Chichen Itza - Wonder of Mexico

It's been some time since I've updated my travels here. Although I have been busy, many of my destinations have been places I've been before or just haven't quite motivated me to share with you here.

Many thanks to everyone for reading and commenting; glad most have enjoyed seeing things from my little point of view of the world.

This summer I'm performing for 3 months along both coasts of Mexico; in the terrific city of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Coast, and also along the Gulf Coast in the area known as the Riviera Maya. My purview includes the area from Cancun south to Playa del Carmen as well as the island of Cozumel.

This past week I traveled with a great stand up comedian and friend named Lucas Bohn. He's working the chain of upscale resorts with me and his lovely wife is staying with us. We booked an organized tour from Playa del Carmen to the Mexican state of Yucatan to visit the ancient Maya ruins of Chichen Itza, which are situated about 3 hours drive west of us, right smack in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula. One of the most popular attractions in Mexico, it attracts over 1.2 million visitors a year and is a very popular spot for enthusiasts celebrating the equinoctes.

The center of Maya civilization from about 600-1200 AD, Chichen Itza is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is often thought to be one of the wonders of the ancient world on this continent.

Chichen Itza entered the popular imagination in 1843 with the book Incidents of Travel in Yucatan by John Lloyd Stephens. The book recounted Stephens' visit to Yucatan and his tour of Maya cities, including Chichen Itza. The book prompted other explorations of the city. Teobert Maler and Alfred Maudslay explored Chichen in the 1880s and took extensive photographs.

The Castillo Temple, photographed by Maler in 1892

The most iconic structure at Chichen Itza is the incredible pyramid known as the Castillo Temple or Temple of Kukulkan, who was a Maya feathered serpent deity. The step pyramid stands about 98 feet high with a 20 ft. high temple on the summit.

More recent study has shown that the visible pyramid was built over and covers an older, smaller original version. The sides are much steeper than it appears from a distance; most of the sides rise at an angle of about 53°, although each side features protruding stairways that rise at an angle of about 45°. Public is no longer permitted to climb the temple.

The Castillo Temple, or Temple of Kukulkan, as seen today

Although we purchased a tour that was supposed to include a guided portion in English, it didn't quite work out, so a quick Google search will explain all the sights here if you're so motivated. We just enjoyed our day, took a TON of photos and did our best to survive the very hot and humid tropical weather.

The Great Ball Court at Chichen Itza

The Ball Court here is purportedly one of the largest of its kind. A game somewhat similar to handball was played, but with a solid rubber ball that could weigh up to 9 lbs. The classic version is thought to have been played by hitting the ball with only the hips, the goal being to pass it thru the small stone rings, one located near the top/center of each of the walls above.

Beautiful and impressive hieroglyphs line the sides of the court and many of the facades around the complex. It's believed that they reveal that the winner of the games was killed in a sacrifice, actually welcomed by the unfortunate player, who believed it to be a blessing into the afterlife.

The Temple of Warriors owes its name to the rows of carvings depicting relief carving of warriors. The structure is flanked by The Group of a Thousand Columns. Each column is highly decorated with carvings of warriors as well and although today the columns stand in the open, originally they would have supported a roof structure.

Relocated to this spot among the larger ruins, this sculpture is thought to have been used in human sacrifice.

About 1/2 mile from the Castillo Temple pyramid are other related ruins. One of the most spectacular is the round Caracol (snail) Observatory, theorized to have been a primitive observatory with doors and windows aligned to astronomical events, specifically around the path of Venus. It takes its name from the stone stairway inside the building that circles around.

With 3 cameras between us, we certainly captured a variety of images of the Castillo Temple from every side and angle. Two of the sides appear to be more natural, or unfinished so we got a different image at each side as we walked around the complex.

After re boarding our extremely uncomfortable and fully packed 12 passenger van, we made a stop at a very nice facility for a simple, but very welcome lunch that included an indigenous dance show and of course, the ubiquitous souvenir shop.

Our final stop was at a cenote for a quick swim. As stated on Wikipedia, "The Yucatan Peninsula is a limestone plain, with no rivers or streams. The region is pockmarked with sinkholes, called cenotes (sen-o-tay), which expose the water table to the surface. One of the most impressive of these is the Cenote Sagrado (Sacred Cenote) which is 200 ft. in diameter, and sheer cliffs that drop to the water table some 89 ft. below.

"The Cenote Sagrado was a place of pilgrimage for ancient Maya people who... would conduct sacrifices during times of drought. Archaeological investigations support this as thousands of objects have been removed from the bottom of the cenote, including material such as gold, carved jade, pottery... as well as the skeletons of children and men."

Not the Cenote Sagrado, but a popular place to cool off from the surrounding jungle.

Cenotes are also wonderful places to enjoy a swim in clear, chilly, fresh water. We had a quick stop for a swim then back to Playa del Carmen, our home.

I performed here four years ago but was unable to visit Chichen Itza due to scheduling, so I was really thrilled to finally visit this magical place of the Ancient Maya people. If you come to Cancun for any length of time, try to budget a full day and come visit this Wonder of the Ancient World.