Mexico -

Chichén Itzá, Mexico – the bloody wonder of the world…

Gosia — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 16:35:30 +0000

Chichén Itzá is one of the most important archaeological sites in Mexico, related to Mayan and Toltecs culture. Great temples, steep pyramids and colonnades erected in this place give us incredible image of this former empire. The location of the city in the hot, dry area of the Yucatan peninsula was possible due to two wells called cenotes. One of them was a water tank, while the second larger, called Cenote Sagrado – holy well, which was used for ritual purposes. It was the sacred place of the god of the rain – Chaca. In this well, not only valuable objects were sacrificed but people as well. In addition to the bloody rituals like those presented in Apocalypto – directed by Mel Gibson, the Mayans also had a perfect knowledge of mathematics and astronomy, which can be proved by the largest structure – the pyramid of Kukulkan (which means “feathered snake”), called El Castillo. In fact, this temple is basically built on the basis of Mayan calendar. 365 steps lead to its top, which correspond to the number of days a year. The stairs divide each of the 9 levels of structure into 2 parts, which represents 18 months of the Mayan calendar. What’s more, during the spring and autumn equinox, on the northern corner of the temple it’s possible to see the shadow of a serpent. Observing this phenomenon at that time is virtually impossible because of the siege of tourists. The pyramid is also famous for excellent acoustics, a whisper from its peak is heard far away. The building of el Caracol also draws attention. It has characteristic spiral stairs. The building housed an astronomical observatory, in which the Mayans conducted long observations. They’re able to determine the exact point of sunset during the summer solstice. Right behind the Kukulkan Pyramid is the Templo de los Guerreros – the Temple of Warriors. This temple was the site of the most bloody rituals in which the priests cut the victims’ breasts and removed their beating hearts which were sacrificed to the gods. At the top you can see a symbol of these events – the fearsome character of Chac Mool – the Totltecs’ god, holding a vessel full with hearts of the victims. Near the temple is the Grupo de las Mil Columnas – The Group of Thousands Columns, which in fact are around 360. It used to be a market place with a playground and a steam bath. The second terrifying place, the reminiscent of the times of bloody rites, is Tzompantli – Skull Platform. Its walls are decorated with sculptures of skulls and eagles ripping human breasts. In the main square of Chichen Itza, there’s also a temple dedicated to the planet – Venus. However, the tough Mayan reality leaves no illusions, this building wasn’t dedicated to the goddess of love, but to the rituals of blood. Next to the Temple of Venus is the largest preserved ground to play Pelota. The players involved in this game were supposed to put the ball in baskets located 7 meters above the ground. It was a difficult task because during the game you could only use elbows, hips and shoulders. Those who weren’t dedicated to the game were sacrificed. Reliefs on the walls of the ground show the heads of those who lost, certainly it was good motivation. Like the Kukulkan Pyramid, the field is characterized by excellent acoustics conditions, the voice is heard from a distance of 135 meters. The site in Chichen Itza, due to its architecture and bloody history is one of the most extraordinary and fascinating places in Mexico. Well-designed Mayan and Toltecs structures give an idea of the size of the former empire and its expertise in astronomy and construction. That’s why Chichen Itza was proclaimed one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

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Girl on a (dangerous) Trail – roads safety…

Gosia — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 10:55:50 +0000

Before I went to Georgia, I’d thought that I’d seen everything on the roads. There were roads in Mexico, especially those in Mexico City, provided me adrenaline comparable to bungee jumping. There were no rules, except for one – parking ban, which, as a matter of fact, didn’t improve my situation. It was hard, even today I still remember these dilemmas before going through pedestrian crossing, cutting 7-lane, busy road. To make matters worse, I felt constant uncertainty there, whether a driver, driving a 7th right lane, would begin to make a sudden turning left without warning. The entertainment comparable to watching a good psychological thriller was watching roundabouts during rush hours. I was impressed by drivers’ courage who were driving against the current and those driving with the current, that was really good performance. And how about with the police, the guarantor of the road safety… Everybody knows that Mexico City is overcrowded and not always safe. Hence, the logic of the police is to use the sound signals normally during patrols and turn them off to intervene, so that they do not scare the criminals. As long as it’s logical for the crime prevention, for the pedestrian it’s not. I have to admit, driving a car in Mexico is an art. First of all, it requires major psychological skills, behavioral reflex, the ability to read body movements and gestures, possess relevant interpersonal skills and finally the so called “road assertiveness” must be mastered there. The roads in Vietnam are a separate subject for the book, but I’ve described these issues in a modest post (you can find it here). It would seem that the situation here is better than in Mexico, because there’re mainly scooters on the roads. But believe me, even sitting on the edge of a plane before skydiving doesn’t give such adrenaline like a change of light for the red in the middle of a pedestrian crossing on the busy artery in Saigon. After all these adventures, I thought that the “driving culture” in Georgia won’t differ significantly from the European standard, but I was very wrong. While crossing the road in this country, on the basis of previous experience, it was no longer an impression for me, but traffic observation from the back seat of so called “marshrutka” was a truly spiritual experience. But maybe I’ll start from the beginning. Marshrutkas are popular means of communication in Georgia. Cars, transporting people often belong to private individuals, which unfortunately affects their technical condition. The basic principle in Georgia for the choice of the means of transport is to assess the quality of the windscreen window. If it’s broken, you should look for another means of transport. But the problem is when we get into the car, where it turns out that a cautious driver covered the windscreen. In this situation, all we have to do is pray with the driver. Let me put it this way, praying before driving is a ceremony in Georgia. Cars are equipped with all kinds of rosaries and pictures. WIthout a prayer, you can’t move. Of course this activity is repeated on the road mainly before and after overtaking… In addition, there’s another element in Georgia that I havn’t met in any of the previous countries. The popular means of transport are Japanese cars that are much cheaper. Of course, I must admit that Japanese production cars are valued for quality but they have one basic flaw – for the God’s sake, the steering wheel is on the right! At the first overtaking we lead our strenuous intentions towards the altar made by the driver, and belive me after the drive you can recite the entire apocalypse from your memory. However, it’s not the end, the situation is further complicated by the herds of cows, horses and goats, which, without any discomfort, just walk the road. To make matters worse, the areas in Georgia are imposing additional precautionary measures, as the gas pipes are right to buildings. And how does it look like in practice? Take a look 😉

