| |||||||||||||||||||
IV. Cancun Before we jump on the ferry at Isla Mujeres and head to Cancun, however, let’s learn a little bit about Cancun’s history. Sure, everybody knows that in the last forty years Cancun has become a world stage for College Spring Break events wherein television producers with networks such as MTV and Entertainment Television come and film masses of scantily-clad college students bombed out of their minds on a week-long tropical binge. You may not know that Cancun is technically two places: 1) Cancun Island; and, 2) Cancun City. Only a few shallow lagoons separate the so-called island from the mainland and major roads connect the island area to the city so seamlessly that you don’t perceive there is an island. As for Cancun’s history, the question is: what was there before tourism exploded? The answer: nothing. Cancun sprung forth from pure speculation and sand, much like Las Vegas did. Cancun is yet one more “build it and they will come” phenomenon of world tourism. Here are some facts (derived from wikipedia): Originally known as Ekab ("Black Earth"), the area where Cancún is located is now the northern district of the state of Quintana Roo. That region was also Mayan, just like Guatemala, Belize and the rest of Central America. The great Mayan Civilization collapsed due to droughts, food shortages, wars, and over-population. Already in decline when the Spanish arrived, the Mayan population in the Mexican Yucatan area either died off or left as a result of disease, warfare, piracy, and famines, leaving only small settlements on two islands: Isla Mujeres and Cozumel. The city of Cancún was virtually non-existent prior to a 1967 study by Bunco de Mexico to determine the feasibility of capturing more dollars and other foreign exchange through tourism development. Although rumor has it that Cancún’s location was picked by a computer, it was actually selected after extensive research and exploration by a team of researchers. Banco de Mexico obtained a $27 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to install the first infrastructure. When development was started on Jan. 23, 1970, Isla Cancún had only three residents, caretakers of the coconut plantation of Don José de Jesús Lima, who lived on Isla Mujeres. There were only 117 people living in nearby Puerto Juárez, a fishing village and military base. Foreign investors would not bet on a completely unproven and undeveloped area, so the Mexican government financed the first nine hotels. The first hotel financed was the Hyatt Cancun Caribe, but the first hotel actually built was the Playa Blanca, which later became a Blue Bay hotel, and is now Temptation Resort. The entire project was master-planned, with the island (soon connected to the mainland by causeways) devoted almost exclusively to tourism facilities, while workers housing and service areas were located on the mainland in what became the Cancún City. There are now about 150 hotels in Cancún with more than 24,000 rooms and 380 restaurants. Four million visitors arrive each year in an average of 190 flights daily. The Hotel Zone of Cancún is shaped like a “7” with bridges on each end connecting it to the mainland. Hotels on the vertical, long side of the “7” tend to have rougher beaches and beach erosion can be a problem. Resorts on the horizontal, short end of the “7” tend to have more gentle surf because the waves here are blocked by the island of Isla Mujeres which lies just off shore. The Hotel Zone offers a broad range of accommodations, ranging from relatively inexpensive motel-style facilities in the older section closest to the mainland, to high-priced luxury hotels in the later sections, great malls, theme parks and even “swimming with dolphins” activity. On the opposite side of the island from the Caribbean Sea is the Nichupté Lagoon, which is used for boating excursions and jet-ski jungle tours. Cancún is also the gateway to the “Riviera Maya” referring to the attractions of numerous Mayan ruins such as Chichen Itza and Tulum. The estimated annual revenue from tourism in the Cancun area alone is an amazing eleven billion dollars annually. I had already visited Cancun long, long ago, so I was in a position to see how much it had grown. Way back in 1980, I was living in Slidell, Louisiana, and won a radio contest . . . the prize was a trip for two to Cancun . . . three days and two nights. There was really not much there except for the few big hotels that, based on what I know now, were the initial seeds of the Cancun tourist project. There was a main road along the beach, a few big hotels on the beach side of the road, and nothing built at all on the inland side of that beach road. No ancillary businesses were even there yet, just those few, lone hotels and it was a little strange to see them so isolated on the beach. Still drinking alcohol at that particular time in my life, I spent most of my waking hours in Cancun discovering Corona Beer . . . over and over again . . . marinating myself in Mexican beer and Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil. I did manage to get up enough ambition to rent a Hobie Cat, though. I already owned a Hobie 16 at the time and was indeed a skilled Hobie sailor . . . all of which I brashly announced to the rental guy on the beach (who merely wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing before turning me loose with one of his boats). Just about the time I got cocky and indignant that anyone would question my stellar Hobie skills, a gust of wind hit, jibed the boom of the Hobie I was standing by, and the boom hit me in my drunken head as deftly as a street cop’s nightstick, leveling me flat on my back in the sand! When you are young, you can shake those incidents off. Within five minutes I had my bearings and managed to rent the boat and sail out into the clear waters with no further embarrassments. At the time, I remember noticing the little island “just over there” but did not know it was in fact Isla Mujeres. So, it’s been a while . . . almost thirty years since I’ve sailed these waters. And a lot had changed. This time I will remember a lot more about it. Life is so very unpredictable. Back then, thirty years ago and downing beers on the beach, I never dreamed I would own a big catamaran and tour the whole Caribbean one day. Fast forward to Isla Mujeres: as we boarded the ferry to Cancun, I thought about my trip to Cancun decades ago and wondered: What will it be like? Will I remember anything, or see anything remotely familiar, except Corona beer signs? Let’s go check it out!
