After a rest day at the pool, we took another Viator tour to Chichen Itza and a cenote…I didn’t realize a stop to a Mexican town was included until later. This day tour was better since they didn’t pick us up at the crack of dawn like the last one. The strange part was that we went to a Mayan store to get Mayan birth certificates, which was neat. I learned that I am a “lizard” in the Mayan lunar horoscope, and it came with an astrological chart. The guide wanted us to do our shopping there instead of Chichen Itza so the profits would go to local people, which I understand after visiting there. After the shopping trip, we went to Chichen Itza…finally!
Our guide was really passionate about the Maya, and gave us a great guided tour. Chichen Itza was built during the terminal classic period, and was one of the largest Mayan cities. As Coba declined, Chichen Itza rose to prominence. We started with the observatory, El Caracol, since the Maya are known for their interest in astronomy. The Maya were known for their stargazing, and precise calendars, so I loved seeing a structure where they were doing this.
Then we looked at a stepped pyramid, El Osario, which leads into a cave. The Mayan ball court is another interesting part of Chichen Itza. The murals there show different scenes from the game, and you can take a look at the captain of the team.
The main feature and best part of Chichen Itza, is the temple of Kukulkan, named for the Mayan feathered-serpent deity. This is also the site where the triangular shadows create the image of a serpent wriggling down the stairs during the spring and fall equinoxes. Our guide showed us how to see the image at any time of year…you just have to take the tour to see it…The pyramid is amazing and majestic; just walk around it so you can take it all in.
The temple of a thousand warriors was our last stop before leaving. I don’t know why, but there are merchants all over Chichen Itza selling stuff which is incredibly annoying since they are aggressive. Our guide warned us against purchasing any goods there since the quality is bad. I just want to warn you about the markets since I couldn’t believe a UNESCO world heritage site allows this. Also, it is normally hot there so I recommend bringing a hat or umbrella since there isn’t much shade; you might want to cover up to prevent sunburn. Also have repellent and water on hand…
After Chichen Itza we had lunch, and then went to Ik Kil Cenote which was located at a much fancier site than the previous cenote we went to. We could even rent a locker, had showers with decent water pressure, and private changing rooms this time.
This cenote also had an opening so you could see the sky. It was beautiful, but very crowded…and this was off season. However, the nice thing about the stop there was that we had more time since we scarfed our food down, so we were able to go grab a beer at the café after our swim.
We stopped at the little town of Valladolid where we found a great chocolate shop to sample some goodies. This awakened my appetite, so I found a small stand selling chocolate churros which were delicious. The town square was quaint, and it was nice to people watch…there was also a beautiful Catholic church across the street. The town was also starting to decorate for Christmas. I did enjoy this stop; the churros alone made it worth it.
During our ride back to Cancun, we watched a documentary on the ancient Maya so it was a day packed full of knowledge. We returned back late so we ordered food from the hotel, and picked up drinks to celebrate my sister’s birthday. Even though the tour was rigorous, it was a blast!
As we were enjoying the beautiful moon, a man that worked the grounds asked us to help him put baby turtles that had hatched into the ocean. My sister was thrilled since she wanted to do something like this in Costa Rica. I’m glad to say that all the turtles went into the sea, so it was a great way to end our trip in Cancun. It was a beautiful night!
My two weeks were amazing and went by way too fast. I saw and learned allot from Costa Rican history, to leatherback turtles, to ancient Mayan ball games. I’m also happy that my sister and friends were able to join me, adding to the experience and memories. They made the trip so much more fun. I especially loved Mexico, and can’t wait to go back and see more parts of the country. I found my future retirement home…so to be continued…
