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Scanned images of an early exploration
From Merida, I eventually was able to rent an old light blue Volkswagen Bug and began a trek east through the jungle roads of the Mexican states, Quintana Roo and Yucatan, on my way to Cozumel. What seemed like a ruined visit turned into a great adventure. While driving in the dense jungle, I was surprised as the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Chitzen Itza appeared like a mirage through the tangled vegetation of the jungle.
A few days later, I was to visit the seaside ruins of Tulum.
A major tropical storm over the Yucatan Peninsula forced my plane to change course and unexpectedly land in Merida. A hurricane had devastated my original destination just a week before and coupled with this storm, the island of Cozumel was inaccessible by conventional means.
The Temple of Kukulcan appeared as I drove through the jungle and storm.
This was an unanticipated sight, and after seeing this found my way to the ancient site of Chichen Itza. Sorry for the photos, these were taken on film and recently digitized from old negatives. The quality isn't great, but the memories are.
The hurricane eliminated any signs of tourists so I was to have this ancient city to myself, a few archaeological students, and workers bent on saving the sites from the hurricane winds. One of the archaeological students and I struck up a conversation, and he offered to give me a "backstage" tour.
As an archaeological student, he was as knowledgeable about the site as anyone on earth. He showed me sites that no one had known of and hadn't yet been fully excavated.
Our first stop was the Temple of Kukulcan, also known as El Castillo, a Mesoamerican step pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza archaeological site. What luck, as my private tour was turning out to be a tour that allowed me to see the sites as no tourist could.
As we approached the walls of the massive pyramid, my guide pushed aside a large piece of plywood that had been covering an opening that was, to my surprise, a passageway into the pyramid. I was allowed to step into the pyramid and climb the steep steps, to the top of the Mayan-style stone staircase, and into a mysterious hidden chamber. At this moment I felt as if I was in a movie set rather than experiencing something that only a few others have.
Inner Stairway Passage in the Pyramid
You are no longer able to climb the outside of the ruins at Chichen Itza and have not been able to since 2006. I doubt whether you were ever allowed to go inside as I did; I just got lucky that day.
Once inside the chamber, I saw an incredible sight: behind bars, protecting the antiquities from robbers, were two ancient artifacts. One was in the shape of a sacred red jaguar throne that was decorated with numerous, round, green jade jewels. The other is a sacrificial altar of the Mayan god Chaac or Choc. Wow! This wasn't a museum, and it was the real thing.
I doubt it can be done today, but I consider this one of my luckiest travel experiences and will never forget it. I snapped a quick photo of the alters, spent a few moments marveling at what I was experiencing, and made my way back down the narrow stairs to the opening at the base of the pyramid.
I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon exploring the magnificent site, visiting many of the ruins, and, because of my guide, seeing hidden places that still had not been excavated or were yet unknown to outsiders.
The archaeologist shared with me that in the 1930s, a group of excavators began exploring and discovered that another pyramid temple was nestled within the larger pyramid. A small doorway situated under the northern outer staircase leads to a narrow inner staircase, which in turn leads to the secret sanctuary. Digging upward following the stairs, the archeologists uncovered a buried chamber that is believed to be the top chamber of an older inner pyramid.
Further excavations revealed that it had nine platforms, a single stairway, a temple containing human remains, the jade-studded jaguar throne, and a Choc Mool.
As I was experiencing these ancient artifacts, it occurred to me that besides the archeologists who worked here, I was one of the few who had ever seen them.
Hidden alters in ante chamber of pyramid containing a statue of Choc Mool.
El Caracol, the Observatory, is a unique structure at the pre-Columbian Maya civilization site of Chichen Itza. El Caracol, which means 'snail' in Spanish, is so named due to the spiral staircase inside the tower.
The Temple of the Warriors is a central temple that shows bas-reliefs of warriors, eagles and jaguars devouring human hearts. A representations of the god Tlalchitonatiuh and Chaac Mool can also be found in the carvings.
The Temple of Warriors is approached by a broad stairway with a plain, stepped ramp on either side, and each ramp has figures of standard-bearers holding flags. Before the main entrance, a Chaac Mool reclined.
The Temple of the Warriors is one of the most impressive and important structures at Chichen Itza. It might be the only known late classic Maya building sufficiently big enough for really large gatherings.
Archeologists spent 4 years excavating the Temple of Warriors, finishing their work in 1928. Before they started, all they saw was a tree-covered hill 50 feet (15 meters) high.
There is art everywhere you look here.
On the coast, south of Cancun, lies the ancient ruined city and temples of Talum, another Mayan treasure. The location alone is worth the trip, and the history of this ancient city is fascinating. This Maya site may formerly have been known by the name Zama, meaning the City of Dawn, because it faces the sunrise.
Tulum stands on a bluff facing east toward the Caribbean Sea. Tulúm is also the Yucatan Mayan word for fence, wall, or trench. The walls surrounding the site allowed the Tulum Fort to be defended against invasions.
Tulum had access to land and sea trade routes, making it an important trade hub. Numerous depictions in murals and other works around the site suggest that it was an important site for the worship of the Diving or Ascending god.
Not far from the ruins are crystal clear cave lakes where you can dive.
Hurricane Gilbert and tropical storm Keith devastated the Yucatan Peninsula, killing hundreds and destroying the countryside. Traveling through the jungle, I could see and experience the hardship the people endured. I saw piglets running through the dirt floors of the thatched huts, and villagers sleeping in hand-made hammocks. Extreme poverty filled my memories of this time.
After I explored this area, I reflected on how fortunate I was to have had my trip drastically changed due to Hurricane Gilbert and Tropical Storm Keith. Unfortunately, the people of the Yucatan were not as fortunate.
I finally made it to the island of Cozumel, where I was to find the devastation to be much more than what I had just experienced on the mainland. With a visit to the underwater national park north of Cozumel and a short visit to Isla Mujeres, this trip turned out to be a true experience.
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