Chichen Itza - the pinnacle of Mayan astronomical related architecture

26 Julio 2015

Merida to Chichen Itza

Several years ago, I sub-contracted to a Mexican company building a transit system in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There was a flurry of excitement through the office with everyone being urged to send in their vote to have Chichen Itza accepted as one of the “new list” Seven Wonders of the world. Although I had not yet seen it, I had been to Palenque and thought the Mayans deserved some international recognition. Of course, I resolved to visit Chichen Itza soon. As we all know, soon is a relative word, especially in the life of a cruiser.

El Castillo

The Lonely Planet Guide Book did not give the small town of Piste, which is beside the ruins, a very good report but it was so convenient for a brief stop we decided it would be fine. I managed to find a room on line and made a reservation. Being a very small town Piste was only serviced by the chicken buses or the big tour bus operators that were much more expensive. Obviously we were on the chicken bus again.

The trip from Merida through Yucatan State was a continuation of the lowland plains we had been seeing since coming out of the mountains in up-state Chiapas. The agriculture gradually diminished as we passed from fields with a few rocks to rocks with a few fields. The scrub vegetation was thick, so cross roads and small villages, and we stopped at every small village, provided the only views of any distance.

The High Priest's Tomb

Finally, we arrived in Piste and probably could have been dropped in front of our motel-like hotel if we had known where it was. We chose the center of the village to get off and as the bus rolled away, a 3 wheel motorcycle taxi rolled up and we were away to the Piramide Hotel.

The owner’s friend told us about a laser lightshow they project onto the main pyramid at the ruins so we walked to the site that evening in time to see an incredibly good lightshow depicting the history and development of Chichen Itza. It is a new feature that will have an entry fee once the winter tourism season starts but for now, with the Mexican tourists visiting, they are working out the bugs of night time crowd handling and show presentation all for free. It was good getting our first look at El Castillo Pyramid during the night as a backdrop to the presentation.

The following morning we were back at the entry gates before they opened at 8:00 am. Two backpacking girls from Germany and another girl from the UK were the only ones ahead of us as the gates opened. The early morning jungle air had a mist that gave a soft shrouding to the ruins once we got into the open field area to get a perspective on El Castillo. The perfection of balance is sublime, especially when one realises it is not purely a beautiful architectural accomplishment but also a precise realization of astronomical understanding with the equinox orientation and chronological precision reflected in the numerology in the construction.

El Castillo

Some detailed stonework

The largest ball court in the Mayan world

Some of the thousand columns

One could leave having only seen El Castillo, feeling the trip was worth the effort, but, there is so much more. The level ground at Chichen Itza is very different from all the other sites we have visited, where the mountainous terrain gives glimpses of what is to come and reveals vistas out over the canopy. At Chichen Itza the trails lead through the dense overgrowth opening into courtyards, extensive expanses of columns that had supported roofs, intricately detailed stone structures, a cenote, a natural circular water reservoir used for sacrifices and El Carocol, an observatory dome shaped structure.

The Sacred Cenote

Arriving in the cooler morning air permitted us to walk at a good pace through the site while the hawkers were arriving and setting up their blankets of wares and showing little interest in our exploration. By the time we were leaving at 11:30, the site was filling up, the parking lot was full of monster coaches from Cancun and Merida. The other notable difference with Chichen Itza is that due to its accessible location and popularity, the ruins are protected by barrier ropes. This is both necessary and to be expected but the hands on feel of climbing to the top of the more remote, lesser known sites is not there. As Palenque, Yaxchelan, Tikal and Copan’s popularity grows and the numbers increase they too will have to restrict access.

Chichen Itza to Cancun, Quintana Roo and onto Vancouver

All too soon it was time to flag down the chicken bus for the ride to Cancun to catch our flight back to Vancouver.