Steve and Sue O’Connor from Evensong came along with us to investigate Cancun. As I walked around I saw absolutely nothing whatsoever that looked familiar. And those open lands of sand dunes and scrub trees I saw inland of the beach road in 1980, it is all a huge city now! Miles and miles of “big city” have sprawled out in all directions and I simply couldn't believe it had all been built, every wall and roof, within the last thirty years. I’ve never seen anything else like it in terms of sheer mass built in such a relatively short period of time. Only a tsunami of money could have produced anything like that! The farther we walked the bigger the developments and it did start to feel a little bit like Las Vegas: huge night clubs, risqué adult entertainment and money, money, money. Here’s more of what we found:
It was all overwhelming and a universe away from the poverty-stricken lower Central America we had just come from. Cancun is the precise opposite end of the spectrum from Isla Mujeres. Cancun is fast, loud, big, and hyped to the max! The reasons people go cruising are many, and getting away from the Big City and all its perceived ills is certainly on the top of the list. It doesn't take long in the Third World, however, to remember that some things about big cities are wonderful. By the time we reached Cancun, it had been years since we had access to a Super WalMart, for example. It was awesome to find high quality meats, U.S. brands and inventories, and be able to stock up on goods of a quality we had simply gone without for a long, long time. Bottom line: Cancun is great, because you can go there quickly and inexpensively on the ferry and get your modern world “fix” and then “retreat” to the sleepy little island of Isla Mujeres. It is, quite frankly, an unbeatable combination for cruisers. That night, really good ribeye steaks from WalMart would be sizzling on Indigo Moon’s grill. I must admit that I was surprised at one thing that was a little lacking in Cancun and that is marine parts stores. They were still somewhat Third World in inventories and available parts. For one thing, I needed some biocide to treat diesel fuel and prevent algae from growing in our tanks. A taxi driver took me all over town to several marine stores looking for diesel additive to no avail. Then I got creative and asked if there were any heavy equipment dealerships in the area. That did the trick! We found a Hyundai excavator dealership and with a little “Tarzan” Spanish, I asked for some fuel additive: “Buenos Dios. Pregunta . . . Tienes additivo por diesel tanque por limpia diesel?” I think that means “Good morning. I have a question. Do y’all have diesel additive for the fuel tank to keep fuel clean?” Sure enough, they had some algaecide for diesel fuel and did not even make fun of my pitiful Spanish. Plus I got to look at some new excavators on the lot. I laughed out load to see that the Hyundai Corporation named one of their excavators a “Rolex” model. They sure know what turns on the Big Shots in the earth moving business! Here is the additive! It is “todo en uno” . . . an “all in one” treatment for fuel.
Melissa and I stayed late one day in Cancun to walk the streets and eat out. It was a lot of fun to be back in an area where we could venture out at night and enjoy an evening out in the city, like we did in Cartagena, Colombia.
