Around four days later, I made another trip to Chichen Itza. I’ll get to that in a bit.
It was a little surprising that it was overcast most of the time here in the Yucatan. I’d half expected it to be hot and muggy all the time. Which is why I’d planned this trip for December. Hopefully to avoid too much heat and humidity. Seems as though my plan worked. Maybe too well, since it seemed to be overcast a lot here. Not this particular day, but generally. It was nice and warm, humidity was fairly low, not too many biting insects, several places to wander to and hang out in the village.
During one of my shopping trips I found that Microdyne stuff I’d been told about in a small convenience store…it’s an iodine based liquid you put a few drips into a bowl with water and rinse your veggies or fruits in. Any fresh food that you don’t peel or cook. Sanitizes them. This village didn’t have much in the way of ‘fresh’ fruits or veggies in the stores. Everything tended to be a bit past it’s prime by the time it got to them. Limp and wilted. No biggie. Stuff is really inexpensive and I’d just buy smaller portions so it’ll get eaten before it spoils. Everything tasted OK except the radishes. Seemed as though they’d been watered with sewage, going by the taste. Yuk. I was pretty happy I’d rinsed them in the Microdyne before tasting them. Tossed the radishes but had fresh fruit and other veggies that were good enough. And a couple days later the fruit and veggie truck pulled into the campground…though I was the only one staying there. Those trucks tend to have stuff that’s in better condition than most of the stores. Anyway, I bought more radishes (which turned out to be excellent) and some more fruit.
I would like to show pictures of Piste’ that I took but they were lost. But here is Google street view map and is looking right at the lot where I was parked. I am pretty sure I was parked right where the bus is parked now. You can just rove around with that map to get an idea of the town. Even navigate right up to the entrance to Chichen Itza. I pretty much stayed on the main street while I stayed here in the village.
There were a couple rainy days, and then it was time to make another visit to the ruins. I’d walked the first time since it was only a mile, and I wanted to know if there was somewhere safe to park my bike so I wouldn’t get there and have to turn right around and go back home if there wasn’t. There were places in Mexico where that happened.
But my last trip on foot proved there were plenty of open, visible, and secure places to chain my bike so this time, off I went riding. Again arrived early morning, around 9:30, and headed straight for the pyramid to get a picture. Weather was pretty nice this time. More sun, fewer clouds, but like the last visit, nice and warm but not hot.
Pretty nice stone work here.
There were so many pyramids here, big and small, it was impossible to keep track of which was which.
This statue was very interesting. I couldn’t get a decent shot of him though. Wrong sun angle. Then I forgot to come back later in the day.
Everywhere you’d go there’d be another building.
This one was called, appropriately enough, the Observatory. Evidence was strong that the name was accurate based on celestial orientation of the building, stairs, and windows.
Oh, look, another building over there…
Buildings, everywhere. I thought that this hallway was kind of unique. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out it’s original purpose. Not enough evidence left after 2,000 years.
And here we have an example of wooden supports, probably rafters. Mostly rotted away.
Seems as though they rested on tops of these columns.
Hey, where’s that trail go?
Oh, cool. Out here in the boondocks by itself.
Some more wood. Hardwood was kind of scarce here in the jungle, those trees you see all around aren’t really suited to be ceiling rafters and such. Builders would have to import trees from up in the mountains. From places like Catemaco.
This building seemed like it would have made a good bar or pub to me.
Look at how thick the walls were.
I cannot remember the story about this metal door. But it may have been installed by early archeologists back in the 1920’s creating a safe room to store artifacts while on a dig here at Itza.
I thought it was pretty cool to take a shot of the ridiculously high, un-arched ceiling while seeing the riotous jungle through the window. Struck me as strange that 2,000 years ago people actually lived here, inside this building, and had to beat back the jungle all the time.
I figured this was a butcher shop. Don’t believe the archeologists agree.
There’s this guy. He’s been damaged by vandals of course, and you probably remember the copies that are all over the world. Fairly spectacular sculpture on it’s own but has a bloody history as it was likely used in sacrifices. A Chacmool type figure. This one is in pretty bad shape.
One of the few times a picture has been take with me in an UNSTAINED white shirt.
Ran into these leaf cutter ants wandering around the city. Guess they were into yellow that day.
Here’s another pyramid hidden in the jungle but it’s fallen to total ruin.
I climbed up on top but there really wasn’t much to see anymore. Time will do that to whatever you build I suppose.
Found this nice blue flower off in the jungle alongside a trail.
And here is the other main cenote that anchored the city of Chichen Itza. Surrounded by jungle now, but back 2,000 years ago, it would have been fairly open and cleared of foliage here.
Guess how quickly you could get lost here? And then tumble to your surprise into a 50 foot deep hole with water at the bottom?
There was this little building off by itself in the jungle very near the cenote. Might have been a store or cafe.
I forget what this hole was about. Probably filled with gold or something.
Then back onto the pathway. This one is different from the processional pathway. Not as wide or as overbuilt. Just an everyday path.
There was a plaque nearby that talked about this red soil, but I forget the significance. Likely used in the construction of adobe type dwellings for the masses. Oh, yeah, that’s what it was. I remember now why I took the shot. Go to my last blog post and you’ll see a building that used this stuff.
Another cave. Nice and cool inside.
No ghosts in here though. Disappointing.
There was this nice map, but what I missed was a paper map I could carry with me. I’m pretty sure they were out and were waiting for new maps from the printer.
And back at the snack bar at the entrance. Took my time here, had a nice fruit plate and a cappuccino for a late lunch.
There’s one of the stone rings used in one of the many ball courts they had here in Itza.
That’s it from Chichen Itza and Piste’. What a great adventure to visit here. I do not envy the folks that fly into Cancun and then take a day bus out here. Really not enough time to explore these old ruins. Though some are dropped off in Piste’ and stay at hotels overnight so they can get in two days here. That should be the minimum you allow for such a unique place. One of the new 7 wonders of the world.