Merida, historically the cultural capital of the Yucatan Peninsula

Merida, historically, the cultural capital of the Yucatan Peninsula

24 Julio 2015

Campeche to Merida, Yucatan

Travelling northeast across the flat plains of the Yucatan Peninsula, the land gradually changes from agricultural to scrub brush, generally quite dense about 10 to 15 feet tall. The smaller farms are lined with rock walls after the rocks were cleared to find enough soil for marginal crops. On arriving into Merida, the colonial past is apparent everywhere, but while Campeche had its wall to scribe a line between old and new, the transition in Merida is more of a blend. This may account for more old buildings being left abandoned, often with only the crumbling, beautiful old facades still standing.

Government offices and Cathedral on the Plaza

One of the courtyards at Alvarez Guest House

People in Merida are very friendly and proud of their city but it is very much a commercial city of today, not just a colonial heritage. We were fortunate to find the Alvarez Family Guest House close to the central plaza in an area surrounded by several parks with their old churches. Enrique, who manages the Guest House, maintains a quiet house with a maze of courtyards and stairs that the rooms face onto. The construction is old and the rooms are immaculate with common kitchen spaces available.

Yucatecan food is delicious and quite different in its preparation than most of Mexico’s food with the Chaya dishes a must try.

A horse drawn carriage with its own horse umbrella

A unique aspect of Merida is the number of horse drawn carriages that ply the streets of the city center, particularly in the cooler evenings. Although the streets are narrow and motorcycles and supersized buses work their way around the carriages, the small statured horses seem completely at ease with the traffic carrying their tourist cargo into the night. Fortunately, Merida, like many other colonial cities with narrow streets relies heavily on one way streets to maintain the traffic flow. There is also an interesting street numbering system with the odd numbered streets running east west and the even numbered streets running north south. In Meida’s case, the central square is bounded by Calle 61 and Calle 63 on the north and south and Calle 60 and Calle 62 on the east and west. When you get an address, the street number and the cross streets are most important because building numbers are just sequential and have no relation to the block you are in. Strange compared to our numbering that is based on blocks, but very effective.

Colonnades on the Plaza

There was particularly good evening music and traditional dancing happening every night at Parque Santa Lucia, sometimes quite formal in the presentation and other times much more of a rehearsal done purely for their dancing pleasure.

We, as usual, walked our obligatory 110 miles a day, seeing numerous churches, museums and presentations.  Only Englishwomen and mad dogs go out in the noonday sun and we know where that leaves me!

Campeche, the walled city

Campeche, a Spanish Colonial walled city

23 Julio 2015

Palenque, Chiapas to Villa Hermosa, Tabasco to Campeche, Campeche

I bought tickets on the Cristobal Colon bus line to the town of Villa Hermosa, about 2 hours north of Palenque. The road quickly left the mountains and passed into Tabasco State. As it was still early and the roads much better, we decided to continue directly to Campeche, capital of the State of Campeche. The flat country was primarily cattle country with a mix of Indian cattle with their drooping ears and front shoulder hump and American beef cattle, variations of Angus and Herefords. The fields were large with only relatively few head of cattle in any one field and a good number of fields empty, left to regrow the hay for grazing. Horses were plentiful and Caballeros, cowboys on horseback, were a regular occurrence. The shops in the small villages we passed through had large displays of saddles, cowboy boots, lariats and all the trapping of the cowboy trade. Palm oil was the other dominant agricultural pursuit.

A clean Campeche street

The Campeche bus terminal was 2.5 Km south of the City Center where our hotel was located. After convincing Mags to drag our bags over cobbled streets from the bus terminal in San Cristobal, I knew a taxi was in order for the 2.5 Km. As had been the case in most of the cities we had been in, the taxi driver asked the normal city rate, which for Campeche was 30 Pesos. I am not sure if speaking Spanish helps, or that we always agree on the price before we start, but we have rarely faced any efforts by taxis to inflate the price for the tourist. When buying souvenirs or artisan goods, typically sold by the indigenous people, bargaining is definitely in order, but the stores in Mexico are generally fixed pricing. Oops, a short digression.