We made several trips to Cancun during our time at Isla Mujeres, and on one occasion it was “just passing through” to see more of the Yucatan. We decided to go see the old city of Mérida and spend a few nights there, and then go to the famous Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza as well. It was to be a fantastic trip wherein we were amazed by the modern, fancy bus lines, great service in the hotels, and the overall high quality of our travel experiences in the Yucatan. V. Mérida Mérida is a grand Latin American City that we loved instantly: the laid-back people, slow pace, and most importantly the centuries’ old culture of art, food, and atmosphere that are top-notch, easily rivaling our favorites Cartagena and New Orleans. Let’s check out Mérida’s story (gleaned from wikipedia): Mérida is the Capital of the Mexican state of the Yucatan and its population is about 750,000, making it the 12th largest metropolitan area in Mexican. It is also the largest of the four cities of the world that share the name Mérida, the other three being located in Spain, Venezuela and the Philippines. Mérida was founded in 1542 by Francisco de Montejo "el Mozo." It was built on the site of the Maya city of T'ho (also known as Ichcaanzihó or "city of the five hills", referring to five pyramids) which had been a center of Mayan culture and activity for centuries. In fact, some historians believe Mérida to be the oldest continually occupied city in all of the Americas. Carved Maya stones from ancient T'ho were widely used to build the Spanish colonial buildings that are plentiful in downtown Mérida, and are visible, for instance, in the walls of the main cathedral. Much of Mérida's architecture from the colonial period through the 18th century and 19th century is still standing in the “centro historico” of the city. From colonial times through the mid 19th century, Mérida was a walled city constructed to repel revolts by the indigenous Maya. Several of the old Spanish city gates survive, but modern Mérida has expanded far beyond the old city’s walls. It is a city with a history of great wealth. For a brief period, around the turn of the 20th century, Mérida was home to more millionaires than any other city in the world. The result of this concentration of wealth can still be seen today. Many large and elaborate homes still line the main avenue of Paso de Montejo, although few are occupied today by individual families. Many of the old mansions have been restored and now serve as banks and opulent office buildings. Mérida has one of the largest historical districts in the Americas, surpassed only by Mexico City and Havana, Cuba. In August 1993 Pope John Paul II visited the city on his third trip to Mexico. The city has been host to two bilateral United States – Mexico conferences, the first in 1999 (Bill Clinton – Vincente Fox) and the second in 2007 (George W. Bush – Felipe Calderon). In June 2007, Mérida moved its city museum to the renovated Post Office building next to the downtown market. The Museum of the City of Mérida houses important artifacts from the city's history, as well as an art gallery. Mérida has been nicknamed "The White City", though the exact origin of this moniker is not clear. Some explanations include the common color of its old buildings painted and decorated with "cal" (though anyone visiting modern Mérida can see that buildings are not all white nowadays) or the fact that the residents keep the city particularly clean. As the state and regional capital, Mérida is a cultural center, featuring multiple museums, art galleries, restaurants, movie theatres and shops. Mérida retains an abundance of beautiful colonial buildings and is a vibrant cultural center, with music and dancing playing an important part in day-to-day life. At the same it is a modern city boasting a comprehensive range of shopping malls, auto dealerships, top quality hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities. The famous avenue, Paseo de Montejo, is lined with original sculpture. Each year, the MACAY Museum in Mérida mounts a new sculpture installation, featuring works from Mexico and one other chosen country. Each exhibit remains for ten months of the year. In 2007, sculptures on Paseo de Montejo featured works by artists from Mexico and Japan. Mérida is also home to the Yucatan Symphony Orchestra that plays regular seasons at the Jose Peon Contreras Theatre on Calle 60 and features classical music, jazz and opera. WOW! What a city! Just reading about Mérida pretty-much guarantees a fabulous, not-to-be-missed inland travel experience for cruisers visiting Isla Mujeres. It was easy for us to do “the math” and see that Mérida’s historically wealthy population had invested a significant portion of disposable income over the centuries to develop the arts, music, and a unique soul and flavor that instantly won our hearts. It had been a year since we had been to a truly celebrated Latin American City (Cartagena, Colombia), and we had already accumulated a very wide range of “Latin American City experiences.” So, we knew what to expect from Mérida . . . and we were ecstatic! Barring some intervening, freak stroke of bad luck, we knew it would be a guaranteed Latin American love affair with a fabulous city the likes of which we had not enjoyed since Cartagena. Hey! Enough of all that! We are still in Cancun! Let’s quit all this jibber jabber and get going or we will miss the bus to Mérida!
