Mayan Riviera Day 4
Mayan Riviera
February 10, 2007 - Saturday - Iberostar Paraiso del Mar-Chichen Itza
As we were to go on a tour this morning, we had an early alarm for 6:30. We woke up to cloudy skies, with temperatures in the 70s. We showered and had our buffet breakfast with the Poulsens and were in the lobby by 8:15.
The tour bus came for us at 8:35 and we were the last pickup. We went northeast toward Cancun and then turned westward on the tollway. It was a relatively new divided highway that was a great improvement from the two lane narrow road that previously took people to Chichen Itza.
Our tour guide Roberto gave us a lengthy history of the Mayan people, their language, and culture. He also explained the safety rules of the bus as well as our itinerary for the day. The scenery did not change as the road traverses dense scrub vegetation.
We arrived at Chichen Itza at 11 and were given a bathroom break while Roberto and his assistant Homerio purchased the tickets and received the bracelets we had to wear while in the archaeological site.
As this was our third trip to this ancient site, we had a good idea of what we were to see. We started with a brief welcome from the Mayan Cultural Center who explained about the language and mathematics system of the ancients. We then entered the Main Plaza where we were again given more information.
A new provision allows vendors to enter the archaeological zone so Roberto asked us to stay in our group and discourage the vendors. We moved over to the ball court and were given an opportunity to see the stone engravings. We went to the Platform of the Eagles and Jaguars that we had not seen before. We saw the skeletal engravings in the Temple of the Warriors also.
A major change from our previous visit is that tourists are not able to climb on any of the ruins with the exception of the Observatory. The giant pyramid at the center used to give the visitor an impressive perspective of the totally flat terrain that is the Yucatan.
At 1:10 we were given free time so we walked to the Observatory climbed to the top, and took a few photos. We had a brief rain shower that was a welcome reprieve from the hot sun and 90 degree temperatures of the jungle. We met the rest of our group at 2:10 in the parking area and boarded the bus for a short trip to our Mayan lunch.
The restaurant was a favorite stop for bus tours and they were ready with a typical Mexican/Mayan menu. We ate quickly as the afternoon schedule had us there for a limited time.
Jesper, Cecilie, Maria and I quickly changed into our bathing suits so we could experience the 150 foot deep cenote (sink hole) in the limestone. The whole Yucatan Peninsula, an ancient sea bed, is made up of limestone and through the ages these freshwater pools were created.
As we climbed down the 92 steps to the pool, there were various platforms to observe and take photographs. When we reached the bottom, we saw a crystal clear pool with fish. One could dive from the side or climb some steps to take a more daring leap into the 250 foot deep fresh water.
We had to be back on the bus at 3:45 and then spent four hours on the bus taking an alternate route through the community of Valladolid. When it got dark they showed us a movie on the three screens throughout the bus.
As were the last on the bus, we were the last off the bus. We were given a tour of the many other hotels along the Mayan Riviera as we we dropped the others at their hotels. Finally at 8:15 pm, we arrived at our hotel, grabbed a drink, took a quick shower and went to the main dining room for a light dinner. Tony the bartender was intent on proving to me he could make the best and strongest margarita.
After dinner we returned to our room, downloaded and looked at the pictures we had taken and went to sleep. Fortunately, the temperatures here at the hotel had dropped into the 70s and the A/C did not have to work too hard.
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Chichen Itza Entrance
El Castillo
El Castillo from the Jaguar
The Poulsens in Front of the Observa...
150 Foot Deep Cenote
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