Tag Archives: Mayan ruins

Chichen Itza

Mexico, Travel, Yucatán Peninsula, , ,

Aug 19 – This morning we got up early to catch a collectivo to visit the ruins of the Mayan city Chichen Itza. We arrived at the collectivo stop a little after 7, knowing that the 15 passenger van wouldn’t leave until it was full. Thankfully, this collectivo had air conditioning – an unexpected bonus!

It took about 45 minutes for the drive to the ruins of the city. It was already HOT, and we were glad to have our sunbrellas and plenty of water.


Temple of Kukulcán – El Castillo is the largest structure

Chichen Itza thrived from the time period of approximately 600 – 1200 CE. Unlike other ruins we’ve visited, none of these monuments may be touched or climbed upon.

The Great Ball Court- the largest of Chichen Itza’s ball fields
The object of the game was to get the ball through the small stone circle on the wall
A souvenir vendor showed us the size of the ball – a human skull may have been used to form the center
How the game may have been played – no hands or feet on the ball, only hips and forearms
The Temple of the Jaguars as it may have looked in its painted glory…
…and how it looks today
Platform of Venus
The buildings are carved with lots of serpents…
…and lots of skulls
The Temple of a Thousand Warriors, represented by a thousand pillars
Ancient tic tac toe?
The Observatory – the windows line up so that the sun shines through on equinoxes
Rudimentary arches
The Yucatán doesn’t have a river system, but a series of deep sinkholes that are used as sources of water. The Cenote (Sen OH tay) Sagrado provided all the water for this city.
The Maya had a very complex calendar system
A typical Mayan house with thatched roof
So many masks – faces surrounded by the teeth of a jaguar for protection
Sweaty? Oh yes – but a great day!