Yes, it was really unbelievable. Bus travel from Cancun to Mérida absolutely defies all negative “bus travel stigmas” and it was nothing short of an opulent, comfortable, enjoyable, relaxing trip the likes of which we have not experienced on any public mode of transportation in a long, long, time. What a great way to start out our inland travel. In fact, the whole journey so far was a cruisers’ dream of convenience: a free ride by golf cart from the marina to the ferry dock in Isla Mujeres. Then, a very fast and economical ferry ride to Cancun, followed by a short taxi ride to the bus station and we were on our way . . . effortless, modern, clean, reasonably priced . . . there was really nothing not to love! And so, while we were whisked along the countryside, we grinned and watched the movie “Airbuds” . . . wherein Disney made a kid’s movie with talking golden retriever dogs. Of course, it was over-dubbed in Spanish, though, but that’s nothing more than another opportunity to try and recognize just how much Spanish I still don’t know. One thing you’ll not see on this bus ride, however, is any striking scenery. Flat, hot, desolate: much of the Yucatan is a “parking lot” of a flat landscape that hosts only brush, scrub trees and the scenery was monotone compared to, for example, the bus ride from the Rio Dulce to Guatemala City that took us through stunning, jungle-covered mountain ranges. By midday we were in Mérida and got a hotel room about ten blocks north of the old city square and Cathedral. We had no reservations, which was very unusual for us. We decided to “walk on the wild side” and simply showed up and shopped around in person per information in our of the Lonely Planet guide we had in-hand. Once we were installed in a room, we went on a walkabout. Within a block of our hotel, there was live music playing and it lured us in for a closer look. As in all big Latin American cities, there are many plazas and squares where locals congregate. In a small square very near our hotel, “Sunday Afternoon Fun" was in full swing. I am certain we were the only tourists there. It was an afternoon of neighborhood live music and dancing. Couples, in what appeared an age group from fifties to eighties, were out for music, dance and romance. We were conspicuously out of place and obviously intruding on an exclusive neighborhood event. I almost could not bring myself to raise a camera for fear of being rude, but I took a few shots. It was delightful to see such authentic emotion from the city’s personality. The endearing expressions on the couples’ faces while dancing, the way they were dressed and carried themselves, and the dignified choreography of the whole affair was awesome to see. The bright, tropical sun sporadically penetrated the canopy of trees and illuminated the scene on the dance floor . . . such interesting characters, all with penetrating eyes catching a glance with me now and then, with a smile. It was a display of Latin art, culture and family of the finest kind . . . and as gringos “fresh off the bus” we just stumbled right upon it. Basically, it took less than thirty minutes for my Mérida expectations to be fulfilled . . . it was awesome. Here are some photos:
It’s hard to describe but so obvious to see. Latinos have a phenomenal ability to be simultaneously dignified and whimsical. It is, in itself, an art of the highest form if you ask me. After watching a few dances and enjoying being “flies on the wall” and taking in the dynamics of a totally non-tourist experience, we wandered off toward the Cathedral and the old city plaza. We asked many questions about safety and security before leaving the hotel, and we were very happy that the area really is actually safe in the usual "big city" sense. Like New Orleans and Cartagena, Mérida is yet another “Big Easy” where we felt instantly at ease. There were no admonitions against walking the streets, even after sunset. Also, just like in Isla Mujeres and Cancun, I did not notice one single shotgun or armed guard, even at ATM machines and banks. Here are some street scenes on the way to the main square:
We were hungry and stopped for a late lunch. Sitting outside at tables with nice umbrellas we watched the Sunday afternoon comings and goings of locals and tourists alike. After lunch, it was on to the main plaza . . . a whole city block that is surrounded by amazing, historical structures including the old Cathedral, the Governor’s Palace, Independence Hall, and Montejo’s House that dates back to 1540. Built by the Montejo family, the original structure covered an entire block. All that remains of the original Montejo house is an original façade that is the finest example of "Plateresque" architecture in Mexico. It is an amazing piece of artwork that depicts the Spanish Conquest of the Mayan Civilization and includes images such as Captains standing on the heads of their conquered. It really is unlike anything else we have seen in Latin America And, of course the Cathedral is grand. The layout of the block is as follows: the Cathedral is situated across the plaza from the Independence Hall. On the other two sides of the plaza the Montejo’s house lies across the plaza from the Governor’s Palace. So, those four structures form the square around a huge park and plaza that includes fountains, trees and all sorts of statues and the like.
Of course, there are horse drawn carriage rides available here, just like Cartagena and New Orleans, the clippity-clop of horses’ hoofs are part of the city’s “soundscape.”
