Chichén Itzá is one of the seven wonders of the modern world as selected by the New7Wonders Foundation. The other six are the Great Wall of China, Petra (Jordan), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru), the Roman Colosseum, and the Taj Mahal (India). Having visited Chichen Itza yesterday, I can't imagine staying in Cancun or on the Riviera Maya and passing up this experience.
The remarkable step pyramid built by the Mayans in the tenth century dominates the center of the complex. The pyramid is not quite square, although this fact is not readily perceptible to the observer. Intentionally skewed, the four faces and diagonal edges of the pyramid align with the angle of the sun on the two equinoxes and the two solstices. See this picture to appreciate the effect created at sunset on the equinox - the sun shining directly onto the western face and just peeking past the edges to illuminate the north steps with a series of triangular shaped patches of light, the symbol of a serpent in Mayan iconography.
There are countless fascinating stories to hear, and other marvels to see, while at Chichen Itza. The Ball Court is a playing field upon which two men played a sudden-death version of basketball (literally). Using only his elbows, knees and hips in an elaborately choreographed game, the first player to get his ball through a stone ring 22 feet above the ground won the honor to be sacrificed to the gods. The loser would cut off the winner's head and present it to the King who presided over the event. But perhaps the biggest mystery is the presence of thousand-year old carvings depicting figures who resemble a Roman soldier, American Indians in full headdress, and a bearded warrior. No theory exists to explain this apparent anachronism.
A private guide can make your visit something special, whether at Chichen Itza or anywhere else in the world, and Virtuoso onsite Journey Mexico provided us with the very best. Fernando (pictured in front of the pyramid) is an excellent guide who is himself part Mayan. More than a job, Mayan culture, architecture, and iconography are his passion, and he conveyed his love and enthusiasm of Mayan culture to us. Though considerably more expensive than signing up for a bus tour with 40 other tourists, the three hours we shared with Fernando at Chichen Itza, followed by another hour at Ek Balam (where we got to climb a pyramid to see some incredibly well-preserved carvings on the temple at the top), made yesterday an experience we will never forget.
Chichen Itza (search here on Google)
copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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