Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico - Iguanas in Paradise

Visited Tulum today. Struck by the idea that although a small site when compared to places like Chichen Itza and Uxmal(?), there are some interesting tidbits that are highlighted. Tulum was a trading center and participated with other coastal communities in the establishment of the ocean trading routes that went from Honduras, up and around the Yucatan Peninsula, and to what is now the state of Tabasco, which added, alongside over-population, warfare, and environmental over-exploitation, to the downfall of the large city-states established in the interior of the rain forest by 900AD. The Maya did not venture far off the coasts but instead hugged the coastline in their large canoes.

When one enters Tulum through a tunnel in the outer wall that surrounds the site, one immediately notices that it is a fairly small site, especially when compared to Chichen Itza and similarly expansive sites. But this is because only the political and religious center was considered worthy of permanent stone structures. It was here that the elite lived. The rest of the population lived on the periphery in impermanent structures. Also of note is the fact that within the center are the remains of stone platforms upon which were built structures of organic materials.

These facts are striking to me because when one looks inland from a highpoint all one sees is an unending expanse of incredibly lush green. It must have taken considerable effort to stave off the ever-encroaching jungle and keep the land and roads open for agriculture, housing, and communication. This immediately implies a thriving civilization, dispelling any notion, of which there are many, that the indigenous peoples of the Americas were less knowledgeable and that, without the arrival of the Europeans, would have remained in a primeval state, unevolved. The indigenous peoples of the Americas landscaped their surroundings with alacrity, built cities with large populations, practiced complex irrigation techniques, and had highly complex social structures. Seems to me they were doing just fine.

It is extraordinarily beautiful here. The people of Tulum must have realized the sheer beauty of the beaches. They must have had leisure time, at least the elite.

There are lots of iguanas just crawling around - and lots of tourists, including myself, taking close-up photos of these creatures. At one point I was sitting on the ground in a shaded spot and happened to turn slightly and realized a large iguana was not three feet away from me. While sitting in the same spot opposite one of the buildings, I noticed a medium-sized iguana poised high up on a corner ledge of the building like a living gargoyle.

Tulum is not known for its facades and art and there is really only one building with any art left on it. It is the Temple of the Descending god, named for the image of a primary figure that seems to be crawling down the face of the building due to its legs and feet extended above its head, arms outstretched to the side like a Mesoamerican Spiderman, its face looking directly out. The mysterious and beautiful quality of the depiction excites the imagination. Why is it going down? Why not just depict the face? Two questions that will remain unanswered.

The town of Tulum is like any other beach town really. Shops filled with tacky merchandise and locals enjoying life in shorts and sandals in the many restaurants lining the main drag. It’s a bustling little town with lots of people from all over the world visiting, intermingling with friendly locals. I hope to come back. Ciao!

Diego