Just down the street, only a few blocks from the plaza is the Universidad de Yucatan. So, add a vibrant college scene to the mix of old Mérida and it’s all that much more engaging. We poked our heads into the courtyard of the college and were immediately greeted by a student who wanted to practice some English. While we were strolling around, we noticed that there was something big going on over by the Independence Hall. There were large canopies stretching across the street and the street was blocked off. Rows and rows of folding chairs were set out, and bleachers faced the Hall from across the street. WOW! They are dancing! It’s a Mexican favorite called El Vals de la Escoba which translates into “the dance of the broom.” It’s great! All you need is: 1) six handsome muchachos, well-dressed with matching western apparel of cowboy boots, jeans, western shirts and hats, 2) five beautiful senoritas in matching western style laced-dresses; and 3) an old broom. This is how it works: the six men and five women each form a line-up facing each other. On the signal, they men run to take a dance partner and there will be one odd man out. He then has to pick up and dance with the broom for a minute or two. Then, for the next dance the couples line up again, except that the fellow who got the broom keeps it and sweeps the pavement in between the two rows of re-aligned dancers. At his whim and without warning, the broom dancer throws the broom down and runs for a girl and that signals all of the boys to run again too, leaving a new odd man out, who dances with the broom until the next cycle.
It is so unexpectedly entertaining. It has all the elements of competition, romance, and humor. It’s the “thrill of victory and agony of defeat” but with such a fabulous romantic twist. Also, to see the young man dancing with the broom adds a Cinderella class-wars aspect that surely must be very appealing in the Latin culture . . . to be left dancing with only a broom and "dreaming" of instead being in the arms of a Senorita! As it turns out, the city of Mérida likes having this party every Sunday! You see the banner in the photos above that says “Mérida en Domingo” (Mérida on Sunday), and features the images of dancers. Yes, they do this every week, and the broom dance is but one feature of an afternoon dance festival. It is indicative of the high level of culture here as opposed to some Central American countries. Most “dance exhibitions” in poor Latin American counties are events sponsored by beer companies that trot out and sexy young girls who writhe around in hot pants and tight t- shirts while the local guys leer and drink the beer. I guess that is a “cultural” event too, but not the kind that indicates any contribution whatsoever to the arts. In short, we were in heaven to be immersed in such an epicenter for art and culture. There is a fabulous vibe that you can feel in any community that supports art and education. We were tuned-in and turned-on . . . and loving it! Now, back to our tour of the old city! The entire plaza area at the Cathedral is a fine destination to spend an hour or the whole day. Locals can be heard chattering while lounging on the park benches. Couples hold hands and spend romantic time. Children run and play as all children do. And, a new activity: young people surf the wireless internet on laptop computers . . . an odd sight indeed in such an ancient setting. Here are some images of old Mérida’s central plaza:
Well, we have now seen the Cathedral, the Montejo House, and the Independence Hall, that leaves the Governor’s Palace to complete the block that surrounds and faces the plaza. The Palace is quite regal and most notably includes a courtyard wherein very large murals have been painted on opposing the walls of the first and second floor balconies. The artworks were painted by famed Fernando Castro Pacheco and include motifs such as the social evolution of man in the Yucatan. Here is a look around:
You are probably getting the feeling that Mérida is one big “artistic canvas” and that is true. If you know anything about Mexico’s famous artists, then you surely know who Diego Rivera is, not to mention his wife, Frida Khalo, a very famous artist in her own right. Diego Rivera is the famous muralist who studied in Mexico and ultimately took his talents (or perhaps his talents took him) to Europe in the early 1900’s. Rivera had exhibitions in Paris, Madrid and New York City. By the 1920’s he returned to Mexico and was commissioned by the Mexican government to paint huge murals that focused on Rivera’s communist political views. However controversial his political views were, one thing was not debatable: his talent as an artist. Adding even more sparks to the story of his life, Rivera married Frida Kahlo who was twenty years younger. Married initially in 1929, Frida divorced Diego in 1939 for his notorious infidelities (he had an appetite for sleeping with nudes who posed for him). Despite Diego’s famous indiscretions, Frida remarried Diego later in life. Captured in the motion picture “Frida”, starring Selma Hayek, their high-amperage relationship was to become as famous as their artwork . . . wild, turbulent, passionate and wholly unconventional. Diego’s artwork caused a stir in the U.S.A. when, in the 1930’s, he painted a mural at the RCA Building at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan . . . it included a portrait of Communist Party leader Lenin. It got Diego fired and the mural was destroyed. In the 1940’s Diego painted a mural in Mexico that included the phrase "God does not exist" and the mural was covered up and kept out of the public’s view for nine years. You can see original works by both Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo in the fine arts museum of Mérida. And more: there are unusual displays of many types of art. It’s a center pulsating with some of the better art displays we found in Latin America. Here are a few images:
Wow, there is so much to do and see! It can take a lot out of you and at some certain moment you will want to go back to your hotel and relax. Maybe take a swim and have a nap. There are scores of small, independent hotels and some are spectacularly luxurious (and price accordingly . . . one was over $300. 00 per night). We stayed in a mid-quality hotel and enjoyed it immensely, especially the long hot showers with lots of water pressure and no need to conserve water. After you live on a boat for five years and either have to “make” or “go get” water and have only 150 gallons maximum “in stock” at any given time, finding yourself in a location where water just comes out of the shower “forever” . . . well, it is as if you have died and gone to heaven. I also enjoyed a traditional Mexican breakfast that was included in the price of the room. It was very unusual: two tortillas, one topped with a fried egg over beans, with the second tortilla on top of all that and covered with green peas, bits of ham, and cheese. It looked kind of scary, but I was begging for another one the next day! It was a fabulous breakfast.
