(This is the first blog entry in about a year. Life has kept me very busy not giving me a chance to write. But now that things are under some control I hope to be posting regular blogs and getting back to completing volume two and three of the historical novel I am writing.)
A couple
of years ago on a spring break to Cancun we made time to visit and explore some
of the Mayan ruins that are now located in the state of Qintana Roo and
Yucatan. On that trip we decided to
leave the beach for a couple of days and take a side trip to Mérida, Yucatan, a
beautiful city where I decided I wanted to buy a house and move there (well, at
least for the winters and only if I came into some money). On that "side" trip we visited the
Mayan Ruins of "El Balam,"
"Chichén Itzá" and "Uxmal," ancient cities of the Mayan Post classic
period - between 500 and 1000 years old (places indicated by a light green and
yellow "X's" on the map
below). We also took time to swim in a
Cenote, and of course, we enjoyed the beaches and the climate of Cancun - One
of the most fun and educational trips I have taken.
For
Adrian's 14th birthday this year, I told him that I would give him a trip to
Cancun in lieu of other presents, (and of course I would sacrifice myself and
go with him since at 14 he is too young to travel by himself). The trip is coming up and we are due to
depart on our trip during spring break.
I know it's a hassle fighting our way through all those beach-bunny-crowded
beaches, and that is why we plan to get away from all that beach activity. So, we are taking another side trip to two or
three (possibly four) Mayan archeological sites. So, in addition to seafood dinners, drinks by
the pool and relaxing, we will take a day to go snorkeling on the northern
beaches of "Isla Mujeres" just north of Cancun, take a side trip to
Tulum, a small Mayan archeological site south of Cancun, and take a quick side
trip to Cobá, another site of Mayan ruins about twenty five miles northeast of
Tulum, and if we can, swim with the dolphins.
However,
one of the main events of this trip is a two-day trip to the large
archeological sites of Palenque and Toniná - Cities from the Classical Mayan
period that are between 1,000 to 1,800 years old - much older than the ruins we
visited two years ago. To get an idea of
their age, the site of Palenque was begun around or shortly after the time of
Christ. We also plan to visit to Agua
Azul cascades in the state of Chiapas. The
sites we plan to visit are marked on the map with a Red "X" on the map below. I plan to spend a whole day in Agua Azul, a
series of incredibly beautiful waterfalls, where, because of the mineral
content of the water, the water is truly aquamarine. It is a natural wonder that needs to be on
everybody's bucket list. I marked it on
the map with a blue "X." We were there for a short time many, many
years ago and I can't wait to visit again.
To do this we are taking advantage of the flights on
"Vivaerbus," a
"Sprint-like" airline that offers round trip tickets for under $100
dollars.
One of
the things I am looking forward in Palenque is the burial site of K´inich Janahb´Pakal II, the boy king who ascended the throne at age
12 and under his guidance came the classical construction of the buildings in
Palenque. His is a story, the real
"Game of Thrones," with royal family intrigue, assassinations, love,
military campaigns, and classical architecture.
The grand construction could only be realized because of the military
and economic power and splendor that his reign brought. K´inich Janahb´Pakal II died when he was 80
years old, and his burial mask was made out of 340 pieces of Jade. Although we will not see the mask, we will be
able to see his sarcophagus with its very elaborate cover that weighs about 7 tons
and it is inside the temple. We plan to
go into his burial chamber - inside and the bottom of one of the pyramids and
see this first hand.
Sarcophagus Cover
Agua Azul
If time permits and the site is accessible, we also
planned to visit Toniná, a site about fifty miles from Palenque where the one
of the largest pyramids of the Mayan culture (and the largest pyramid in
Mexico) was just discovered in 2015. A write
up on the site can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonin%C3%A1 About Tonina
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