| Submitted by: Gopal Venkat United States |
| Submission Date: 11 February 2005 |
|
 |
|
Left New York City on November 24, 1995.
Landed in Cancun (the first stop on my tour of Mexico) after a transfer at Miami. The weather was extremely pleasant at around 75 Degrees F. A tour Company taxi took me and a couple of others to Various Hotels in Cancun. I was being put-up at the Holiday Inn located in Downtown, Cancun. Since the purpose of my trip was explore the Mayan ruins and not frolic in any of the Beach related activities, didn't make much sense to spend big bucks to put up at a hotel along the beach. The Holiday Inn is a pretty neat Hotel.
While the tour I took to Egypt was an escorted tour, this one to Mexico was a Hosted tour. From the moment I landed in Egypt, I was escorted to all points of Interest by a tour guide. In this Mexican tour though, I had merely been provided with Airport Transfers, Hotel Accommodations and other transfers between various cities (by road or air). Once I land in a City, I pretty much had to look around the sights myself or arrange with some local tour Operators to see the various points of Interest.
Met the local tour Operator and booked myself on a tour to the Mayan ruins of Tulum and the Freshwater Lagoon of Xel-ha for the following Day. I wanted to combine the tour to Tulum with a visit to the Mayan ruins of Coba. I was told that such a tour ran only on Wednesdays and Sundays !! Since I landed in Cancun on a Friday and was Scheduled to leave for Chichen-Itza on Sunday Morning, I was forced to take this Compromise tour. Since the rest of the Day was free, I spent some time resting and went out for Dinner in the evening to an Italian restaurant.
The next Morning, I had to travel to the beach front area called the 'Hotel Zone'. Took a local bus to the place from where the tour bus to Tulum & Xel-ha would depart. Bus fare was pretty Cheap (N$3.0 - Three Nuevo Pesos - around 40 cents at the current exchange rate). Since the meeting point was a restaurant had breakfast there. The tour 'Bus' was really a Mini-bus. There were about 10 of us for this tour, therefore the size of the bus presented no problems. Everyone of them was from the US (Not surprising, since Mexico is the place they frequent most during the Winter Months).
The drive to Tulum was around 2 Hours. We reached there around 11 AM. Comparisons to Egypt (my significant other tour in 1995) become inevitable. While the dry weather has played a significant part in the preservation of the Monuments in Egypt, the ruins in Mexico are really that !! Weather, followed by Internecine warfare between the various people (Mayan, Aztec, Toltec etc.) and the wanton destruction by the Over-zealous *******s of all - The Christian Missionaries, have combined to destroy the People, their Culture and their Monuments. The reason Tulum is a oft visited place is because of its locale - It is situated atop a cliff that drops right onto the Caribbean Ocean. The Scenery is rather breathtaking.
After Spending around 2 hours walking the ruins, we boarded the bus and headed to Xel-ha. Being a small lagoon, people are allowed to swim, sun, snorkel and do whatever they please. Since I was not interested in any of the first 3 activities, I decided to pursue the last one. I hired a Taxi to take me to the nearby ruins of Xel-ha. Except for a couple of paintings that still retain some colour, there was nothing much to impress me here.
Since the Tour Guide spoke horrible English, I was quite dependent on my Mexico Guidebook to Help me out with the Various buildings among the ruins. One reason for this is the fact that the Bus Driver usually doubles up as an English Speaking Guide. And their English knowledge usually comes from being in the Tourism Industry for a Certain Period of time and not from any formal English education.
Departed Xel-ha and reached Cancun around 7 PM. Went to the 'Hotel Zone' and had dinner in a Quasi-Americanized restaurant.
The Next Morning (Sunday, November 26, 1995) I departed for Chichen-Itza. The tour Guide for this tour, the most Important of Mayan ruins in Mexico, was a former History Teacher who not only spoke much better English but was also better Informed on the Mayan Culture / Traditions etc. During the 2 hour drive to Chichen-Itza, he provided us with a steady stream of Information on the Mayan Culture, and Chichen-Itza in particular. Since this is THE place to see in the Yucatan peninsula, we travelled by a regular bus and it was packed.
We reached the ruins around 11 AM. Miguel (our Guide) took us around the various buildings and explained their significance to the Mayan people. Unlike the Egyptians who built the Pyramids to serve as a Final resting place for their Pharaohs, the Mexican built their Pyramids as a Temple to the Gods. The Pyramid at Chichen-Itza was dedicated to the Mayan God Kukulkan. Another Temple among the ruins is dedicated to Chac-Mool. Chac is a God that occurs repeatedly in various Mayan ruins. Most of these ruins have a Cenote (a Well) where Human / Animal Sacrifices were reportedly made by throwing them directly into the well. Another places of Interest among the various ruins is the presence of a Ball Court. This was a game similar to Soccer except the ball must be hit with the Hip / Midsection of the body. The Challenge was not only preventing the ball from hitting the ground but to also try to put it through Stone rings on either side of the court located around 5/6 Metres off the Ground !! Mostly the losers were killed. Sometimes, even the winners of these Games were Sacrificed.
Like the ancient Egyptians, these Mayans were greatly interested in astronomy. The Mayan Calendar consisted of 52 years which was considered to be a full Cycle. Once every 52 years all buildings were destroyed and new buildings built in their place. As a result of these constant building and rebuilding, many of the Pyramids are Known to have been built on top of existing Pyramids. The Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen-Itza embodies these astronomical beliefs of the ancient Maya.
