UPDATE: 15 March 2004
Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula
GUEST
REPORTER: Brandon
Wright - a graduate of Auburn University -
and a fellow earthroamer...
I
was finally able to break away from Monterrey last week... Ever since I arrived
in Mexico two months ago, I'd been really wanting to visit the Yucatan to see
the Mayan ruins there. Well, my wish came true... I hopped on a plane last week
and flew to Merida... Called the "White City" by Mexicans, though it
wasn't all that white really. In fact, it was very colorful. From Merida, it's
only a short (1.5 to 2 hrs) bus ride to two of Mexico's best archeological
sites: Chichen Itza and Uxmal (pronounced "oosh-MAL").
Merida
was a beautiful city with European charm. As I sipped coffee at one of the many
cafes in the city one day, I pondered what exactly made Merida so European. I
started to think back to the colonists in the USA and the conquistadors in
Mexico...
You
see, the settlers in America were fleeing religious persecution. They built
simple churches and buildings, which disappeared long ago... Instead of huge
cathedrals, which stand for centuries. Additionally, the native Americans were
simple folks, who didn't build anything permanent either.
In Mexico, however, the Spanish (Who were there to spread the glory of Spain... not run away from it) found massive cities of stone and vast civilizations. The Spaniards quickly went about conquering these cities and converting them to Spanish possessions. They had to make their cities equally impressive as the ones they were taking over, right? After all, the glory of Spain was at stake. So they built grand buildings in the European style. They also wanted little to do with the locals, and basically turned them into slaves.
This,
of course, is only my take on historical events... But looking at Merida, you
might also come to the same conclusion. Merida was built on top of the existing
Mayan city of Tiho... The Spanish even went so far as to tear down the Mayan
temple and erect a monstrous cathedral on its very spot... even using the stones
from the temple as building material for the cathedral! Just imagine the affect
this had on the local population. The cathedral dates back to 1561, and many of
the other buildings around the main square also date to the 16th century... So
you can see that the Spanish were fairly quick in reshaping the native cities...
I mean, this was only 69 years after Columbus landed in the New World, and
they're already tearing down temples and building cathedrals.
Well, even though Merida was a charming city, it's not what I flew to the Yucatan to see... I went to see the ruins, and the first stop on my Mayan adventure was Chichen Itza. The Mayan rain god, Chac-Mool, must have answered the people's prayers the day I went to Chichen Itza because it was pouring down rain. I was absolutely drenched by the time I left.
Most
of the buildings at Chichen Itza are at least 1000 years old.
The main
attraction, the Pyramid of Kukulcan, was first built around 800 AD. This pyramid
is 25 meters tall (82 ft), and the steps to the top are steep and narrow! This
alone would have made the climb to the top pretty scary... But add to that the
torrential downpour, which made the stones all the more slippery, and you've got
a recipe for disaster. I'm surprised no one slipped off the top of the
pyramid... Especially since there's no railing at the top and only a chain
running along the stairs at your feet to help you keep your balance. The
interior of the pyramid was closed due to the rain, but I think they would have
been wiser to close the top.
Chichen Itza was more than just one pyramid, though... It was a vast city. I was surprised at how well preserved many of the structures are. I'm sure they've undergone massive restoration through the years, but it was still impressive.
In
contrast to Chichen Itza's large crowds and well-kept buildings was Uxmal's
solitude and temples long overtaken by the jungle.
The differences were vast.
There were hundreds of people at Chichen Itza... But if it were not for a local
group of teenagers on a school field trip, there would have only been a handful
of people at Uxmal. At times I felt I was the only one there. I quickly left the
tour guide at Uxmal, as it was a complete waste of time the day before... And
explored the city on my own.
Uxmal was older than Chichen Itza, and its demise probably has a great deal to do with the prosperity of Chichen Itza. As Chichen Itza grew, more people migrated from Uxmal until there were none left. Centuries of shifting landscapes and jungle growth have left the site with an all together otherworldly feel. The site was not excavated until the 1920's, and most of the city is still underground... Stone roofs of buildings emerged from the earth all over the place... And trees were everywhere. It really looked like something out of a movie.
The
pyramid at Uxmal (Sorcerer's or Magician's Pyramid) was larger than Kukulcan's
Pyramid at Chichen Itza... 39 meters in height (128 ft)! And the steps were
steeper and narrower! The base of the pyramid was roped off for some reason,
even though my guide book said you could climb to the top. So I decided to climb
anyway. I figured I may never get back to this spot on the globe and I would
have regretted not going to the top. By the time I reached the top, the
authorities were already yelling at me. Luckily that's all they did, and I was
permitted to stay in the complex. Due to the rain the day before, I had worn my
bright orange raincoat just in case it rained that day as well. It didn't rain,
but the raincoat made me instantly recognized by everyone at Uxmal as the nut
who climbed the pyramid. For the rest of the day I had to either smile at those
who thought I was cool (mostly the teenage school kids) or defend myself to
those who disapproved (AARP vacationers). I'm sure the latter will get over it.
After eating dinner with my tour group, we went back inside the site for the light and sound show. It wasn't a sophisticated show, but it was a nice ending to a wonderful day... and the perfect finishing touch to a great Yucatan adventure.
Photo credits: All photos were taken by Brandon Wright at Chichen Itza and Uxmal.