Discovery of the Maya world: Tulum, Cobà, Chichen Itza and Uxmal

On March 20, 2017 we leave after 2 months Isla Mujeres , One of the 10 Caribbean's most beautiful islands and we decide to hire a rental car in Cancun to continue our journey to Mexico.

We choose to start diving in the past !! ... and get to know our ancestors Maya

Among the most fascinating spots of the Riviera Maya and the inner region we chose to visit the main Mayan ruins: Tulum, Cobà, Chicken Itza and Uxmal

TULUM - on the seashore

Hooray !! We ended up in the archaeological site of Tulum, our Maya friends have awakened to welcome us.

The small pueblo of Tulum is located 130 km south of Cancun on the peninsula of Punta Allen.

Tulum is famous for its white sandy beaches, the Mayan ruins overlooking the Caribbean and the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.

The archaeological site of Tulum is characterized by the fortress / temple of Castillo overlooking the cliff on the crystalline waters of the Caribbean.

Tulum operated mainly from the ancient naval port and controlled maritime trade between Honduras and Yucatán.

Unlike many other indigenous civilizations, Tulum has long been inhabited since the Spanish invasion of Mexico.

The Temple of the frescoes is another important ruin of the ancient Tulum.

We have found that 'Tulum' is a Mayan word that indicates defense.

His position was strategic because the only condition to attack him was to find the gap between the insidious coral reef.

And in fact it seems that the city also served as a guide for sailors, as well as an important commercial port, with light effects that through the windows of the "castle" indicated the right course for boats, in the best astronomical Maya tradition!

Maya are too much for you !!

The beach of Tulum (ruin beach, for its proximity to the Mayan ruins) is something absolutely indescribable, where the colors of the sea of sand and emerald jungle are interwoven with the fascination of history and its ruins, in A mix of ancient and savage that has no equal in the world.

I love Tulum

Great Maya Wonderful Tulum

COBA' - immersed in the jungle

Day devoted to the discovery of another very important maya site in Mexico: Cobà with its high pyramid.

Still largely covered by the thick jungle vegetation, it is difficult to believe that once Cobà was one of the most important cities of Mayan civilization.

It is important to note that although Cobà is really impressive in terms of size and mystery, it is still largely wild and among Mayan sites in the region is the least rebuilt.

The archaeological site of Cobà extends for about 40 square kilometers.

Archaeologists are working hard to dig and study other constructions.

Among the incredible ruins of Coba we found the Church of the Church and the Pyramid from the painted architrave.

Up up there we have to climb Luca?

At this pyramid we arrived after cycling for 2 Km in the forest.

It was absolutely worth it, especially when we shot the corner we saw the imposing pyramid.

We could climb the innumerable steps of the pyramid, and it's really worth it since you enjoy a spectacular view of the surrounding forest.

The steep descent and not really in safety has given us an intense burst of adrenaline.

We had a lot of fun

A unique experience ends up here 3000 years later

Tourists fake around for COBA '.

Cobà represents a fascinating archaeological discovery.

It is believed to be the largest in the ancient Mayan cities and has the second highest pyramid in the maya world.

Chichen Itzá - the most famous

And here we come to the mythical Chichen Itzá.

The Mayan ruins of Chichen Itzá are among the most famous in Mexico.

We were given at least a full day to visit them.

The most photographed ruins here are those of El Castillo, commonly referred to as the Kukulkan Pyramid.

An enormous structure built to celebrate the Mayan calendar, in which the architectural elements of the pyramid represent the days, the months and the years.

Fate wanted us to come here on a particular day "The Equinox".
This event only occurs today on March 21st.

The Mayans found out that they were astute astrologers is what they thought was incredible

The Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá surrounded by tourists scurrying.

A trip to the ancient Mayan ruins of Chichén Itza has been a must for us.

Called one of the seven wonders of the world, Chichen Itzá is one of the most visited places in the Yucatan.

Although much of the Mayan civilization is wrapped up in the mystery, excavations and restoration projects reveal that a vast community thrived in Chichén Itza between 700 and 900 BC

WONDERFUL EMOTION

Along with so many people it was a unique experience.
I felt inside me that something in the hemisphere was moving at that moment.

An inexplicable feeling, very strong! Something was happening .. and I closed my eyes with it and let it flow inside me

UXMAL - the magician pyramid

And km after km we reached the important archaeological site of UXMAL

The Uxmal name in the Maya language means "built three times" with reference to the construction of its highest structure, the Pyramid of the Wizard.

We too came to see the unusual pyramid of the Mayan ceremonial center, the "Pyramid of Indochina"

The name of the structure comes from the legends surrounding the site and are still handed down among the descendants of the Maya.

One of the versions of the legend tells of a mysterious "unborn woman", a nano born of an egg (like the reptiles, a likely association with Itzamnà) and then crouched by an old woman with no children.

Raised, the creature was condemned to death for the fear that aroused. The old man asked for grace for his son, and Uxmal's sovereign promised that he would save his life only if the dwarf had built a huge pyramid, the tallest in the city, in a single night. The dwarf succeeded in the enterprise and was greeted as the new sovereign of Uxmal, dedicating the structure.

How many wonderful stories you learn by traveling

Thank you Maya

Here is the "Pirate Pyramid"

We were lost among timeless pyramids and ruins

Uxmal suns in this Maya paradise.

The Uxmal ruins in the north of the Yucatan are characterized by beautiful facade decorations.

They represent the memory of great ceremonies and are considered by extremely archaeologists because of their different size.

The Pyramid of the Wizard of the Temple features interlaced masks characteristic of what is thought to represent the god of Chaac rain.

Unlike other nearby Mayan cities, Uxmal did not have a cenote that provided water.

That is why special attention was paid to the reverence of the rain god. The Governor's Palace with its two-figure jaguar-shaped throne is another highly valued construction.

Our adventure around Mexico makes us know and savor the ancient Mayan civilizations enjoying moments without being hung on the clock hands

Live life at all times

Are you ready to go out of the question?

I have a bit of quiz to ask him

They had a mica balance to laugh at these Maya

It seems like a black ski downhill

After making a journey in time, immersed in ancient civilizations under a hot torrential 100% humidity that made us soak, we continue our journey into I go to Mexico to discover its marvelous cities

Let's then leave the magical land of the Maya and resume our tour of discovering colorful embroidery, colorful pottery, hammocks, leather, wood, stone and much more ...

Follow us! We'll read in the next post

Namastè

Elisa & Luca