Much like Cartagena, luxury hotels in Mérida are situated in old residences with inner courtyards, all located right in the heart of the old city. We decided we wanted to see more of Mérida than was possible by foot. So, we waited for a sunny day and took a double-decker tour bus ride to see many of the sights including miles and miles of old mansions situated on the Boulevard Paseo Montejo. Also, the famous and intricately ornate “Monument to the Fatherland” is located on the Paseo Montejo. So, hey, grab the sunscreen and let’s go!
We had a wonderful time in Mérida. It is securely on the “go back there one day” list. A perfect hub to explore the Yucatan, we would like to return and see more. Probably not by boat, because Isla Mujeres is so far from anywhere else we would ever return to via sailboat, but we would surely consider flying into the Yucatan and foresee spending a lot more time in the region one day. But as to this particular trip, our time was getting short. Or next Indigo Moon voyaging mission was to cross over the Yucatan Channel to the Florida Keys and be in Key West for the Christmas Holidays! But, before departing Mérida and heading back to Isla Mujeres and readying Indigo Moon for that fabulous “homecoming” crossing, we wanted to visit the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. Famous for some of the most ornately carved Mayan structures it is a very popular landmark of the ancient Mayan world. There are also much smaller ruins right on the northern coast of the Yucatan at Tulum, but we would not be able to fit that in. Reports are that the ruins at Tulum are not very impressive, but it is the allure of seeing them situated directly upon the seashore and adjacent to brilliant turquoise waters that makes them unique. Anyway, here is the plan: we’ll check out of the hotel in Mérida very early, catch a tour bus to Chichen Itza and spend the whole day. We’ll catch the last bus from Chichen Itza to Cancun and then hop the ferry at night to Isla Mujeres and take a taxi the last two miles to the marina. It will be a long, adventurous day! Vamonos Amigos! VI. Maya Ruins at Chichen Itza Before we arrive at Chichen Itza, we need to read up a little on the ruins and get calibrated with its history, lest we settle for being merely “t-shirt-shopping rubes” passing through. There is a “mountain” of information about the ruins, so I’ll try and condense some of the reams of descriptions on wikipedia: The Maya name "Chich'en Itza" means "At the mouth of the well of the Itza." The name is believed to derive from the Maya word “itz”, meaning "magic," and “(h)á” meaning "water." Northern Yucatán is arid, and the rivers in the interior all run underground. Natural sink holes, called cenotes provided water at Chichen Itza and one of them, the "Cenote Sagrado" (sacred cenote), was used in pre-Columbian Maya sacrificed that included objects and human beings being thrown into the cenote as a form of worship to the Maya rain god “Chaac.” Explorer Edward Herbert Thompson dredged the Cenote Sagrado from 1904 to 1910, and recovered artifacts of gold, jade, pottery and incense, as well as human remains evidencing wounds consistent with human sacrifice. Chichen Itza rose to regional prominence in roughly 600 AD and roughly correlates with the decline and fragmentation of the major centers of the southern Maya lowlands, such as Tikal in Guatemala. Archaeological data indicates that Chichen Itza fell around AD 1000. While Chichén Itzá “collapsed” (meaning elite activities ceased and the site rapidly depopulated) it does not appear to have been completely abandoned. In 1526, Conquistador Francisco de Montejo successfully petitioned the King of Spain for a charter to conquer Yucatán. His first campaign in 1527, which covered much of the Yucatán peninsula, decimated his forces but ended with the establishment of a small fort just south of where Cancun stands today. Motejo