Glen has sworn that he will never again celebrate his birthday during a Canadian winter but spending it waking up under the soft drapery of a mosquito net to the sound of birdsong made this year's birthday special.
I had set our alarm so we could enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading out to tour Chichen Itza but there was no need for the birds woke us at 6:15. We breakfasted under a palapa as peacocks descended from their roosts in the surrounding trees. From our friends, we heard tales of giant spiders and scorpions invading their rooms so were glad we only had to deal with an odd-looking beetle.
Our guide from Ek Balam, Victor, also lead us on around Chichen Itza (which means 'at the mouth of the well of the Itza'). The heat was not as oppressive as the previous day and no other tourists explored the site since most come from Cancun, a three hour drive away.
We strolled beside columns leading to the Temple of the Warriors as we entered the Mayan site. Dominating the landscape is the famous Kukulcan Temple (or El Castillo). The pyramid is so named because two feathered serpents (the god, Kukulcan) descend its staircase. These are illuminated by the rising or setting sun on the vernal and autumnal equinox. There is one place in the square where clapping will cause the pyramid to make an eerie cry. One can no longer climb or view its interior.
Chichen Itza boasts the largest ball court discovered so far in Mesoamerica. Its walls soar 12 meters and it is 166 meters long and 68 wide. The hoops through which a rubber ball must pass are a good 10 meters off the ground and are carved with intertwining serpents. At the base of the walls, is a scene depicting the decapitation of either the winning or losing captain, depending on who tells the story. The ball player's blood is seen fertilizing the soil.
Near the Temple of the Jaguar, is the Tzompantli with row upon row of carved human skulls. Nearby stands a broken Chac Mool, a reclining figure who cradles a dish on his stomach but faces away from it. It represents a go-between the Mayans and their gods. The dish holds the hearts of those sacrificed to ensure prosperity of the people and their lands.
A wide Mayan road, raised 2 meters above the surrounding countryside, leads to the well at Chichen Itza called a cenote. There are no above ground rivers in the Yucatan. Since it is a limestone plain, water flows through it creating caves and cenotes, or sinkholes. Cenote Sagrado was never used as a well for drinking water as it was sacred. Thousands of objects have been found in the cenote including gold, jade, and human skeletons.
Another imposing building of Chichen Itza is the observatory. It is also called El Caracol (the snail) for its spiral staircase. Here the Mayan priests studied the heavens creating an unique method of measuring time. They had two calendars, one 260 days long and one 365 days. These were like two meshed gears and every 52 years, when they came together, the Mayan began their lives anew. They doused their cooking fires and broke their pots.
A third measure of time, called the Long Count, allowed the Maya to record events beyond one generation. One Long Count period is about 395 years. So far there have been 13 of these periods with the 14th to begin in 2012. Since the Mayans number system is a base-20 rather than the base-10 system, there are still 6 more Long Count periods left in the Mayan calendar. So, the movie 2012 was hogwash.
By the time we had learned all there was to know about Chichen Itza, it was lunchtime so we walked back to the Mayaland Resort to enjoy their tasty buffet. Maya dancers entertained us with tap dances which involved balancing bottles or glasses on their heads.
After lunch, Glen was supposed to attend meetings but decided since it was his birthday, he would play hookey. While I uploaded photos onto my computer on our veranda, he swam in the pool not far away. The both of us did attend a showing of a National Film Board movie called the Mystery of the Maya then learned of the site of the group's next meeting--St. Maarten.
After supper, we all trooped back to Chichen Itza to view a light show with music and commentary giving us the same information we had heard during the day. My translator didn't work so I nodded off from time to time, taking photos only when other people's flashes woke me. Some of our friends spent the time stargazing as the heavens were crystal clear.
After the show, we chatted with our neighbours on our veranda until midnight. It was a taste of what it must have been like in the past before TV and computers ruled our lives.
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