The old colonial Cathedral

The taxi gave us a great tour of the remains of the city wall which have been well preserved for much of its length. The city was the cleanest we have yet seen. The sidewalks were in excellent repair. It was obvious the residents were playing an active part in show casing their city.

The Gulf of Mexico

Our hotel, a somewhat forgotten product of the 70’s or 80’s, had an excellent view of the Malecon and the water. It was clean, close to the city wall and waterfront and was inexpensive, everything I hope for in a bed for two nights.

The next day we took an open double decker bus tour the turned out to be the perfect way to quickly get a historical perspective of the city’s development. The wall, as it turned out, was the result of the locals being frustrated by regular attacks by Drake, Hawkins and the boys and apparently was successful. That evening we walked to a section of the wall that first gives a tour of the battlements and defences and then gives a slide and light show on the wall giving the history from Mayan times. Again, as this time of year most of the tourists are Mexicans, it was good to see them out enjoying their history.

Buildings around the plaza

 

Palenque, ruins from the classic period Mayans

Palenque, ruins from the classic period Mayans

20 Julio 2015

San Cristobal to Palenque - green line
Palenque to Yaxchilan/Bonampak and back - yellow lines

Of the many penances Mags has had to bear in our years together, one has been listening to me recount my earlier travels. Palenque has figured huge in those stories. To realize that it had been 45 years since I rode my Lorne Atkinson/Pugeuot bicycle up the hill and into Palenque parking lot, felt at once, very recent and a long time ago. I spent a week, living in a hammock, with a group of about six other travellers in the generally empty parking lot. We clambered through the jungle, finding tunnels into the foyers of Mayan ruins and swam in the calcareous rimmed pools on the opposite side of the parking lot. Only the front half of the large pyramid, Templo de la Cruz, was exposed, everything else was shrouded in jungle and mystery. In the week that I lived there, I doubt fifty visitors came to the site. At night, with howler monkeys creating a cacophony of noise in the trees above me, challenging me, berating me, I was terrified. The memories are indelible.

Mags in front of the first pyramid

Surrounded by jungle

 

Fortunately I had seen the recent google earth shots and was prepared for how much was uncovered. Also, The Lonely Planet Central America book had also prepared me for the changes in the small village that had grown into a prosperous town several kilometers from the parking lot. Now, about midway between town and ruins, a group of hostels and restaurants have sprung up in the jungle. Fortunately they have done little to no clearing, building where the streams and trees let them.

Our breakfast visitor

The first of these constructed, Margarita and Ed’s Cabanas, started about twenty years ago, is still in operation and has added more rooms in new buildings reached by following winding trails. The extent of vision through the jungle is about twenty to thirty feet so you are not aware of the construction until you are in front of it. Our immaculately clean tiled room, complete with a ceiling fan and private bathroom with hot water, was a far leap from the nights in the hammock. We were visited by a young howler monkey while we ate breakfast at the restaurant reached by a pathway from our room. He was timid but took a banana from a traveller at table close by. As he scampered away into the trees, little did he know his great uncles had done such a ferocious job of terrifying me in past nights.

Architecturally amazing

The Palenque ruins are some of the most extensive and architecturally significant of the Mayan sites as it was the seat of power for an extensive region. The development came under the dynasty that began with the reign of Pakal in about 630 AD and continued to about 740. Some of the mosaics are still visible and the museum that has been constructed about a kilometer before the entrance provides a wealth of information. As I said about the Copan ruins in Honduras and the Tikal ruins in Guatemala, I will let the ruins speak for themselves. The rumbling howls of the Howler monkeys in the surrounding jungle is still an evocative sound that endures with the pyramids.

A 45 min river trip to Yaxchilan

From Palenque you are able to do a side trip about 150 km south east over to the Rio Usumacinta, the river that forms the boundary between Mexico and Guatemala. Once at the river, you board long narrow launchas that do the forty five minute trip down the river to the Mayan ruins of Yaxchilan. Due to the strategic location on the river for both trade and conquest, Yaxchilan developed an impressive site with temples, religious and commercial sites  as yet only partially uncovered from the jungle overgrowth. Again, howler monkeys are ever present and survey their domain.

