Although the kids slept right through it, Jenn and I were startled awake at 5am Tuesday morning by the sound of a metallic plink...and then a plonk...and then a swelling ROAR, as the floodgates of the sky opened up and rain jackhammered down upon the tin roof of our bungalow. A wicked thunderstorm was steamrolling its way through the jungle without regard for weary travelers in need of rest. The sky was black as pitch, and the storm seemed to last forever.
This would have seemed like a bad sign for the day ahead, but the clouds had exhausted their supply of rain by dawn, and Tuesday evolved into a beautiful, sunshine-filled day. We started with breakfast served outdoors, then made our way to Uxmal for another day of exploration.
The ruin site of Uxmal is breathtaking and magnificent. It is an absolute must see, for it rivals Chichen Itza in sheer grandeur.
For us, Uxmal is the closest thing to stepping into an intact Mayan kingdom. Two major pyramids, a palace, temples, a royal complex, and many more structures, mostly intact and under active restoration. Plus, so much more in the surrounding jungle growth awaiting excavation.
The most recognizable structure, the Pyramid of the Magician, is also the tallest at 125 feet high. It's noted for its distinctive rounded corners, unlike most other pyramids. Local legend has it that it was built overnight by an alux, which is sort of a Mayan leprechaun. He took over the kingdom after a battle of wills with the king, in which the alux was protected by a magic tortilla! How ever the pyramid was built, it's been dated to about 850 A.D.
While taking our family picture in front of the Pyramid of the Magician, Jenn was stung on the neck by a bee! Can you tell? One of the perils of being an archeological adventurer, it seems.
Due to the constant threat of drought with no local cenote, the underlying theme of Uxmal is the worship of the rain god, Chaac.
Cisterns to collect rain water, plus hundreds of Chaac masks and carvings can be found all over the buildings of the Quadrangle. Chaac has a prominent hook nose as you see above the kids in this shot here.
There was plenty to see and the kids ran around exploring and playing in the courtyard. While trying to get pictures of them, I positioned myself inside one of the rooms to get some shade, only to have a bird poop on my shoulder. Does that mean I've got a lucky year ahead?
After stopping for lunch, we made our way across the grounds to the Great Pyramid, which is more typical in shape that the first. While it's a bit shorter, it still towers at 100 feet high, and tourists are allowed to climb it. So who's up for the challenge? We are!
We weren't about to bring Lukas to the top, but Emma really wanted to climb her first pyramid, so Jenn went up with her first. The little man built his own pyramids at the bottom with the stones scattered across the ground. When the ladies reached the top, they showed off their girl power in action.
Jenn came back down so I could take a turn climbing.
That's a lot of steps to take in the hot sun and the jungle heat, but I wasn't going to miss out on this opportunity.
The view from the top was spectacular and really put the entire site into perspective.
This was once a city, where real people lived, and built what was important to them with their bare hands. These amazing structures, rising out of the jungle as they do, are truly awe inspiring, and the mysteries of what really happened here over a thousand years ago will linger with us for a long time.
Emma was proud to have made it to the top of the pyramid, but the heat of the day was getting to all of us. Apparently, no one had said any prayers to Chaac today, because there wasn't a drop of rain in sight! We circled the 300 foot Governor's Palace, admiring how green the lawns were and how clean and well kept the entire ruin site was. Then it was time to head back to the car for the drive back to Mérida.
It had been a busy day and a hot one at that. The kids cooled off in the pool for awhile, then we headed to Rescoldo's, an authentic Mediterranean pizza spot. Delicious! Finally, excellent pizza in Mexico...with no hot dogs on top!
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