Another long flight from Norfolk, VA to Chichen Itza. The main reason to go here are the fantastic Mayan ruins. We start with the light and sound snow in the evening
Finally better weather and warmer! We take-off from Norfolk and air traffic is quite busy. No problem for our pilots and after reaching our cruising altitude of 28‘000 feet we fly south via Washington DC, Savanna GA and over the open sea to Key West FL., passing Cuba on the left and reaching Mexico over Cancun.
In Chichen Itza we are the only plane at the airport. Everybody is very friendly and custom‘s and immigration is done in no time. A short ride to the Lodge and we are surprised of the quality of the resort. Really, really nice. And it is right next to the ruins! At reception we are greeted with a cold drink and refreshing towel. This is very pleasant since it is 36 degrees here. What a change from 3 days ago when we cruised through the icebergs in Greenland.
Our bungalow with 3 individual rooms is very nice and we order a Mexican snack. Very delicious! Then the pilots hit the pool while the webmaster is updating the page and tries to upload it.
Later in the evening we attend the sound and light show at the pyramids. The yardstick is still the show in Abu Simbel, Egypt, that we saw 2 years ago. The light show is ok but there is a lot of talking. Unfortunately only in Spanish since the head sets for translation are not available. Well, c‘est la vie as the Mexicans say.
Dinner at the hotel is very good. Francesco, our waiter, prepares one of the best Cesar salads we ever had. Everybody is tired again so straight to bed.
Playa del Carmen
In the morning a very interesting sightseeing tour with Raul, our tour guide. The place is impressive and so is its history. Take-off after lunch and a bit a shaky flight to Cancun. The hotel in Playa del Carmen is top and the beach just great.
Finally the first night we all slept through. At 06.00h we the birds outside wake us up; memories of our trip to Africa come back. Breakfast outside on the terrace with the sun coming up.
08.00h Mexican time, our tour guide Raul shows up and we are one of the first ones on the site of these impressive ruins. Chichen Itza was a modest late-Classic town before war-torn Toltecs from Tula, in central Mexico, conquered it in AD 987. An unlikely harmony followed, with experienced Maya architects masterfully adhering to the imagery of the Toltec feathered-serpent cult of Quetzalcoatl. The city was abandoned around 1224.
We start our guided tour with Raul from the Great Plaza. In the middle, the imposing El Castillo (The Great Pyramid) is designed to represent the Maya calendar in stone and is famous for the moving serpent illusions on its staircase, visible during the spring and autumn equinoxes. Inside the pyramid is a pre-Toltec pyramid with a red jaguar throne.
Just next to it is the impressive Gran Juego de Pelota, the biggest ball court in Mesoamerica. Here the teams played the game and had to hit a 1.5 kg rubber ball through rings high up in the wall. The winning team (yes – not the losers) got executed after the game and sacrificed to the Gods. Guess there would not be an FC Basel in Switzerland under these circumstances. The acoustics here are terrific here; as good as at the Great Pyramid!
Back in the plaza stands the impressive Temlo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors), with a chacmool (Mayan sacrificial stone) looking over the warrior-carved columns. Behind is the shady Grupo de la Mil Columnas (Group of the Thousand Columns). Beyond is the Mercado (Market), with a sunken courtyard rimmed by columns. South of it is the unusual Caracol (Snail), once used as an observatory.
There would be much more to write about it; but if you have any further questions, just ask our guide Raul Francisco Canto Rodriguez. He did such a great job explaining it to us. Have a look under the tab „About America“ where you find further information about the Maya, their history and culture.
Back in the hotel we go quickly to the pool to cool down since it is already quite hot. Packing up, driving ten minutes to the airport and getting the plane ready. It is really hot now and we are sweating; memories of our Africa trip are coming back! A short flight into Cancun International Airport (direct approach) and a half hour taxi ride to the hotel in Carmen del Playa. It is really nice and so is the beach. We go for a swim in the sea and Tom gets all excited about the fish swimming around him.
Dinner is at a Brazilian Steak house downtown; recommended by an friend in Switzerland. Beat Bühlmann, aka BeBü, is joining us there after flying in from Switzerland. He will be with us the next couple of days.
