eIrOcA

Palenque - Yaxchilan - Bonampak (Wednesday 05/09/07)

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-01-19T16:07:07+0000

Palenque - Yaxchilan - Bonampak (Wednesday 05/09/07)

For this hike it is imperative to have a chaffeur… get to Yaxchilan and Bonampak is a task for local people … you will be safer, but not without emotions.
Bring water down the road because there are not great places where to stop to drink.
This trip has occupied the entire day, but it was worth it. We started early, the sun had not risen, we made the breakfast under a thatched hut in the faint light of dawn (we were the first).

Yaxchilan

Usumacinta River

The region of Usumacinta and its tributaries acquires a great importance to the development of Yaxchilan, the main center in the early sixth century. This site is nestled in a strip of the river and knows its peak during the “Late Classic” with the JAGUAR dynasty whose reign and achievements are mentioned on the many carved monuments of the city, stems, altars, lintels. The last entry is dated early ninth century. Moreover, the lush vegetation that surrounded it makes Yaxchilan a magnificent panorama.

After two hours of travel we arrived at the border between Mexico and Guatemala the Usumacinta River, from there our driver become a boatman who, by river, took us to the site, after about an hour of navigation. The river is the source of livelihood for local people.
The boatman left us two hours to visit the site and we realized that there are few, it is really huge.
Shame not to have brought with us a stack, as this is the only site where it would be possible to do a few laps in the tunnels, in the company of bats, though!
From the main square an immense and slippery staircase that leads to the Great Acropolis.
Unlike other sites, here is all original, none of the buildings have been reconstructed to make revive the grandeur, but it's all very well preserved and very beautiful, surrounded by tropical jungle.
This time we are truly isolated, we are the first group to arrive at the site, and the only crowd that we are the howler monkeys that we hear all around in really lush jungle.

Yaxchilan

Residents of Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan

Main Square

Staircase

Great Acropolis

Yaxchilan

Bonampak

Cauchou tree

Bonampak, has preserved the most complete of all the monumental paintings Maya, is a site of medium importance discovered in 1946. It's very likely that in all the Maya sites were covered with painted walls that complete the decoration carved or modeled outwardly.

Bonampak you leave the car at about 8km before the site and take a car driven by the natives after to agree with them on price and time to tour the archaeological site, and this is where the chaffeur become useful again, he makes all the arragment with natives.
The last stretch of road is bumpy, it's a kind of Indian reservation, and only few people speak Spanish, main language is a local Mayan dialect, which obviously differs from those of neighboring areas.
On this site we had the chance to have a local guide (who speaks Spanish only), he has explained the history of the place, wars and local customs. He described us the various well-preserved frescoes in time.
He showed a cauchoutree where there was still evident where the incisions made to collect the liquid with which to make objects, including the ball for the game of pelota.

Bonampak

Paintings

⇐ Day 11: San Cristobal - Palenque

⇒ Day 13: Palenque - Campeche

Travels, Mexico, Yaxchilan, Bonampak

Merida - Chichen Itza - Cancun (Saturday 08/09/07)

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-01-19T16:07:07+0000

Merida - Chichen Itza - Cancun (Saturday 08/09/07)

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza - “The enter of sorcerers wells” in the Mayan language.
Born in the classical epoch, Chichen Itza shows, however, due to different architectural styles, two distinct periods of Mayan history. The monumental pyramid “El Castillo” (also called the Pyramid of Kukulcan) of Toltec and Mayan influence, testify the rich cosmological symbolism: the four sides to a total 365 steps (the days of the calendar), 52 panels (the years of the century Maya ) and 18 terraces (the months of the religious calendar).
Thousands of visitors are interested to the Castillo in spring and autumn equinoxes, in these days, the sun lights up the pyramid creating a shadow shaped like a snake, which goes down the stairs to meet the head of a snake engraved at the base.
Close to Castillo sits the Tzompantli, a platform marked by stone carvings of human skulls. Close to the Tzompantli is the Templo de lo Jaguares. Nearby is the wonderful game of pelota.
From here a path leads to the cenote where human sacrifices took place. This holy well, represents for the Maya the most important place of worship throughout the territory. The name of Mayan origin was undoubtedly: “Uuc-jab-nal”.
Returning to the Castillo, we arrive at the Templo de los Gurreros (Temple of the Warriors). The figure, on top of the temple, holding a plate on which the human hearts were offered to the gods and to Mila Columns (the Thousand Columns).
Following the thousand columns we reach the market and continuing we arrive to steam baths.
Returning to Castillo and going south we reach the Caracol (Observatory), which dominates the area. From its dome priests observed the motion of the stars and made their rituals.
Not far away, the monastery with many rooms, built in the ancient Maya royal palace adjacent to the Iglesia.

Chichen Itza - The Pyramid

Tzompantli

Templo de lo Jaguares

Game of pelota

cenote

Templo de los Gurreros

Mila Columnas

Market

Steam bath

Caracol (Observatory)

Convent

Iglesia

Cenotes

The Yucatan Peninsula is one of the last parts of the continent to be emerged from the ocean. It's a great platform limestone where water seeps into the cracks to form underground streams, caves and wells (cenotes). In this way on the surface there is no water, no rivers, due also to to lack of hills.
During the pre-Hispanic times, these wells have been crucial for the installation of the populations (for example at Chichen Itza, the sacred cenote was used also for rituals).
The IK-KIL Cenote is very similar to those of Chichen ltza. It was fixed so we can go to the water for bathing. The depth is 46 meters and is certainly the most profound in Yucatan.

