Uxmal and Return to Merida

Uxmal is the Mayan ruin that is often Yucatan traveler's favorite archeological site. It's not quite as huge as Chitzen Itza and the architecture is rounded and a bit more welcoming. The site itself is somewhat prettier and there are trees and shady spots. It was hideously hot when we were there on Ash Wednesday--97 F. and at least that with the humidity. We had thought of visiting some of the other Puuc sites, but I pooped out. Andy could have continued easily, but he was kind and allowed the aging gringa to get back in her air-conditioned car. The Puuc Hills, south of Merida about 70 KM., are the location of a number of Mayan ruined cities that have similar architecture.

There is a small museum at the entrance to the site.



Below is the back side of the principal pyramid. This was the one I was saving my energy to climb. Thank god, the officials no longer allow the tourists to climb to the top. I never would have made it up and back. I don't know what the hole is in the side. Perhaps it's an excavation. Many Mayan pyramids were built one on top of the other and they may be looking for an older pyramid inside. We didn't get a guide, so you cannot ask me any specific questions about Uxmal. Google should answer everything better than I can.

I think these numbers on the principal pyramid are a hoot. Andy suspects they were numbered before someone removed them to excavate and they weren't cleaned up as they were replaced. I like to think that the Maya did it and their paint is better than ours.

The front of the principal pyramid. This is a stitched picture. At this distance, it's impossible to get the whole structure in one shot.

The opening at the top of the principal pyramid.

Andy contemplating Chac noses. Chac is the rain god, a god of great importance in the dry Puuc Hills. Perhaps he was a forerunner of the Kedl nose.

A modern day resident of Uxmal.

Uxmal needs a professional photographer to do the place justice. I did several panoramas, which is the only way to give a notion of the grandeur of the site, but I have to empty the computer before I can put the separate files together. Large stitched files take more memory than I presently have on this computer. Below is part of the Governor's Palace. This is part of one of the four buildings that surround a large plaza.

The ladies loo at Uxmal.

Lunch at Santa Elena after viewing Uxmal. The horse picture made us feel right at home.

On the drive back to Merida, we stopped at a ruined hacienda. The first picture below is of the worker's quarters. They are very rough, but I suspect that the man sitting below probably lives in one of the rooms.

I think that the building below was the principal residence. The chapel would have been to the right and served all the workers.

And the ornate, Victorian ruin below is actually the factory where the henequen was processed. I find it odd that a factory should be so elaborately decorated, but we've seen this at other old henequen haciendas.

Trip with Andy

Andy is here and we are taking the opportunity to visit some new places. The important destination and turn-around point was Uxmal, but we stopped at several towns on the way. The first was Acanceh where they were refurbishing their church. I have the sense that some of the small towns on routes which might be visited by tourists are beginning to spiff up. This town has a little pyramid as well as a freshly painted church, but I won't include the pile of rocks. You will get to see plenty of those later.




After Acanceh we went to a tiny town with a cenote. I'm at the hole in the plaza looking down at Kent who is almost to the bottom, where the water is. A nice stairway has been provided so that we don't have to go down a ladder. It's probably 40 to 50 feet to the water from the surface.

In about 10 feet Kent and Andy would have their feet in the water.

The town also had a church with the florescent lights acting as a second arch over a doorway.

And here's a young mother heading with her bowl to the mill to have the corn ground or to the tortilleria to have the corn paste turned into tortillas. I can't tell whether she has raw corn or the corn meal in the bowl and Kent thinks they may be finished tortillas. In that case she is headed to her mother-in-law's house to help prepare the fiesta with a bowl full of finished tortillas. The cenote would be behind me in this picture.

The pink building below is in Telchaquillo. It is a colorful town.

We were here on Mardi Gras day and a market was in progress, a rustic bull ring was set up, the church had banners flying from all quarters, there was a carnival with games and rides, and below is the snake oil salesman. He had gathered quite a crowd and offered a number of remedies.

The market.

And the last two pictures are of Techaquillo's city hall.

We stopped at Mayapan on the way south. It's not a large ruin, but it lasted longer than many of the bigger, more famous ones. Mayapan is almost a miniature of Chitzen Itza and it actually dominated in the Yucatan for a few years before the Spanish came. Andy took the picture below. I didn't climb this pyramid, I was saving my strength for Uxmal. You can see Kent and me at the middle right edge of the photo.

It's not only that I was saving my strength. I'd have to come back down this slope. Those are Andy's feet. This is not an exaggerated shot. It's real. Andy's feet are twice as long as the step is wide and they had no rope for me to hang onto. I get woozy just looking at this picture.


A Mayapan palm. It was shading our car.

We passed through Mani on our way to Ticul, where we would spend the night before we traveled onward to Uxmal the following morning. Mani is one of the prettiest small towns in the Yucatan, especially so for us as it's on a hill and we miss hills. Below is a helaconia in the church yard.

A couple of high windows in the Mani church.

A Mani church door.

We got an hotel in Ticul (the city with the leering church). It was Mardi Gras and I snapped a couple of pictures before it got too dark. There was a pleasant, small town feel to Carnaval here. Merida was full of glitz and gyrating, scantily dressed girls, but in Ticul, families went together and celebrated.

Next time, Uxmal.

The Main Market

Walking in Merida in February

Andy is here and we intend dragging him around, showing him Merida. Actually, Andy visited here before we ever did, but he was sick much of his time and so he doesn't know the city as well as he'd like.





I'm not sure whether they are locating the electrical system or they are replacing it. Construction is often quite straight-forward, but not necessarily forward looking.

The next two pictures are from the inside of the state government building on Plaza Principal. The wooden doors are magnificent. The murals, not by Diego Rivera, are very nice as well, but they are nearly impossible to photograph and thus are not included in this blog.

The following picture demonstrates why I need a long lens. I don't know whether this is a private patio or one connected to an hotel, but the guy looks like a comfortable gringo. At first I thought he was an inflatable dummy. It wasn't until I got home at downloaded the picture to the computer that I discovered he was real. It was a long way away.

It's hot again. Siesta is welcome after a walk.