Uxmal Ruins

South of Merida is where you will find the Uxmal Ruins (pronounced oosh mahl). This is an impressive Maya archaeological site with some fascinating structures that display ornamentation that adds to the appeal.

 
Uxmal was an important city that extended to nearby towns of Labna, Xlapak, Kabah, and Sayil. Xumal means “Thrice Built” in Mayan and is reported to have been built five times. First settled in about 600 AD and shows influence from the Mexican highlands in the architecture as seen in the serpent imagery, phallic symbols and columns. 

The fact that water was scarce in this region led to the supreme importance of Chac, the rain god also known as the sky serpent as seen in its image abundant throughout the site. The use of stucco masks protrude from facades and cornices. It seems that the site was abandoned around 900 AD, not sure why. Drought conditions may be the main reason. 

 
I have seen many ruins sites during my travels this last two and a half years. But this one is uniquely different than any of them; with its smooth sides, rounded corners and lack of stairs leading to the top portions of the main pyramid. 

I am glad that I took the time to stop by and take a look.

Chichen Itza Ruins: One of the “Seven Wonders of the World”

This sight is one of the “Seven Wonders of the World” that I can now cross off my bucket list. It cost M$204 and parking was M$22. It took me about three hours to see it all and take the photos I wanted. I went early, first in. I almost had the place to myself, but within two hours it was full of tourist and local vendors selling their crafts: this changed the feel of the place so more photos needed to be taken. 




Only about 30 building have been fully restored and to keep them looking good there is no climbing on any of them. So the walk around is an easy one that allows for wheel chairs and strollers. Many of the sights I have visited are not as accommodating. 

The Mayan people have displayed a talent for building temples and





ceremonial centers, developed an astronomical calendar, predicted solar and lunar eclipses, mathematical concept of zero, and produced the refined hieroglyphic writing system. There are many other accomplishments as artists, historians and road builders. The earliest Mayan settlements date back to around 1800BC. They were and still are an amazing people…

Cenote Ik-Kil and Cenote Dzitnup (Xkeken) Yucatan, Mexico

Cenote Ik-Kil also known as Cenote Sagrado Azul (Blue Sacred Cenote) is a crystal clear, round, open cenote that is strategically located in the heart of the “Chichen Itza” archaeological zone (only 3km away). This cenote is about 150 feet deep and down 85 feet from the surface so you do need to be able to handle some stairs but the incline is not a steep one. It
does have several ways you can enter the water; jumping in, going down the side ladder, and the brave ones diving in from a high point. This cenote is mostly for swimmers I did not see any reason to use my face-mask and snorkel and not really for divers like the Dos Ojos. There are long roots hanging down from the surface to the water that helps give you that underworld felling. There is a small waterfall within this cenote and that is a first for me in my cenote exploring. It cost M$70 to enter with free parking.
 

The Mayan Connection: Cenote comes from the Mayan word “dzonot” or

“ts’onot” which means sacred well. Mayans believed the cenotes contained curative elements and considered many of them to be sacred. They also believed cenotes to be portals to the underworld and a way to communicate with the gods. The Sacred Cenote (Cenote Sagrado) at Chichen Itza was used to perform human sacrifices!




Cenote Dzitnup (Xkeken) is a semi open cenote just outside of Valladolid. This is a smaller cenote and is mostly for swimming no real need for snorkeling and definitely not for diving; the best for diving is still Dos Ojos. This cenote has a small hole at the surface and man-made stone stairs into a cave like setting. The need for artificial lighting does add an eerie look to the stalactites hanging down from the roof. But the cold clear blue water is still very refreshing and well worth the side trip for a visit.