Celestún: It’s all for the birds!

About an hour west of Merida, is the conservation area of Celestún.  It is an area where fresh water meets with salt water and forms a brackish water environment that is home to countless species of birds and other animals.  Mangrove forests give shelter to many animals and birds, as well as protecting the coastline during tropical storms and hurricanes.  Because the water is full of tannins and reddish in color, it is a popular feeding ground of flamingos in the winter.  

We boarded two little boats with local guides and took to the water in search of wildlife.  We saw countless herons, egrets, white and brown pelicans, spoonbills, ibis, frigate birds, coots, and a type of stork.  

Finally we got to the flamingo feeding ground.  The water was very shallow and allowed the flamingos walk around in search of their food.  They were grouped in packs and would occasionally fly from group to group.  We got to see a group of males court a group of females with necks outstretched as tall as they could, and spreading their wings, while making quite a racket!

We rode through a tunnel within a mangrove forest and saw many birds sitting in the thickets, as well as giant termite hills up in the treas.  Finally we arrived at a set of natural springs which feed fresh water into the surrounding area.  We had the opportunity to swim in the spring, but declined as we found an adult and baby crocodile already there.  Maybe next time… 

Instead, we headed to a nearby beach area to end our day with seafood, fresh coconuts, and a chance to search for shells.

Celebrating Los Reyes

In Mexico, a mostly Catholic country, January 6^th is a day celebrated as “Día de los Reyes Magos”, or Three Kings Day.  It is the twelfth day of Christmas and thereby recognized as the day that the three kings arrived to see Baby Jesus and bring him gifts.  For this reason, many children in Mexico receive their Christmas gifts when also on January 6^th.   

Traditionally, families will also get together and enjoy a special ring of sweet bread called a “Rosca de Reyes”.   This sweet bread is decorated with candied fruit and may be filled with cream cheese.  It also contains a few white plastic baby figurines that are hidden inside.  As you cut your slice of Rosca and eat it, you may find a figurine in your piece.  If you do, you have the honor of holding a party during the first week of February.  In our case, we found three figurines in our Rosca.  The first was found by Onkel Klaus, the second by Juliana, and the last by Mom.  We will have to decide whether to hold the party in Michigan or in Germany (or simply hold two at different times. 





 

The Crown Jewel of the Yucatan: Chichén Itzá

Heralded as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, Chichén Itzá is probably the most well-known and most widely visited Mayan site on the Yucatan peninsula. 

Chichén Itzá is truly a marvelous archaeological site, but precisely because it is so well visited (read: crowded and hot!) you should plan your visit with great care to get the most out of it.  Based on our lessons learned from previous visits to the site, we timed our visit for New Year’s Day, first thing in the morning!  This required some sacrifice from those who had stayed up late the night before, but the advantages were tremendous!!  We breezed through ticket and entry lines and walked past numerous vendor stands that were still closed.  The sun was up and the sky was blue, but the typical Yucatan heat was not yet in effect!  (We will use this strategy again, if we return for a future visit!)  We started by visiting all the big and famous sites and then continued to the less visited sites on the perimeter, as the crowds began to arrive.

Our first stop was El Castillo, also known as Temple of Kukulcán.  This fantastic four sided pyramid is a testament to the Mayan prowess in mathematics, astronomy, and engineering architecture.  The pyramid has exactly 91 steps on each side and one in more on the top platform, totaling 365 steps; one for each day of the year.  The pyramid is also located in such a way that the shadows display in different and important ways throughout the calendar year.  Most famously, on the equinoxes you can see the zig-zag shadow of the corner steps reflect against north staircase; the one which ends in the head of a giant serpent at the base.  This is in homage to the temple’s namesake, Kukulcán, the feathered serpent whose importance and influence can see seen prominently throughout the site.  The emphasis on Kukulcán is believed to have been brought to the area through the Toltec influence, who came to the region from central Mexico, where the Aztecs revered Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent.  (See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatl)