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Campeche and Uxmal – two civilizations

Gosia — Mon, 16 May 2016 20:14:31 +0000

Uxmal is the second most – important Mayan city in Mexico, just after Chichen Itza. The city is famous for its architecture and ornamentation. The most surprising is the fact that there’re no drinking water reservoirs in the surroundings and even there’s no evidence that they existed. Probably, potable water was being cached during rains and used in the dry season. The lack of water resources explains the abundance of reliefs presenting Chaca – god of rain. The most representative point is the Pyramid of the Magician, towering over the city. Similarly to Chichen Itza, this pyramid was being used for ritual purposes. During rituals, priests offered still beating hearts of blue painted people, as a sacrifice. The bodies were thrown down the pyramid stairs. Looking at the pyramid, one can imagine this bloody ritual which was intensified by scary Mayas’ appearance. They had flat forehead, squinted eyes and sharpened front teeth. Additionally during rituals, they used natural hallucinogens like peyote (made of cactus) or magic mushrooms. On the west side of the Pyramid of the Magician is the Nunnery Quadrangle, also decorated with Chaca reliefs. Probably it was a military school or palace complex. There’s also another palace, called the Governor’s Palace, adorned accordingly with Chaca images. There’re also another interesting buildings in Uxmal. Uxmal is located in the very center of the Mexican jungle and its unique ambience is created by iguanas which can be seen everywhere. If anyone has enough stories about bloody Mayas’ rituals, close to Uxmal there’s also another interesting place. It’s a post – colonial city – Campeche. It was established in 1540 by Spanish conquistadors in the place of the former Mayas’ town called Ah Kin Pech which means: the place of serpents and ticks. Fortunately, as it may seem Campeche isn’t a tourist’s nightmare. It turned out to be pleasant, baroque city with pastel buildings from colonial times. Empty, colorful streets and old churches make Campeche a unique place. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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Turquoise Tulum

Gosia — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 19:27:09 +0000

Amazing Tulum, located on the east coast Yucatan Peninsula, is famous for ruins of former Mayan stronghold. Tulum was the last place inhabited by Mayas. The peak of this empire is dated between 13th and 15th century. In 16th century the appearance of Spanish conquistadors brought about Mayas’ descendants death from rare diseases. Reportedly, we „owe” them also the name Yucatan. Even nowadays, in the time of progressive globalization, clashes of civilizations are often based on culture and language misunderstandings. It’s no wonder that Spanish conquistadors didn’t have an idea of Mayas’ culture, let alone their language. Word “Yucatan” sounds exotic but in fact it means: “I don’t understand what you are talking to me”. It was the natives’ response for conquistadors’ question about the name of this place. Tulum is called also the Place of the Dawn because it’s located in the direction of the rising sun. In former times it was a very important trade center of commodities like obsidians, textiles or salt. The city was protected against invasion and pirates, by numerous fortifications and 12 meter high cliff. The most beautiful and the highest landmark is castle – El Castillo which probably served as a lighthouse. On this archeological site you can visit The Temple of the Frescoes called Templo de Las Pinturas which was decorated by colorful murals, masks and reliefs. Nearby you can find The Temple of the Descending God (Templo del Dios Descendente) named after the relief of winged creature descending from heaven which decorates its entrance. This popular Mayas’ figure could symbolize the god of the bees – Ab Muxen Caba. Bees were very important element of Mayas’ culture. Bee breeding techniques were well known there and handed down from generation to generation. Honey harvests were connected with numerous religious ceremonies. Honey wasn’t only a natural antibiotic but also one of the ingredients of so called “balche” – wine produced from special bark, water and fermented honey. This alcohol could have been drunk during ceremonies for rain, which were very important on this arid area. What’s more interesting, numerous artifacts indicate that those tribes were familiar with the strange methods of “alcohol absorption” like enema. Tulum is not only the place connected with amazing and surprising history. Here you can rest on the beautiful beach adjoining to the ruins. The color of the sea can be described with one word – amazing. Turquoise water, white sand beach, interesting history and numerous iguanas walking on the rocks – do we need more? ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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Teotihuacan – place where people become gods