Valladolid

Valladolid

This small city is the second most important Yucatan. Founded in 1543 by Francisco de Montejo “el Mozo” (to distinguish him from his father “el Adelantado”) takes its name from its namesake in Spain. In Valladolid, you will see two buildings of the colonial era: the church of San Gervasio (seventeenth of the century) and the convent of San Bernardino (sixteenth century).
We recommend just two steps walk to the zocalo and to climb the first floor of City Hall to see the murals.

Valladolid - Murales

The adventure is coming to an end, this was the night before we expect the plane to Cancun for the fraudu home. So take a break under the trees that cool the Zocalo of Valladolid.

eIrOcA

Cancun

Great resort developed in 1967, when the Mexican government chose this narrow strip of sand between the sea and the lagoon as a favorite place to develop the tourist potential.
Cancun and the Riviera Maya has everything to seduce. It's hard to imagine a site with more rich in natural, historical and tourist attractions. For lovers of sun drenched beaches 20km of turquoise water of the Caribbean Sea and for lovers of history a vast region steeped in Mayan influence.
There are two great roads in Cancun: Tulum road, the main north-south km long gravity around which the city center and the boulevard Kukulkan that runs through the lagoon where is the hotel zone.

Greetings to all!

⇐ Day 14: Campeche - Uxmal - Merida

⇒ Faces of Mexico

Travels, Mexico, Chichen Itza, Cenotes, Valladolid, Cancun

Mexico City (Sunday 26/08/07)

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-01-19T16:07:07+0000

Mexico City (Sunday 26/08/07)

You can not see all of this huge city in a single day!
Mexico City often suffer from bad publicity even by tour operators. The tourist areas of the city and the districts themselves are not so dangerous as they say. However, it is better not to walk around the city wearing valuables and be careful.
The city traffic is very intense. When you do not know the city the best means of transport is by taxi. Taxis in front the hotels are recommended because the drivers are bilingual and can wait during your visits. Simply agree on a price before departure according to your itinerary.
To get an idea of how is the everyday live in Mexico City is absolutely necessary to use one of the many buses that “fly” in the city traffic. They are numerous and all crowded, the peculiarity is that there are not “stops”, wherever you find one, just make a sign and you can literally “jump” on board. To use the bus requires a fair amount of balance in order to remain standing, and a greater amount of agility and coordination for both go down and, above all, to go up (the brakes are used very little).

Paseo de la Reforma

Paseo de la Reforma

Paseo de la Reforma: the main street also called “Les Champes-Elysées” of Mexico City, situated between the Museum of Anthropology and the Old Town.
The last Sunday of August it is closed to traffic due to a maratona, so the whole Paseo de la Reforma was available to the families, pedestrians and cyclists.

As you move away from the old town to southwest, the old construction become rarer and give way to modern buildings, which enhance with their grandeur and majesty the political and social role of the city. It is a very spectacular part of Mexico City, where it is concentrated the best of the capital, all the luxury and all the wealth.
Paseo de la Reforma is the main artery of the city, 15km long and wide up to twelve lanes, begins from Avenida Juarez and finish at Chapultepec Park. Wanted by Maximilian of Austria to give a European tone to the capital, the Paseo is lined by trees and statues of heroes and leaders. It was completed by Porfirio Diaz. Along its path is filled by super-luxury hotels, banks, financial companies offices and trendy shops. After Plaza de la Repubblica, there is the Glorieta Cristobal Colon, a roundabout with a statue in the center of the Genoese navigator, the work of French Charles Cordier (1877).
At the intersection with Avenida Insurgentes is the Glorieta Cuauhtemoc, with the monument to the last Aztec emperor. At the junction with Avenida Florencia, is the Glorieta El Angel, a roundabout with the Independence monument consists of a tall column with golden angel on top (1910).

Glorieta Cuauhtemoc

Glorieta El Angel

At the end of the way there are six thin columns of the monument to Los Ninos Heroes (at the entrance to Chapultepec Park) built in honor of the six National Military Academy cadets who sacrificed to defend the city from North America (September 17th, 1847).

Los Ninos Heroes monument

Woods of Chapultepec

Woods of Chapultepec

In the Nahutatl language Chapultepec means “hill of grasshoppers”. The namesake park is the green lung of this asphyxial city is crossed by the Paseo de la Reforma. More than 840 hectares of parkland studded with museums and playgrounds. On top of a short hill stands the Castillo.
The park was the hunting and the summer palace of Moctezuma. The Castillo, starting in 1785, became the residence of the Spanish viceroy, then home to the National Military since 1843, and finally since 1864 home of Maximilian and Charlotte of Austria during their adventure in Mexico. The Presidents of Mexico lived there up tp 1940, when Lazaro Carena transformed it into the History Museum. In the rooms you can admire relics of the Revolution and two large murals, one of Siquierios and the other of Camarena.

Castillo

Museo Historia

Among the trees of the park there is the zoo and the botanical garden, with animals and plants across America.
Almost at the edge of the park there is the Museo de Arte Moderno, which houses the large murals and the highest representatives of the Mexican school of painting.

⇐ Day 1: Mexico City

⇒ Day 3: Teotihuacan

Travels, Mexico, Mexico City, Paseo de la Reforma, Chapultepec