After El Castillo, our next stop was the Great Ball Court, which is the largest in Mesoamerica.  The ball game was played by teams attempting to get a large rubber ball through the hoops.  The ball is believed to have weighed about 12 pounds and players were allowed to hit it with their elbows, wrists, and hips (using other parts of the body would have resulted in a loss in points).  The game would have lasted for hours, potentially even days.  Based on the relief art along the walls, it is assumed that some participants would have been sacrificed at the conclusion of the game, though there is still disagreement among the experts, whether it would have been the winners (as a great honor) or losers of the game.  It is also debated whether it would have been an entire team or just the captain.  In reality, there is a good chance that practices would have varied from city to city, and over the centuries during which the game was played.

Between the Great Ball Court and El Castillo, there are several smaller platforms that are presumed to have been used for a variety of ceremonial purposes.  A variety of relief carvings are along the facades, including warrior scenes as well as a wall of skulls from the period when the Toltecs are believed to have had a presence in Chichén Itzá.

Outside of the main plaza, we walked downold Mayan roads and past the smaller pyramid of Osario (Tomb of the High Priest) and various other smaller buildings and ball courts believed to have been used for other purposes as part of day to day life.  Eventually we arrived at El Caracol (the Snail Shell), which is also known as the Observatory.  It was used by the ancient Mayan astronomers to track the path of the moon and Venus.  The ancient astronomers also used their skills to track and predict other celestial events, such as lunar and solar eclipses.

  

Just past the Observatory, we arrived at the Nunnery (named this way by the Spanish, and not necessarily an indication of its purpose) and the Temple of Reliefs.  These buildings were impressive in scale and detail, especially since they have only been minimally restored.  The reliefs included Chaac masks, which are not seen in the Great Plaza, and are believed to pre-date the introduction of Kukulcán to the area.

Our final stops on site included Akab Dzib, a very simple building compared to the others, believed to have been used as living quarters.  We also stopped at one of the two cenotes on site, the Xtoloc Cenote, which was believed to have been used as a source of water for cooking and day to day life.  (The other cenote was believed to have been used for ceremonial purposes.)

On our way out of the site, we stopped to chat with one of the local vendors who took the time to explain to us, how he carved his masks for sale and how he used a wide variety of flower types to naturally color the wood.  He also taught us a few key Mayan phrases and explained the many months of the Mayan calendar.  It was a long day, and we departed with feet which were dusty and tired, but many memories for the years to come.

Swimming in Cenotes

The Yucatan is often compared to Swiss cheese in that it the ground is primarily of limestone and the rivers flow underground.  There are an uncountable number of cenotes on the peninsula, which are basically underground lakes of fresh water in the Swiss cheese’s “holes”.  Some cenotes are well known and frequented by tourists.  Others are small and accessible from private property.  

Throughout the region, it is quite possible that you could stumble upon a residence where, behind the exterior property wall, you would find an access to a cenote.  It could even be inside a private home.

Many cenotes are not really feasible to visit with young kids, but we did have the opportunity to go swimming in one.  Down a lengthy flight of damp and slippery wooden stairs, we arrived on a rock platform where we had the option of donning an adult sized life preserver (a wise move for any adult who is hanging on to a small child).   

The water in the centoe was fresh and cool and clear.  Thanks to some lights in the cave and a hole that had been drilled to the surface (about 3 feet in diameter) we had sufficient light to see.  (I can only imagine attempting to explore a cenote without sufficient lighting…)  The walls boasted stalagmites and stalactites.  The footing was rocky and highly uneven, with steep drop offs or sudden rocky peaks to run into.  And yet, it was phenomenal swimming, cool on a hot Yucatan afternoon.  We could really get a sense for how important cenotes must have been for the ancient Maya as a source of life giving water, and how important continue to be for the local population today.

Exploring the Mayan Pyramids: Kabah

About 20 km from Uxmal we stopped to see the Mayan site of Kabah, another site on the Puuc route.  It is believed that the settlement of Kabah began sometime between 300 BC and 250 AD, though the major temples were not constructed until sometime between 850 and 900 AD. 

