Chichen Itza was not as I remembered from the previous two times I had visited, the last time over 20 years ago as a teenager traveling with my father and the time before that when I was 8, traveling with my parents. Both times there was a mystery about the place, a feeling of spinning back a thousand years with each step up the main pyramid.
Due to the number of visitors and an effort to protect the site for posterity, one can no longer climb up any of the structures, or peer at the red jaguar with jade eyes in a chamber deep inside the ‘Castle’ pyramid , or wander between the columns at the foot of the Temple of a Thousand Warriors. Further, the place is like an economic circus. There are hundreds of local vendors on the grounds selling their wares for way more than they are worth. Even our guide, José, who I enjoyed and liked, participated in the economic machine. Near the end of our tour at the famous ball court, we were joined by two young local girls, aged 12 and 16(?) dressed in traditional ‘hipils.’ Prompted by José, the girls sang us a song in Mayan and then in Spanish told us the meaning of the song, a simple child’s song. After this they asked if we would like to buy one of the little stitched handkerchiefs that were neatly folded over their arms. Asked how much, they responded 20 pesos; they were maybe worth 10. I wasn’t going to haggle with a 12 year old, although she probably would have kicked my butt in that barter!
José obviously knew many of the vendors. It seems that the guides are near the top of the economic structure of Chichen Itza. One building had a group of men nearby and when we got close to them, José gestured, choosing one to hold and display a notebook of photographs for him while he explained cultural aspects of the Mayan using the various photos in the notebook as reference. While I didn’t see an exchange of money at the time, I’m sure that the man received some kind of tip from José later.
Further, the site is carefully landscaped with raised pathways that lead to and from the different groupings of buildings as well as in and out of the site. There are also hotels that surround the area and one of which is directly adjacent to the grounds.
What did impress me was the fact that great effort has gone into restoring the structures as much as possible. Two sides of the main pyramid, called the El Castillo, are completely restored, but the other two are only partially restored. The view that the world sees in reproductions are the two famous sides that together create the shadow of a serpent’s body that connects to the sculpted serpent head at the foot of the steps after ‘crawling’ down on the solstice.
Archeologists have also dug into the great plaza in front of the pyramid to purposefully reveal the layers of foundation the Mayans built for the pyramid and the great plaza. A lot of stones from the various sites, including Chichen Itza, were removed to use in the building of local churches and cathedrals. The archeologists do not use new stones to complete restorations if they cannot locate the original. They simply leave those parts unfinished.
Despite the circus feel of Chichen Itza and the contrast to my admittedly fuzzy memory, it is still an impressive place. The scientific, mathematical, architectural, artistic, and political achievements are immediately apparent by the just the simple existence of the buildings.
Diego
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