Only the combs are visible on the 4 story temple at the top

Interior frescos retain much of
the original colour

Back up the river to the van and another 20 kilometers take you to the ruins of Bonampak. Although not as large as either Yaxchilan or Palenque, Bomapak retains some painted frescos that are quite detailed. The hot, humid jungle settings, alive with the noise of insects and birds and the ever present howler monkeys complete the sense of an exotic past.

 

After spending two full days of climbing pyramids at Palenque (4), Yaxchilan (1 very tall one and a labyrinth) and Bonampak (another tall one and numerous steps up to the Acropolis) we were ready for a day off. We decided to stay an additional day in the jungle at Margarita and Ed’s. We cannot say enough good things about the location and ambiance.

San Cristobal de las Casas, an Early Colonial City

San Cristobal de las Casas, an Early Colonial City

17 Julio 2015

Tuxtla Gutierrez to San Cristobal de las Casas - red line

The trip from Tuxtla Guttierez to San Cristobal de las Casas was in the mountains, with winding roads that run through small towns and villages, but it is not a great distance so it took only a couple of hours. With a midday arrival, Mags and I were able to check in to our hotel, La Posada Media Luna, an excellent find, and get out to explore the town which is set in a cool highland valley at 1940 meters. The Cathedral, on the tree lined central plaza, was started in 1528 but took many years to complete due to earthquakes. San Cristobal is very clean and proud of its heritage and has been a tourist destination for decades. The architecture bore extensive resemblance to Antigua, Guatemala, both beautiful old colonial cities.

x-Convento Santo Domingo

Courtyard of Mayan Textile Museum San Cristobal

We met-up with the crews of s/v Grace and s/v Kosa which always leads to lots of eating and drinking while making plans for future travel. Jim and Carola from Kosa were heading back to Australia for visit home before they returned, so it was doubtful we would see them again before next October in Marina Chiapas. Paul and Judy, we would probably see at the next stop, Palenque.

We took a side trip to two small Mayan villages located in higher valleys near San Cristobal. Although they were both Tzotzil Mayan villages, the differences were startling. The traditional women’s dresses and embroidered blouses with short cape like jackets in San Lorenzo Zinacantin were based on a predominantly dark purple back ground. The services in the Catholic church, we are told, are quite conventional. The hand weaving is still practiced and we managed to visit a cooperative that demonstrated the older ways. It was interesting and, generally when asked, the people were willing to have their pictures taken.



Lots of brightly coloured embroidery and weaving

Church of San Juan in Chamula

The next valley, a little higher up, is home to San Juan Chamula. The women all wear black skirts, mostly woven from a black shag wool that has a pile about one inch long made from their local black sheep which are highly regarded. The embroidered blouses and cape like jackets are beautiful but darker than the Zinacantin’s. The greatest differences though exist in the religious services. We visited the local church of San Juan and inside, the floor was covered with pine needles and families were grouped on the floor. Lines of candles and bottles of coca cola, beer and home brewed rums, stood in front of them. While and elderly women of the family group chanted prayers to deities that are both pre-Columbian Mayan and Christian. The air was heavy with the smoke and incense as the family drank the coke, beer and alcohol. Photographs are forbidden in the church and even outside, the Chamulans do not want their picture taken as they believe it may capture their spirit. The village is rustic with lots of booths selling crafts to the tourists. While we were there, most of the tourists were from other areas of Mexico. The Mexicans have discovered Chiapas and are intrigued and proud of the diverse cultural backgrounds their country is contains.

Back in San Cristobal we walked miles visiting museums and old churches as we dodged the afternoon rains. After three days the tug of two granddaughters and a pending party in Oyama kept us moving on.

Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas

Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas

15 Julio 2015

Marina Chiapas to Tuxtla Gutierrz - black line

With a BC Days long weekend party in the Okanagan coming quickly, we decided to treat ourselves to some long line bus travel as opposed to the short distance chicken buses. Our first leg from Tapachula to Tuxtla Gutierrez on the ADO Bus line, followed the Pacific coastal plain northwest for about 3 hours. The inactive volcanos in the mountain chain to the right made a stunning back drop to the lush farm country we travelled in.

Eventually we turned north into the mountains and back to the slow twisting mountain roads. Every village has a series of speed bumps that bring the traffic to a halt as they travel through them. There must have been absolute carnage on the roads for everyone to reach the conclusion that these speed bumps are a viable solution. They add hours to all journeys and the freight costs must reflect the added time. The big trucks crawl from speed bump to speed bump until they get free of the villages for ten to fifteen kilometer intervals, only to be reduced to a crawl again.

The canyon views are amazing. Small farms cling to the hillsides where clearing is possible. Where it is too steep, the verdant jungle greens of a thousand shades, close in, iridescent after a rain fall.

The cooler mountain air was appreciated, as we caught a cab from the bus station to our hotel, the Hostel Tres Central. It is a new clean hotel one block from the central plaza with a roof deck bar /restaurant which made a perfect place to start our days. Tuxtla is a clean, friendly, growing city with mostly newer construction. Transportation is easy with people sharing information for collectivo van routes.

The open plan Central Plaza surrounded by the Cathedral and State and Municipal Offices

The Marimba Plaza, about six blocks from the Central Plaza, has a central octagonal bandstand surrounded by shade trees and wrought iron seating where every night Marimba bands play and the locals come out to dance around the bandstand. Large families collect and visit and dance and visit and laugh. A fun place but we unfortunately did not get any photographs as it was an evening visit.

After two days it was time to head to San Christobal de las Casas to meet some other cruising people.

Marina Chiapas Haul Out

Marina Chiapas, Haul Out

13 Julio 2015

After returning from Guatemala and completing the engine repairs, we spent a couple of days getting ready to put the boat on the hard. Mags was especially busy placing any unopened food into sealed containers and giving all storage spaces a clean with bleach. I had already removed the head sails so I put messengers on the halyards and pulled them up to minimize the UV effects. I did not remove the mainsail because we have a mainsail cover the goes both up the mast to protect the head of the sail and also goes down the mast to protect the halyards coiled at the mast. Puerto Chiapas is not usually in the hurricane path so I hope my decision to protect against UV and not worry about potential hurricane effects was the right decision. I removed our 120V Air Con unit and strapped the partially deflated, covered dinghy on the fore deck. The preparation list seemed endless but finally our Monday haul out date had arrived.

Enrique has his guys dive on every lift to ensure straps are correct
and a safety retainer is tied between straps

We were a little concerned because Enrique wanted us stern to into the travel lift to get a better weight distribution. The engine started fine and Mags and I approached the travel lift with trepidation. Kanilela, like most full keel or modified full keel boats, does not respond well in reverse. Added to that our 1:00PM haul out had been shifted back as the new boat stands were late coming from the fabricator.

The pressure was on, the true experts were assembled
and luck was on our side

The afternoon winds had picked up and the tide was in the middle of its fall. But the real pressure came with the audience that had assembled, drinking beer in the shade of a canopy. We were performing for Paul and Judy from s/v Grace, veterans of 5 years out cruising and Jim and Carola from s/v Kosa, veterans of 6 years cruising, not to mention numerous other potentially critical observers. The pressure was on. We glided up smoothly, played the wind and tide well, made a sharp 180 with some forward and reverse changes that tested the new transmission installation, Mags threw the 2 stern lines perfectly and as we moved back she threw the two bow lines and all was good. Memo, Enrique, Ronnie and the rest of the line handlers did their parts professionally and Kanilela was soon on the blocks and stands in the yard. The beer tasted great.