What is interesting about this site is that in large part, it remains unexcavated.  The main plaza has been partially restored and this was where we spent our time.  Simultaneously, we had the advantage of seeing just how much of the Mayan construction were still in-tact.  One of the main buildings at Kabah known as Codz Poop, is adorned with some 250 Chaac masks on the façade.  Chaac is the Mayan rain god, to whom the building is dedicated.  

On the back of the same building, you can see a latticework frieze including large statues.  Within the main door frames, you can also still find in-tact relief art depicting a variety of warrior scenes.  And if you look really closely in the stone latticework, you could also still make out remnants of the colored plaster that coated the various facades, providing an indication as to how colorful these buildings must have been at one time.

On this site, we also got to see the archaeological work in process, with the mounds of cataloged stones that still need to appropriately relocated onto each building.  Many stones still sport number markings to presumably indicate where they came from or where they should be placed.

Cocoa in the Mayan World

Across the road from Uxmal, we found a new museum dedicated to the role of cocoa in the Mayan world and beyond.  Cocoa beans were used as a type of portable currency in Mesoamerica for trading between individuals and communities.  They were also considered a very important ceremonial component and cocoa played a role in many Mayan rituals.

Some of the interesting things we learned about cocoa, and by extension, chocolate included the process of growing and harvesting cocoa beans.  The cocoa plants are developed through a grafting process to ensure the best quality.  When the tree matures, the pods grow from the trunk and branches.  The pods resemble a large grooved sweet potato in shape and size, generally of lighter color.  Cocoa pods are harvested twice a year, generally in May and December.  Mature pods are selected based on color and the sound that they make when they are tapped lightly.

Once harvested, the pods are cut in half and the cocoa seeds and pulp are removed.  The seeds are then placed in vats of water (traditionally inside a hollowed out log, such as a dugout canoe) for fermentation.  Once fermented, the seeds are cleaned and sun dried. 

Dried cocoa seeds are then selected, any debris is removed, as are moldy or broken beans.  Then they are prepared in batches for roasting.  Once roasted, the seeds can be ground into a paste.  Next the pasted diluted with water and heated.  Traditional hot cocoa would then be frothed, either by using a special pitcher from which air could be blown into the cocoa, it would be frothed with a branched stick or by pouring it back and forth from one container to another.

Hot cocoa was traditionally spiced with condiments like cinnamon, allspice, chili, and so on.  We had the opportunity of trying the chocolate in all its phases of preparation and then decide for ourselves if we wanted to add sweetener or spices to our hot beverage.

Exploring the Mayan Pyramids: Uxmal

We continued our exploration of the Mayan past at Uxmal.  Uxmal, initially settled around 500 BC, became known as one of the most important cultural and commercial centers during the Mayan Classic period. 

One of the characteristics that distinguish Uxmal from other sites we had visited so far was how the population addressed the need for water.  Throughout the Yucatan, one finds that fresh water is abundant in underground rivers and cenotes, but above ground fresh water sources are scarce.  Uxmal lies in an area where the land is more fertile and therefore suitable for cultivation, but there are no permanent freshwater resources nearby.  Therefore the Maya developed a set of cisterns and other water collection mechanisms through which they would capture rainwater for use throughout the year.

Other characteristics that distinguish Uxmal are the extensive examples of decorative art relief carvings throughout the large site, typical of the Puuc style.  We became quite familiar with the image of Chaac, the rain god, which we saw for the first time in Mayapan, and could not escape in Uxmal.  This, of course, was quite understandable, given the heavy reliance on rain for sustenance of the population.

Climbing the Great Pyramid at Uxmal, exploring the governor’s palace, wandering through the ball court, and standing in the middle of the nunnery quadrangle Uxmal were breathtaking experiences to say the least.  And to top it off, standing at the base of the pyramid of the Magician and looking upward, while imagining what events may have played themselves out here over 1000 years ago, was quite awe inspiring!