September 10th, 2014
Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico
There is something exotic about the Aztecs and Maya cultures.
All the horrible ceremonies you have been reading about: how they used to sacrifice young virgins, how they pulled the heart out of chest of living people, the ball games that ended with the suicide of the captain of the losing team.
You stand there try to imagine that all the grass is covered with people watching the priests doing their job on top of the El Castillo. While the sun drew a snake figure on the steps of the pyramid. All Those pyramids and the idea that those and the Egypt pyramids both come from the same alien source (I guess it’s more about the fact it is the most stable way to build up). And the all site is covered with the green jungle, one minute you stand beneath an umbrella to avoid the hot sun, and a minute later you use it to stay dry from the pouring rain =) All this make it an amazing site.
Take Care
Gad
Ik kil cenote – Now that’s a Waterhole! The Yucatan peninsula is flat and have almost no rivers, At least not on the ground. Underneath its surface there is a complete underground system of rivers and waterholes to access to it.
From the top, and from the bottom – this is impressive.
J
umping from there is scary… but the locals jump from the top of the hole. Red Bull used tat place for it cliff diving competition.
El Castillo – The main pyramid in Chichen Itza. What amazed me most about it, was the fact that it is babushka pyramid: inside it there is a smaller pyramid!
As it seems, when standing in a certain distance from the El Castillo pyramid and clapping hand, the echo you hear sound like the call of the Quetzal – a bird that lives in the forest around the site.
On the right – El Castillo, on the left – The ball court.
The ball court (El Juego de Pelota). It’s 100 meter long, as a football pitch.
One of the tribunes of the ball court, from the front and from behind.
Along the tribunes of the ball court, you can see the “rules” of the game: the captain of the losing team sacrificed himself to the gods. Because of the honor of doing it, sometimes the captain of the winning team did it also… The “snakes” you see in the middle picture, is the blood from the neck of a beheaded losing team captain.
The Basket. After drinking some alcohol, the captain stood below the basket and the rest of the team on the grass below him. They had to try and score a small hard rubber ball into the basket using only their hips and shoulders. Think how much time it took them doing it, consider the fact they were drunk.
The sneak head in the end of the ball court.
The Temple of the priests
The observatory. Its doors and windows are set for the rising and setting of Venus in specific dates. It is called El Caracol (“The conch”) for the spiral staircase on the upper floor.
The church. The building is called that way because for the decoration of its upper facade.The Nunnery complex, was probably inhabited by members of a high social class.
The Nunnery complex, was probably inhabited by members of a high social class
The temple of the craved panels.
The platform of Venus. It was more colorful in back days, colored in red, green, blue and black.
Pouring rain over the souvenirs stands
Atzva love churro =) In Israel we find them once a year in the Student Festival in the Technion. But here they all over the place =)
Launch that day – traditional food – chicken with chocolate =)
Valdolid city square getting ready for Mexico Independence day =)
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