A Wonder Indeed
The ruins of Chichen Ítza were ruined by the presence of souvenir vendors on the site. Apparently the land is owned by a private citizen who makes more than a few bucks by allowing these people to sell shit if they pay a kind of tax. So the place is littered with people trying to sell poor quality souvenirs who hassle you and get in the way of your otherwise perfect shots. If you visit Chichen Ítza (and you should) please boycott this practice by buying your souvenirs at a stall outside of the site.
Apart from those annoying distractions, Chichen Ítza was really cool. Not only did it have a stunning main temple, sacrificial temple and massive ball court, but there were so many amazing details by brilliant Mayan design that you have to see and hear to believe.
The main temple had a certain number of levels and lines built into its design that corresponded to the stars or moon cycle. Twice a year, during significant times of the agricultural season, the pair of serpents gliding down one side of the temple are illuminated by the rising sun while the rest of the pyramid remains in darkness, giving the appearance of two snakes winding their way down to earth from heaven. The serpents are important in that one of the Mayan gods was half snake, half quetzal (a bird), who came to earth as a serpent and left as a quetzal. Another fascinating and impressive thing is that a clap on this side of the temple will echo back the sound of a quetzal squawking. Believe it or not, but it's totally true! More than this, at 90º from the same spot is the sacrificial temple which will echo back a sh-sh sound like a snake from the same clap that produces the bird's call! Freaking incredible.
The ball court was amazing for two reasons for me. The first was that it was so big and the stone hoops were so high. It was hard to believe that sheer men could bounce a 5 or 6 kg rubber ball off their hips and into the sideways hoop that only had a diameter just big enough for the ball to pass through. Amazing stuff. Apparently the odds are like a hole in one. The other thing was the acoustics inside the ball court. Though it was open air, you could project your voice without shouting and still be heard clearly from some sixty or more metres away. Amazing. Really cool. Those clever Mayans and their incredible pyramids!
Apart from those annoying distractions, Chichen Ítza was really cool. Not only did it have a stunning main temple, sacrificial temple and massive ball court, but there were so many amazing details by brilliant Mayan design that you have to see and hear to believe.
The main temple had a certain number of levels and lines built into its design that corresponded to the stars or moon cycle. Twice a year, during significant times of the agricultural season, the pair of serpents gliding down one side of the temple are illuminated by the rising sun while the rest of the pyramid remains in darkness, giving the appearance of two snakes winding their way down to earth from heaven. The serpents are important in that one of the Mayan gods was half snake, half quetzal (a bird), who came to earth as a serpent and left as a quetzal. Another fascinating and impressive thing is that a clap on this side of the temple will echo back the sound of a quetzal squawking. Believe it or not, but it's totally true! More than this, at 90º from the same spot is the sacrificial temple which will echo back a sh-sh sound like a snake from the same clap that produces the bird's call! Freaking incredible.The ball court was amazing for two reasons for me. The first was that it was so big and the stone hoops were so high. It was hard to believe that sheer men could bounce a 5 or 6 kg rubber ball off their hips and into the sideways hoop that only had a diameter just big enough for the ball to pass through. Amazing stuff. Apparently the odds are like a hole in one. The other thing was the acoustics inside the ball court. Though it was open air, you could project your voice without shouting and still be heard clearly from some sixty or more metres away. Amazing. Really cool. Those clever Mayans and their incredible pyramids!
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