There are 4 sides to the Pyramid, representing the 4 seasons. Each side has 91 steps, representing the duration between the Winter and Spring equinoxes. The four sides, therefore have a total of 364 Steps (4 * 91) with the Uppermost level representing Step 365. (The Number of Days in a Calendar Year)
Managed to climb to the top of the Pyramid of Kukulkan in spite of all my apprehensions. To assist people with a fear of Steep structures, the authorities have installed a thick metal chain that runs from top to bottom. One can hold on to it While Climbing up or down for additional safety. While I did not use the chain while climbing up, I utilized it while coming down.
After Spending a Couple of Hours here, we broke for Lunch. After Lunch, the Bus Dropped me at Hotel Mayaland as I was spending the Night at Chichen-Itza. Mayaland hotel is a beautiful Colonial Style Hotel that is situated right at the entrance to the ruins of Chichen-Itza. In fact, there is a separate entrance into the ruins for the guests of the Hotel. Once I checked into the Hotel, dumped my stuff the room and headed back to the ruins of Chichen-Itza. Spent about 2 Hours (till the closing time of 5 PM) walking and Photographing the various parts of the complex.
Since the Sound and Light show (the principal reason for my overnight stay) was scheduled to begin at 9 PM, I decided to have an early dinner and head for the ruins to set up my Camera / Tripod in a prime spot. The Main dining room is set up with a huge Mural covering one wall and a small alcove where a band of Musicians play. Another advantage of staying at the Mayaland is the fact that the tickets for the Sound and Light show can be purchased at the Hotel Front Desk. The Son-et-lumiere lasts about 45 minutes. One has to sit in front of the Pyramid of Kukulkan for the entire duration of the show. As a result not all the buildings in the ruins are lighted. In other words, it is not the same as the Sound and light show in Karnak, Egypt. Managed to shoot an entire roll of film though.
The next morning (Monday, November 27, 1995) I was informed that my pickup to Merida would be arriving around 2 PM. I had an early breakfast and went into the ruins early to get some shots of the Monuments without the crowds. Since I went in before 8 AM, there was nobody at the gate to issue a Ticket. My Visit, therefore, was Gratis. Spent about 3 Hours in the ruins taking in the sights at my leisure. Returned to the Hotel around 11 AM, finished Lunch and Checked out of my Hotel Room. The Hotel provides a waiting area where one could stow baggage till the time of departure. I stowed my luggage and went into the ruins again. I got out of the ruins around 2 PM. My pickup was waiting at the Hotel. Since he had my name on his list, there was no demand for a Travel Voucher or anything. Managed to catch some sleep on the 90 Minute Journey to Merida.
Merida is a Colonial town dating back to the Spanish Days and is the Capital of the State of Yucatan. In Merida, I was booked in Paseo de Montejo Hotel. This hotel is situated on the Main thoroughfare of Merida which is also called Paseo de Montejo. Actually, the Hotel was named after the road and not the other way around. The Local travel representative was located right across the Hotel. I went to see them to arrange some tours to the nearby ruins of Uxmal / Kabah. One of the Guys in the Office spoke passable English. Since the Sound and Light Show at Uxmal was supposed to be the best among the shows, I wanted to see that at any cost. The agent explained to me that there were two different trips to Uxmal / Kabah. One left Merida early in the Morning (around 10 AM) and returned at 5 PM. The Other, designed specifically for the Sound and Light Show, left Merida around 2 PM in the afternoon and returned at 11 PM. After a bit of talking I managed to convince him to let me take the Morning trip (10 AM) and return with the evening trip (10 PM). I think he wanted to charge me 20 pesos extra. Without a second thought, I agreed (20 pesos is equivalent to less than 3 dollars).
I also managed to arrange for a early morning pickup on the November 30, 1995 for a drop to Merida Airport from where I was to take a flight to Mexico City. Having done all this, I wandered around town. The Town is rather well planned. Compared to the tourist atmosphere of Cancun, this is a more sedate place. Odd numbered streets run East/West while even numbered streets run North/South.
Landed in an Italian restaurant for dinner. The waiter understood my plight (of being a Vegetarian) and suggested some dishes. The restaurant is housed in a building that is around 200 years old !! It is an extremely antique looking place with Marble fountains, Stained glass doors/ windows and a whole lot of Grandfather Clocks !! I was thrilled to be there. The Food was pretty Good. After dinner, I wandered to the centre of the town and took in the Sights. During my return, I happened to stop by a Theatre to find out what was happening. I was invited to have a seat for a free performance. The Performer was a lady who crooned a whole lot of Spanish Songs. I did not understand a word of it but applauded at the end of each song anyway. (Just doing what the locals did) I decided to come back later to take some pictures of the theatre.
The Next Morning (Tuesday, November 28, 1995) I was picked up at the Hotel for the day trip to ruins of Uxmal/Kabah. The van was filled with a couple from Italy, a Couple from Chile and a Couple from Argentina. The Driver was a young chap who spoke Italian and Passable English in addition to Spanish. Caught some sleep on the 2 Hour drive to Kabah. Kabah was a satellite town to Uxmal. The ruins out here are not Impressive. One of the biggest factors is the fact that most of these ruins are badly overrun by vegetation. The Anthropological Society of Mexico does not do a good job of maintaining these monuments. At some places you have to fight your way through thicket to get to see some of these monuments.
We moved on to Uxmal a short drive (20 Min.) from Kabah. |
|
| Copyright © - "Gopal Venkat" |
|
 |
| Other travelogues by the same author: |
|
|
|
|