returned to Yucatán in 1531 with reinforcements and took Campeche on the west coast. He sent his son, Francisco Montejo The Younger, in late 1532 to conquer the interior of the Yucatán Peninsula from the north. The objective from the beginning was to go to Chichén Itzá and establish a capital. Montejo the Younger eventually arrived at Chichen Itza, which he renamed Ciudad Real. At first he encountered no resistance, and set about dividing the lands around the city and awarding them to his soldiers. The Maya became more hostile over time, and eventually they laid siege to the Spanish, cutting off their supply line to the coast, and forcing them to barricade themselves among the ruins of ancient city. Months passed, but no reinforcements arrived. Montejo the Younger attempted an all out assault against the Maya and lost 150 of his remaining forces. He was forced to abandon Chichén Itzá in 1534 under cover of darkness. By 1535, all Spanish had been driven from the Yucatán Peninsula. Montejo eventually returned to Yucatán and conquered the peninsula. The Spanish crown later issued a land grant that included Chichen Itza and by 1588 it was a working cattle ranch. The site contains many fine stone buildings in various states of preservation, and many have been restored. The buildings are connected by a dense network of formerly paved roads. Archaeologists have found that almost 100 such roads crisscrossing the site, and extending in all directions from the city. Tourism has been a factor at Chichen Itza for more than a century. In 1972, Mexico enacted the Ley Federal Sobre Monumentos y Zonas Arqueológicas, Artísticas e Históricas (Federal Law over Monuments and Archeological, Artistic and Historic Sites) that put all the nation's pre-Columbian monuments, including those at Chichen Itza, under federal ownership. In the 1980s, Chichen Itza began to receive an influx of visitors. Now, each year on the equinox, a crowd of thousands gathers to witness the light-and-shadow effect on the Temple of Kukulcan. The alignment of the heavens during the equinox produce shadows and light that allegedly cause the image of a feathered serpent god that can supposedly be seen to crawl down the side of the pyramid. Chichen Itza is the second-most visited of Mexico's archaeological sites and, in 2007, Chichen Itza's El Castillo was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World after a worldwide vote. Despite the fact that the vote was sponsored by a commercial enterprise, and that its methodology was criticized, the vote was embraced by government and tourism officials in Mexico who project that, as a result of the publicity, the number of tourists visiting Chichen Itza will double by 2012. Over the past several years, INAH, which manages the site, has been closing monuments to public access. While visitors can walk around them, they can no longer climb them or go inside their chambers. These closures became more prevalent after a San Diego, Calif., woman fell to her death from one of the ruins in 2006. Okay! There a LOT more to know, but we need to get going of we are going to see Chichen Itza and get back to Isla Mujeras before midnight! Here is the photo journal:
Wow, this place is the opposite of the Maya ruins at Tikal in Guatemala! At Tikal, there were no vendors and you really did not see many other people on the trails. Here, at Chichen Itza, it’s like Disney World: chock-a-block with people and trinkets for sale every ten feet of the way! Also, at Tikal we were able to climb on all the temples and monuments and there were hardly any restrictions. It is easy to see why those rules are necessary at Chichen Itza, with crowds that would mob and probably damage the ruins by simply putting too much pressure on them. But, what the ruins at Chichen Itza lacked in solitude and intimacy, they certainly made up for it in grandeur, ornamental detail and interesting history.
