Ruins of Uxmal and cenotes

Welcome to Uxmal, which means "three times" reconstructed. More of this city has been uncovered than at Chichen Itza, and it is much quieter.

Plenty of iguanas basking in the sun, unconcerned with the paparazzi. 

No building was made without careful consideration, with references to the calendar, astronomy, and the 9 levels of underworld and 13 of upper world. Structures here are more elaborate than at Chichen Itza. The detailed decorations show the intertwined feather snake god, and the lattice work represents snake skin. Mayans believe strongly in duality. All good must have bad, all up must have down.

Chaac, the rain god, is everywhere. Its tapir nose can be pointed down, asking for rain, or up, grateful for it. While the ball game was also played here, we learned that it was an honour for the winning captain to be slain and sent directly to the upper world, and there is no evidence of unwilling human sacrifice at Uxmal.

This temple saw five 52 year cycles, so there are five layers. The oldest one has a surviving beam of wood from the chewing gum tree, which is about 1,500 years old!

We climbed up the steep steps of this structure. Ancient Mayans were about 4 feet tall, and these massive steps are uncomfortable for us modern humans to climb and descend - why did they make them so big and make life hard for themselves?

The view from the top before the perilous descent.

There was a mini-adventure when a few minutes after the van departed, the driver said it looks like the air conditioner stopped working (uhoh). We open the windows and keep going. Next the van sputters to a stop and will not start again. Another van was called to rescue us, but coming from Merida would be an hour! Tati, our guide, passed around some fruit, and after a few minutes in the sweltering heat, we opted to walk back to Uxmal. When the new van pulled up, we were greeted with cold beers for the ride.

After a hot day in the sun, it was time for some relaxation. We started at a cenote, which is a cave etched out of the limestone over the years, leading to a perfect swimming hole. This day, we visited two: one semi-open and one enclosed underground. In the open one (I couldn't bring a camera, there was no where to put it), vegetation poured over the edge and reached towards the water, roots echoing the dripping stalactites. Bats were resting above, and I was very aware that we were swimming in somewhat stagnant guano. Sarah had brought some goggles, and a quick peak under the surface revealed an endless depth of stalagmites and deep, cavernous reaches. I quickly returned the goggles, content to remain in the upper world.

The first cenote: GoPro picture thanks to Kelsey and Jordan, sisters from New Zealand.

Hammock relaxation at the next stop, a hacienda with pools, a cenote, and a bar with 2-for-1 margaritas.

The entrance to the underground cenote was tucked beneath a ceiba tree, or the Tree of Life. Mayans said that the tree had 9 roots and 13 branches. To duck under the roots into the massive cave below sent a shiver of glee and adventure down my spine, and I couldn't resist jumping in the water.

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