built by the Maya people over a thousand years ago. We arrived there on a hot summer's day after a 2 hour bus ride from Cancun.  Around the grounds are scattered various buildings, or the ruins of buildings that once were.  Considering when they were built the structures are very impressive in their design, and the fact that they remain standing to this day.

We roamed the grounds and went into buildings that had doors and climbed what we could.  We stayed away from anything that was roped off for safety as we did not want to become a permanent part of the ruins.

At the end of one long roadway lies the Sacred Cenote.  It is basically a large well filled with ground water where the Maya were rumoured to make human sacrifices in times of drought.  As people gathered around the edge of the cenote to get a good look, we started to think a little sun shower wouldn't be a bad thing to help us beat the heat.

Fortunately, our tour included a buffet lunch at the nearby Mayaland Hotel where we were able to get some food, drink and shade.  The hotel grounds were also a nice place for a stroll afterwards.

The highlight of our visit to Chichen Itza was the towering El Castillo where tourists crawl up and then scoot down the steep steps on their bums like a bunch of overgrown, unsupervised babies. The view from the top is impressive, but use caution on your way back down.

On the side of each staircase are two serpent heads and during the spring and fall equinox the light hits the staircases in such a way that the bodies of the serpents appear to be slithering down.  We did not get to witness this phenomenon, but we did get a feel of why this place is a world wonder.

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Map of Our World
Chichen Itza
Mayaland Hotel

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Post # 11