At the base of the high interior walls are slanted benches with sculpted panels of teams of ball players. In one panel, one of the players has been decapitated and from the wound emits seven streams of blood; six become wriggling serpents and the center becomes a winding plant. This is a good place to introduce more-specific information about these ball games. Derived from wikipedia, here is an overview of the Mesoamerican ballgame: Archeologists and historians estimate that the ritualistic sport known as the “Mesoamerican ballgame” was played upon sacred ballcourts for a period of over 3000 years by the pre-Colombian and Maya peoples of Mesoamerica. These ancient ballcourts have been found throughout Mesoamerica, as far south as Nicaragua and even possibly as far north as the State of Arizona. The ballcourts vary considerably in size, but are of the same design that provides a long alley with high-sided walls against which a ball would ricochet back into the field of play. The precise rules of the ballgame are not known, but scholars envision the rules were similar to raquetball or volleyball wherein the aim is to keep the ball in play. In the most widespread version of the game, the players struck the ball with their hips. The ball was made of heavy solid rubber. Ball sizes differed greatly over time or according to the version played, but the heaviest and largest are estimated to have weighed over nine pounds. There were different versions of the games. In the hip-ball version, most popularly considered the purest form of the game, researchers believe that the event took place within ballcourts with masoney walls. Archaeological evidence also points toward games where the ball was struck by either wooden sticks, bats, batons, handstones, and the forearm, perhaps at times in combination. The various types of games each had its own size of ball, specialized gear and playing field, and rules. Human sacrifice, particularly decapitation, is associated with the ballgame – severed heads are featured in much Late Classic ballgame art. There has even been speculation that the heads and skulls were used as balls in extreme cases. Even without human sacrifice, the game could be brutal and there were often serious injuries inflicted by the solid, heavy ball. Modern day players of the game (now known as “ulama” games) strike the balls with their hips and are "perpetually bruised." Spanish records from 500 years ago Spanish indicate that routine bruises from the game were so severe that they had to be lanced from time to time and that players were even killed occasionally when the ball "hit them in the mouth or the stomach or the intestines". In modern-day ulama games, each team is confined to one half of the court. The ball is volleyed back and forth using the hips alone until one team fails to return it or the ball leaves the court. The Maya began placing vertical stone rings on each side of the court, the object being to pass the ball through one. In the sixteenth-century Aztec ballgame, that the Spaniards witnessed, points were lost by a player who let the ball bounce more than twice before returning it to the other team, who let the ball go outside the boundaries of the court, or who tried and failed to pass the ball through one of the stone rings placed on each wall along the center line. Points were gained if the ball hit the opposite end wall, while the decisive victory was reserved for the team that put the ball through a ring. However, placing the ball through the ring was a rare event—the rings at Chichen Itza, for example, are set 6 meters off the playing field—and most games were likely won on points. With that overview of the ballgame in place, let’s get back to the trip report and see more of Chichen Itza!
We had a great day: the weather was perfect, it was an impressive attraction, and it was a carefree environment. But, after seeing the remote ruins of Tikal in Guatemala, Chichen Itza was so commercial and so crowded . . . it hardly seemed authentic at times. It was much more like we had just been to well-done Disneyland or a Busch Gardens attraction: surely very fun, impressive, and worth the trip, but not nearly as thought-provoking, spiritual and mysterious as was our visit to Tikal. It was a wonderful experience nonetheless and it was time to head out on our bus ride back to the Caribbean coast.
We had a nice trip back to Cancun, all while quietly reflecting on our inland journey. The sky to the west went ablaze with the last bit of setting sun and we soon found ourselves zooming through darkness. Only an occasional oncoming vehicle’s lights would break the ink-black darkness of the Yucatan's countryside. Then, unpredictably, the blackness would be interrupted now and then by our rolling through a small town, where we made momentary stops at bus stations. Passing slowly through these little towns in the early evening, we could see into homes through wide-open front doors and windows gladly inviting the cooling night air into living rooms that had been heated all day under the scorching tropical sun . . . the glow of televisions and soft yellow glow of lamps revealed the inner features of these homes and their occupants too, curiously giving me the feeling that they were intentionally illuminated displays of Mexican culture to be purposefully shared. And then, just as quickly as those small-town scenes appeared, they were gone again . . . and we would again zoom through the pefect blackness of the countryside. I drifted off in peaceful thought the same way I did as a child on late night automobile trips home after some memorable sunny day . . . laying back and drifting away in my thoughts as I looked out upon features and non-features of the night, all magically streaming by. And soon I was asleep for a time. A awoke to reality again in modern Cancun, and I soon found myself at its ferry terminal, where we waited on the next ferry to Isla Mujeres. Once aboard the ferry, it was only fifteen minutes later that we were back on Isla Mujeres and took a short, five minute cab ride to the marina. We again marveled at how convenient and accessible all this modern and luxurious travel is in the Mexican Yucatan. In fact, the next day we had serious discussions about staying at Isla Mujeres for a whole year and waiting until the following November to return to the U.S.A. We really liked it that much. But, after three years in the Third World, we were keenly aware that the U.S.A. was “just right there” north of us . . . and it was a powerful magnet that simply could not be resisted. In fact, truth be told, we were excited beyond description about the prospect of being back in the land of boat parts, FedEx, VHF weather reports, Coast Guard assistance, top medical facilities, Rule of Law, clean drinking water, high quality food, English speaking people, and a thousand other things that we had come to miss in the Caribbean. So, with our inland travel complete, we made ready to head to sea for the passage between Isla Mujeres, Mexico and Key West, Florida. The timing of our passage fell in such a way that it made sense to enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner at Isla Mujeres and then head to sea before dark on Thanksgiving Day. Such is the unconventional life of a cruiser. |
|