Gosia — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 23:18:27 +0000

Located about 50km form Mexico City, Teotihuacan is one of the greatest mysteries in the history of humanity. Mysterious circumstances and time of its establishment are not known till now. We have only a legend, according to this city was built by giants called quinametin. Their civilization had been destroyed by a great catastrophe, before first man showed on Earth. The most fascinating thing in Teotihuacan is that this all impressive compound was built without usage of metal tools according to strict layout resembling solar system. It’s estimated that first buildings were built in 2nd century BC and the peak of this empire could have taken place between 4th and 7th century. Then its covered 30 square kilometers of the area with the estimated population of 150-250 thousand citizens. Teotihuacan was the biggest city in pre-Columbian America, which served as a popular pilgrimage place for Meso-American tribes. People thought that this empire was the source of the world, the place where the light separated from the darkness and moon and sun were created. It was like a magnet for pilgrims, because in translation for Aztec’s language the name Teotihuacan means: the place where people become gods. The centre of this empire was the Alley of Departed. At the northern end of this alley, there’s a 43 meters-high pyramid called Pyramid of the Moon where bloody rituals took place. It’s not a secret that human offerings were popular there. Probably the main victims were POWs. Between the wide selection of killing people we can enumerate: decapitation, incising thorax and removing beating heart, burying alive or placing in the cage with wild animals. A few steps away we can admire majestic Pyramid of the Sun which is the third largest in the world. This 63m high building was built without using any metal tools. There’re very steep steps leading to the peak, definitely it’s not the place for people who suffer from fear of heights. Some ruins of priests’ chambers remain at the bottom of the pyramid. In the south part of this archeological site there’s the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent). Traditionally it was built as a pyramid with walls decorated with symbols of the two most important gods: Quetzalcoatl and Tlaloc (god of the rains). In November 2014 archeologists found large amount of mercury in the basement. Mercury seems to be useless in that time but it’s suspected that it could have been used in rituals in view of its “magical” appearance. Mica was widely popular from the same reason. Probably it was imported from other places. Teotihuacan in its heyday was a very cosmopolitan city with a large variety of different tribes, such as Zapotecs, Mayas, Totonacs. Except sacral and administrative structures, there were also a lot of residential buildings, market places and pelota playgrounds. The city was a very important production center. It had business connections with a large number of other cities in Mesoamerica. The most surprising fact it that Teotihuacan was abandoned in 10th century. The reason of its decline is a mystery till now. When Aztecs came to this area they saw only emerging ruins form the lush greenery. Fascinated with this spectacular sight of the former civilization, they decided to name it Teotihuacan. This ancient city is also a paradise for botany enthusiasts. There’s a lot of famous prickly pears. Fruit of this cactus can be eaten raw or used as a main ingredient of numerous juices and preserves. Popular plant on this archeological site is agave which is used in the production of tequila.

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Xel – Ha – place where water is born

Gosia — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 22:22:17 +0000

Xel-Ha is a very interesting place for every water – lover. It’s located in the eastern part of Yucatan Peninsula, close to the famous archeological site in Tulum. Xel-Ha is in fact one big aquarium which fascinates by its biodiversity. The name of its speaks for itself, which in Mayan language means: place where water is born. According to the legend Mayan gods mixed in this place: their wisdom, visions, estheticism and beauty. They were so fascinated with their creation that they banned people the entrance to this paradise. Its gates were guarded by iguanas – guardians of the earth, pelicans – protecting the air and parrotfish – which were responsible for water. All of this species perfectly perform this task up to the present times. Thanks to the connection of Carribean Sea waters with flowing nearby river, we can admire amazing diversity of the underwater world. Salt and fresh waters make unique ecosystem which is habituated by at least 70 species of colorful fish. There are also a numerous verdant paths which lead through tropical forest. You can spot there a lot of iguanas. After a day full of such attractions, you can rest in hammocks, admiring beautiful Caribbean Sea scenery. Xel-Ha Has a lot of tourist facilities such as: restaurants, bars, showers, changing rooms and shops. They also provide a wide range of attractions like: ziplining, snorkeling or scuba diving. What’s more the park was established according to the principle of ecologically sustainable tourism. Xel-Ha sets a very good example that environmental protection and tourism can exist together. They protect endangered habitats and species and successively afforest the area with native vegetation.

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