Shawn & Michelle: Cancun 2002: Chichen Itza
	Here was the highlight of our trip.... the ruins at Chichen Itza. This was one of the larger cities built by the Mayans, centuries ago. What is so impressive are the technical aspects. Take this pyramid, called El Castillo (The Castle). Somehow they awere able to figure out a way to have the steps of the pyramid be arranged in such a way that if you clap standing in front of them, the echo returning to you wil sound like the squawk of a bird that was held in high regard by their people. I've heard this and it actually happpens!
	Here is a view from the top of the stairs of the main pyramid.... yes you can actually climb it! Be careful though they are extremely steep....a fall would not be pleasant. Also interesting here is that each side of the pyramid has 91 steps... 4x91=364. Add to that the platform at the top as the final step and you have 365 steps, equal to the days in the year....they had this figured out centuries before anyone else in the world! To top it all off, on the spring and fall equinox's, the sides of the pyramid cast the shadow of a snake down the sides of the stairs.... ending in perfect alignment with carving of a snake's head at the bottom.
	Here is a shot of the building known as the observatory. Note that it has a domed bulding on it in much the same shape as modern observatories. It did not house a telescope as our modern observatories do, but the similarity can be almost eerie.
	The Nunnery. Like many of the ruins here, you are allowed to come face to face with history (even enter a few passages). Every wall here is covered with carvings, very impressive and awe inspiring to realize that this has been here for centuries!
	Michelle makes a friend at the nunnery! Look at the very center of the photo. I'm not an expert on arachnids, so I can't identify that for you, but where I come from that is one hell of a spider!
	A picture of the ball court from the top of El Castillo. Notice the courtyard to the left and the building to the left of that. At the opposite end of the ball court is another courtyard and building. The Mayans were able to build this court with acoustics so perfect that someone talking quietly in one building can be heard normally in the building at the far end.
	The Temple of the Warriors, again taken from atop El Castillo.
	The Sacred Cenote. As water is scarce on the Yucatan (No rivers or lakes to be found), the main source of drinking water was sites such as this. There is a large network of underground wells (Cenotes) that provided drinking water for the Mayans. Some, such as this one, were also used for religious purposes. When this Cenote was explored, much treasure (jewelry, porttery, fugurines, etc) was found, as were the bones of many humans. It is believed that these were sacrifices observed during religious ceremonies.
Photo Sections: Cancun | Moon Palace | Tulum | Chichen Itza | Xcaret		Home